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anuknowha · 6 years ago

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Till Death Do We Part// Chapter 6, You Never Pay Respect

Serious disclaimer: This chapter is angsty, very angsty so please turn away if it offends you. There's also a trigger warning of suicide in this chapter. I do not endorse suicidal actions or thoughts. I do not support Kim Jonghyun's death, this is not about poking fun at it. This is a chapter of a story I wrote in order to portray the inner demons he had inside of him that he had to battle with. I loved him as an artist and he was a talented person who doesn't get enough appreciation. And with that I dedicated a chapter to him to show that one, he was human, and two, that he is still relevant even if his label doesn't believe it. R.I.P Kim Jonghyun 1990-2017. !!Suicidal Mention Warning. This one is strong so please turn away if you can’t handle it. One morning...

'It all started about 9 years ago when SM Entertainment pulled me and 4 others boys to form the Korean boy band, Shinee. We were an amazing band, a group of five misfits doing what they do best. Singing, dancing, wrapping, and so on. I, Kim Jonghyun, was the leader, and I was accompanied by Lee Jin-ki, Kee Ki-bum, Choi Min-Ho, and Lee Tae-min and together we made a band that stood out to others. We weren't no EXO, and we definitely weren't no BTS, but we were us, and we were happy being us. Because we knew we were talented, special, different, each with our own uniqueness that we could contribute to the group. And that's what made Shinee. Sometimes we were sad, upset that we never had been able to truly get our names out there but other times we knew that was just a thought. It was our doubts, it was, just what it was, a lie. We were very successful in our careers, and we still are. I honestly wouldn't have asked for a better team. Year after year we would go on stage and present ourselves to our fans as we engaged with them, as they screamed for us. It was music to our ears. They would chant for us, and scream every time we did something funny or just stepped out on stage. And, when all of them sung together; even if they didn't know the words, we sung with them. If we were energetic than so were they, if we were tired they would feel bad, and if we needed comfort they would always send us tweets even if we don't respond to them it didn't mean we didn't read them. No matter where we went to put on a show there was always a positive environment and that's all we needed to get going. Actually come to think of it my favorite tour was Shinee World Tour V. We got to come to the United States for the first time in 2017 and I must say I enjoyed my time there. I was never aware of how many fans we had overseas because SM seemed like they were saving us for something special, or maybe they were just trying to hold us back. The latter is something I don't want to believe but I wouldn't be surprised about, like I said, we were no EXO. We didn't get to get many places, outside of Asia, most of our tours consisted of Japan and South Korea... Which was nice until you realized that there's so much more out there. When we finally got to go to North America in the beginning of 2017 we were thrilled! We all jumped out of bed in excitement and we laughed while on our airplane ride. And when we got there it was almost as if those past 9 years was leading up to this; it felt as if this is what we were waiting for. And I have to say it did feel like a big victory for us. While in America walking through the streets made me think of Onew and how much he would enjoy the taste of fried chicken back home. It was his favorite dish, and even though it was available back at home, especially at our KFCs, that didn't stop him. Even if he wasn't hungry he'd joke about seeing a place that sells such a delicious meal, and how he'd want to try it. Place after place he would name, and we tried to get to a few but we weren't in North America for too long. Three shows, one in Canada and two in the United States. It felt degrading to be so high in SMs rankings and still be forgotten. I was thinking maybe it was a mistake, but nonetheless, our fans made up for it every time we saw their smiling faces. I was happy to be successful. I was happy to perform. I was happy to be part of something bigger than I ever thought was possible -- so I thought. I felt my happiness declining for a while now, maybe about two to three years. And I wasn't quite sure why. I had everything I wanted, a loving family, kind friends, and a job that could go on until who knows how long if we kept enjoying it and if they found purpose in us. I was content with the lifestyle, although the company kept us on a leash. Maybe that's actually what I hated... I didn't like being held back, and even with what seemed to be my "true potential" it always was as if I had no power, no say in my life until they dropped our contract. Even if they did I'd still have to give two years in the military, at the least, as either entertainment or a soldier in a war. It's not like I had the luxury of that being a choice. I had picked my passion, I had reached my "goal" but even so, I still felt empty. I tried helping other people and still nothing, it was as if something deep inside me was missing and I couldn't find it. Everyday of 2017 had gotten worse for me, it seemed as if my life was heading completely downhill in a troubling spiral and that I could not stop it. I had been thinking -- suicide had been on my mind a lot recently and it wasn't something I could avoid. It's something I needed to talk about but I didn't want to worry the others and I didn't want the entertainment company mad at me. So I kept myself quiet. And by keeping quiet I ended up dead. A few weeks before I took that final step, I wrote a suicide note to a close friend in which I admitting that the fame was getting to me, that it was too much and that I was on the brink of collapse, that I was about to give up. And, although she did try to stop me it only I remember it as if it just happened. In late December I decided it was time; I rented out an apartment for two days just so that my demise wouldn't be disturbed. I remember going on an app and texting my sister things like, "I love you." , "I'm sorry." , and "Goodbye". I know it broke her heart, and I saw that she read them but I couldn't dare bring myself to read anything she texted back. I couldn't bare to even pick up the phone after those messages were sent. I listened to my phone go off, chime after chime and also a sudden vibration, which startled me. I remember looking over and tears started to swell in my eyes but I continued on anyway. I dug around in my pocket where I had little pieces of coal, they were as dark as my thoughts at the moment and it was as if I could see myself in them -- in this reflectionless mineral. I walked over to the stove and turned it on slowly. There was a pan I left on top if it from breakfast, and I watched as I almost instinctively placed those little black pebbles into the pan. And soon enough they started to burn. I looked at my hands, black with the dust of coals. I tried to rub it off onto my pants but to no avail, they were stained, and at this point, so were my thoughts. I walked back to the couch as the fumes from the burning material started poking at my nose. It felt poisonous and gross. It felt as if the air was being sucked from my lungs as carbon monoxide filled the room. I felt myself going numb, my whole body losing a battle against the lack of oxygen. I started coughing, and the smoke from the air was inhaled into my lungs. But I dare not move. I probably wouldn't have made it to the stove anyway, it seemed so much further from where I was standing. Maybe this was a bad way to go, maybe this was a bad idea in general. I didn't like it, it was hurting a lot more than I expected. And by this time I could barely keep my eyes open. My eyes glanced down, the last thing I saw was my phone lighting up and shaking vigorously on my lap. I blacked out, lost consciousness but still breathing. Just clinging on to life. I felt the cells in my brain fade. I was forgetting, I wasn't thinking, I almost forgot who I was as my time on this earth was coming to a close. It was such a small window left for me to live by the time the ambulance arrived to take me in. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I lost all feeling in my body and I was losing all thoughts in my mind. At this point I could only remember watching her call, my sister, and trying to stop me from taking a drastic step into the afterlife. I think if I was able to give one more thought right before I took my last breath, it would've been "I'm sorry." Jonghyun woke up, sitting up quickly. his heart racing what felt like over a mile a minute. He coughed and gripped his chest as tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't breathe and he felt himself having a "heart attack." He tried to hold back a scream as best he could. With his blue pajama shirt clenched in his fist he let out a blood curdling scream that was loud enough for the whole house to hear. He quickly covered his mouth afterwards, completely embarrassed and in shock at the situation. He gripped his hair tightly and pulled on it in anger almost pulling it out in the process. He curled up in a ball, tears rolling down his cheeks and staining his pajamas, time after time as he let out loud whimpers and noises of complete distress as he felt himself slowly growing accustomed to reality. He was dead, he had killed himself because he couldn't take that life anymore, but at the same time he knows he can't take this one either. He didn't want to be here either, he wanted it all to be over. He let out another scream, this time choking on his tears as he scrambled to get out the bed falling onto his stomach. Jonghyun coughed hard at the impact and started to crawl towards the dresser in his room. With each passing movement he felt his chest growing tighter, and with the little bit of strength he had he pulled himself to his feet he grabbed onto the dresser and looked into the mirror in front of him. He pressed his hands down on the top of the furniture for support and took deep breathes, as deep as he possibly could. His eyes were red and puffy underneath as tears continued to flow like a waterfall. Drop after drop landed on the top of the dresser forming a puddle of sadness directly underneath his face. His cheeks were swollen, and moist with his sadness and depression. And with that he took his arms and knocked everything off the dresser. They all landed to the floor with different sorts of sounds. His head was throbbing and he yelled out in pain. He ran over to his bed throwing off the pillows, the sheets, watching them hit the floor almost gracefully even after all the force he used. He continued to cough and toss everything that was once neat into a chaotic mess. He picked up the tv remote and threw it at the mirror which caused it to shatter. He collapsed to his knees taking long deep breathes. His head was down and his eyes were covered by his hair. He gathered himself and picked himself up from the now messy floor before marching towards the dresser once more and he used his hand to brush his hair from his face. He looked directly into the mirror in front of him and his eyes would flicker black. It did not at all phase him. Slowly a man in the mirror started to form, but he didn't say a word. "Poor Jonghyun, you're such a mess, you're crying over your own suicide. Do you know how pathetic you sound? You did this to yourself, you caused it, you made this happen. Don't you think they all miss you? Don't you think your sister misses you? Your parents miss you, and so do your band mates. But you know who doesn't care about you? Your company. They just wanted you for money, so they can strive and be more recognizable because of your group. And you helped them, you led them. You brought them the funds they needed to stay alive. You were their number one slave. You always were, you know how it is. And in the back of your mind you knew you'd never be as popular as EXO. You knew this and yet they kept pushing you in greed. They can't help themselves. And you know you couldn't either when you decided it was time to end it." The voice seemed to move further away from him, as the figure appeared on his bed with its legs crossed. "Very unholy of you to take your life like that. And I must say it was thought well outside the box, usually carbon monoxide is put into a car to kill you, but burning coals, coals! I wouldn't have ever thought of that as an idea but you are very creative in your ideas you humans are. But I think you did the right thing regardless of the matter. And the fact that you rented out an apartment for two days was simply priceless! You had this completely planned out didn't you?" Jonghyun took deep long breathes in front of the mirror, his fingernails digging deep into the wooden top causing scratch marks to be created and blood to seep from his finger tips. He mumbled something in Korean. And the human figure turned towards him. "Hmm?" It grinned. "Fuck off!!" Jonghyun screamed. In the back of his mind he knew two things, he would usually never get this angry and he wouldn't have felt so pent up so easily, but at the moment, none of that mattered. "That's no way to talk to me, it's very rude of you to be like that towards me. Very rude of you but brave nonetheless. Jonghyun, you were so smart to pull a stunt and all alone, killing yourself slowly. Tell me how did it feel to take in that smoke? Did it make you choke? Did you cough up any blood? Did you ever worry about burning the place down? Because seemingly you didn't, thank goodness they arrived in time to stop a building from being destroyed, too bad they couldn't stop you from being destroyed." He picks up and object and throws it at the creature on the bed, it goes right through them. It walked back behind him and smiled at him bearing its human teeth. "I remember that day of your life very vividly, realizing your mistake after it was too late, after you completely lost consciousness. Your mind was slowly dying consuming all of those toxins. Brain dead right? You couldn't help it though." His body trembled at the thought, his lips turning black and leaking a black ooze. The creature looked at him shocked. "Let me help you forget everything." It ran its fingers over his lips and stared at the sticky substance that now was on its hand. Touching its fingers together, it watched the substance coat its fingers forming sticky strands to connect them. "Leaking already? What a shame. You're going to make a mess." It watched the thick goo drop onto the desk. Jonghyun turned around to swipe at the creature who vanished before he could even touch him. It reappeared in front of him and once again he tried swiping at it only to knock off some of the glass from the mirror. This continued to go on for some time and it left his room in shambles and once he was done, was his finger tips were all damaged and a deep shade of red; once his walls had scratch marks running down them; once the walls had red streaks mixed in with the blue paint, he was left painting on the bed. Anger and rage coursing through his veins. "Done yet? You threw quite the tantrum there. You destroyed your room pretty well, but no fear, I can fix it for you. The creature covered his mouth with a hand and Jonghyun blacked out. Jonghyun awoke in his room with a gasp. He clenched his chest as he sat up, the sheets stopping at his stomach. He coughed and the tears started to form. He felt himself choking, remembering his own death was the "death" of him. He looked around, everything in his room was the same as before. It was clean, tidy and everything was in place. He cupped his face in his hands and let the tears run down them. He curled up, holding his legs to his chest as he thought to himself quietly. He surely did regret his suicide. 'I came to the conclusion, we all have our demons, but not all of us can fight against them. I lost my battle and I'm regretting it for the rest of "my existence." But, sometimes I'm glad I'm gone because, back on earth, "they" really didn't care anyway. But regardless of where I am, I'll never forget my friends, family, or any of the wonderful Shawol. I thank you for giving my life meaning and for listening when I needed you the most. It made every minute back on earth something I could endure a little bit longer.'

Taglist: @lennonwhipped @rogers-flowered-blazer @caviarandqueen @celestialmay @sweet-mother-love @peacelennon @caminc91

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hari-writes · 6 years ago

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Little Louis Dupain-Cheng - Chapter 18

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Pairings: Adrien/Marinette Summary: In the seven years since Hawk Moth’s defeat, much has changed. Adrien Agreste PhD returns to Paris and is reunited with his friends. Marinette has a degree in Fashion Design, a thriving boutique and a son, six-year-old Louis. Louis is like his mother in many ways, except for green eyes and a familiar smile… Will Adrien do the maths?

Read on A03 ★★★ Buy me a coffee?

Miraculous

Three months later…

Adrien was woken that Saturday night by someone banging on the apartment door. Insistent, loud knocking that was likely to wake the whole building if he didn’t do something about it.

“Mama! Papa! There’s someone at the door.” Louis called redundantly from his bedroom.

“Thanks, son, I’d never have guessed,” He muttered sleepily.

He looked at the clock in the bedroom, it was 4am. As he left his room to investigate, he picked up his phone and noticed dozens of missed calls from Nino and Kim. That woke him up. The last time his friends called him this incessantly was when Gabriel escaped from hospital.

That thought was at the top of his mind when he looked through the spyhole and couldn’t see anyone.

“Dude! Open up! I can see your shadow under the door.” It was Alix.

He breathed a sigh of relief, unbolted the door and opened it.

Alix grinned and looked Adrien up and down, which was when he remembered that slept in pyjama bottoms and no top.

“Nice abs. I think I pulled the long straw here. Kim had to go wake up Chloe and there’s no way she looks this good at four in the morning,” She leered, “The Chat Noir hair really sets off the effect, by the way.”

“Not that I don’t love having you come to my house at WTF o’clock to ogle me, but are you here for a reason?” He asked grumpily.

“Oh, yeah. Alya’s in labour.” Alix said, “And we need to get to the hospital.”

Adrien’s brain immediately woke up at the news. “M’Lady! Louis!” He shouted.

“Yeah, yeah, we heard foghorn-Kubdel there,” Marinette grumbled, fully dressed and pulling a felt fedora over her bed hair.

Louis came bounding down the stairs behind her. He was a morning person, something he definitely got from Adrien. Marinette was currently swearing at her boots and trying to put them on the wrong feet.

“Kid, you need a sweater, it’s February.” Adrien sent his son back up the stairs. “And bring a book or something, there might be a long wait.”

He followed Louis upstairs to throw some jeans, a shirt and a sweater on himself. This was dizzyingly exciting, he couldn't even begin to imagine how Nino must be feeling right now.

“Marinette..?” He found her in the kitchen, “Bugaboo, we can get food there. We have to go.”

Marinette looked defiantly at him and pushed a packet of potato chips into her bag. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl as she passed and he couldn’t help but laugh. Over the past few weeks, it had become more unusual to see her not eating. She claimed it was due to low blood sugar, all Adrien knew was that his food bill had quadrupled since she and Louis moved in.

Adrien eventually herded his family and Alix out the apartment and they reached the hospital in time to see a grinning Nino in surgical scrubs, emerging from a swing door.

“Miles Lahiffe-Césaire has arrived,” Nino beamed at them. “There were complications during labour so Al had to have a c-section. She’s okay, though, they have her in recovery. Miles is perfect, do you want to meet him?”

Everyone squealed in assent, but the desk clerk told them they would have to wait until Alya was back in the ward and even then, they could only go in two at a time with Nino. They didn’t mind waiting, especially when Marinette produced a picnic from her pockets.

Kim, Chloe, Alix, Louis, Marinette and Adrien ate their snacks, accompanied with excited chatter about the newest member of their extended family. Nino would occasionally pop out to give them a progress report on Alya and Miles.

Eventually, they were able to see baby Miles. Marinette and Louis went in first, then Adrien and Chloe.

“Can I hold him?” He asked.

“Of course you can, Uncle Adrien,” Alya smiled.

She looked exhausted, but her eyes were alert. Nino was the same. Adrien held out his arms and Alya placed Miles into them. He pulled him in close to his body and gazed at the tiny life in front of him. He was perfect. He had beautiful caramel skin and a smattering of black hair on his head. Little, chubby hands, bunched into fists were held up by his face. Adrien looked to Alya with tears shining in his eyes.

“You’re amazing, Al. You made him.” He said.

“Hey, I helped make him.” Nino objected.

“Yeah, but Alya grew him. That’s crazy.” Adrien explained. “He’s gorgeous and you made him.”

Chloe placed her hand on his shoulder. “I think someone is broody.”

Adrien looked at her and rolled his eyes. Then he thought, maybe I am . He’d followed Alya’s pregnancy with interest and was almost as excited as Nino about the prospect of another baby in the group. He assumed he was just happy for them, but now, with Miles in his arms, he knew wanted this for himself.

He was delighted to be a father to Louis and knew that if there were no other kids on his horizon, he would be fulfilled. Louis and he had grown close over the past few months, since it was confirmed that they were father and son. They were seeing a family counsellor (mostly Marinette and Adrien, but they also had sessions with Louis) and had worked out a lot of the issues that had almost driven them apart. As a family unit, they were strong.

Would it be so bad to add another member to the family?

Would Marinette even want another baby? It wasn’t something they had discussed yet.

After Chloe and Adrien left Alya, Nino and Miles’ room, it was Kim and Alix’s turn. The remaining four waited in silence. They were all deep in thought. Louis got his book out and started reading, his eyes looked heavy, it was now 9am and the early reveille was catching up with them all.

When Kim and Alix emerged, Nino came with them to say that he needed to go home and grab a few things for Alya. The group agreed to wait a while longer for him before returning to their own homes (and beds, Adrien was sure). Kim and Alix offered to get some coffees for everyone, otherwise they’d all be dozing off by the time Nino was ready to leave.

“Adrien? There’s a packet of palmiers in my bag, can you grab them?” Marinette asked when she saw them coming back, laden with cardboard cups.

He opened her cavernous tote and lifted the packet of biscuits out to pass to her, when he noticed something else.

“Is that… a pregnancy test, Mari?” He whispered to her, aware that their son and friends were in earshot.

She nodded solemnly. “I’m late. I thought I should take a test.”

“And?” He asked.

“I haven’t done it yet.” She said.

“Do it now! I need to know!” Adrien laughed, “Please?”

Marinette took her bag from him. She looked to where Louis was leaning against Chloe, reading Clément Aplati, oblivious to anything the adults were saying.

“Chloe, can you watch Louis, please?” Chloe nodded.

Marinette grabbed Adrien’s hand and dragged him towards the toilets.

“Wait here.” She told him and disappeared into the ladies room.

Adrien leaned against the wall, impatient for Marinette to emerge. His mind was racing. He was overwhelmingly delighted at the prospect of a baby, but wary of getting his hopes up until Marinette had taken the test. How long did these things take? He had just started pacing when she emerged clutching a white and blue plastic stick.

“I can’t look.” She thrust it into his hands. “One line or two?”

He turned it over, “Two. What does that mean?”

“It means,” She grinned, “That in roughly 35 weeks from now, you’re going to be a papa again.”

Adrien spun Marinette around in his excitement, his cheering attracting the attention of their friends. Chloe shushed them and he couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping his lips.

Another 15 weeks later…

The past four months had been something of a blur.

After they broke the news to Louis that he was going to be a big brother, he immediately headed upstairs to pick out which toys he was going to let his little brother or sister play with. He appeared on the landing with an armful of jagged plastic and asked, “Do babies like dinosaurs?” He was excited at the prospect of a sibling.

Marinette went into overdrive to secure a new boutique manager and increased her Saturday girl’s contract to cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Mme. Couquet and Marinette scouted locations for a second boutique in every free moment. She was serious about expanding her business and the sudden timeline the new baby had given them was driving her forwards.

Adrien read every baby book Nino and Ivan had, plus four or five more he found in the library. He offered to change nappies, help with bottle feeds and bathe Miles whenever he could. He ensured he cooked meals that were high in all the nutrients Marinette needed for energy and to nourish the baby. Adrien and Louis painted the third bedroom in preparation for transforming it into a nursery.

Now, in the clinic, they were ready to find out if Louis was getting a brother or sister.

“You know, if we’re having a boy, we’ll have to explain to Louis that we can’t name it ‘Thor’?” Marinette said.

“I dunno, I like the name…” Adrien teased.

“Well, maman et pere, you don’t have to worry about that,” The sonographer smiled, “You are having a girl.”

Adrien's heart soared. A girl! Marinette squeezed his hand and he looked at his partner, grinning back at him, eyes twinkling with joy.

“Are you happy with a daughter?” She asked.

He nodded vehemently. A daughter!

“Marinette? I know you had your heart set on Emma for a girl,” he said, “but I wonder if you’d consider Emilie?”

"Emilie,” Marinette repeated. “It’s beautiful.”

FIN.

#ml fic #ml fanfic #ml fiction #ml fluff #fluff and angst #marinette x adrien #adrienette #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #adrien agreste #my fiction #my writing #ao3fic #Little Louis Dupain-Cheng

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sunyoonandstars · 7 years ago

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In Between (BTS series) || Chapter 5

This one is based on a request made by the lovely @im-cxnfused. I hope it manages to meet your expectations! 💜

I got very inspired by this request, so it actually turned into a series which I’ll try to update as frequently as possible.

This is Chapter 5 of the (currently) ongoing series formerly known as “BTS Imagine 5: Namjoon cheating on you & you getting revenge”

I hope you all manage to find the series and its remaining chapters despite the change of name!🙏🏻

Thank you for reading 💜 and sticking to this series! It’s much appreciated! Also, feedback is always welcome, in case you didn’t know.

Enjoy!

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Chapter Index - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.1, 9.2

Synopsis

You and Namjoon are in a committed relationship. Or so you had thought. When you catch him cheating, however, you decide to take revenge in a way equally brutal. But soon the events take an unforeseen turn, leaving you torn …

Pairing: You x Namjoon, You x Jimin

angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, occasional hints of smut

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Chapter 5 || Back To Life

Three weeks ago …

You didn’t think much of it, not having the faintest idea of the kind of effect it would have on you as you leaned over to Jimin, abandoning yourself to a spontaneous impulse, putting yours to his full, soft lips for the first time since your paths had crossed over three years ago. However, the moment they meet in a tender kiss, you can feel a strange sensation shoot through every fiber of your being, its intensity, almost painful, sending shivers down your spine. An indescribable mixture of pleasant shock, desperate longing and pure joy, going through your body like electric shocks, reviving your dormant spirits. You feel. You feel again. Him. Jimin. Like you’ve never felt him before. And you want more. You can feel Jimin freeze under your touch. As you open your eyes to look at him, his are wide with astonishment and question. Only now becoming entirely aware of what your body is doing, you pause in your movements, your lips still resting on his. „What the hell, Y/N!?“ Gasping, Jimin pushes you back, off of him, a little too hard in his surprise, causing you to almost fall off the sofa, in the very nick of time, though, reaching out to catch you by your arm, immediate guilt overshadowing his smooth features. You simply stare at him, unable to move, startled by his unexpected, violent and, as you can’t help but admit to yourself, hurtful reaction. „I’m sorry, Y/N, I didn’t mean to — But — Seriously, what the hell!?“ A sudden noise brings the two of you back to your senses, making you once again aware of the fact that you are not alone in the living room. Contritely, Jimin takes a quick glance over his shoulder at Namjoon who is still sitting in his armchair, only a few feet away, pretending to read something on his phone while repeatedly, ostentatiously clearing his throat. „What was that, Y/N? What exactly were you trying to do there?“, Jimin continues to inquire, lowering his voice to a husky whisper. „Wasn’t it obvious?“, you snap at him, shaking off Jimin’s hand that is still clutched around your shoulder to jump to your feet, turn around and head for the door, feeling tears well up in your eyes. Yeah, Y/N, what were you trying to do? You don’t even know anymore. All you know is that your concerns about Namjoon and your lust for revenge have gone up in smoke, suddenly appearing minuscule in comparison to what you felt and did just now. Guilt, shame and confusion surge in hot, dizzying waves against your consciousness, shaking it to its very foundations, threatening to overwhelm you, drown you, pulling you under deeper and deeper. You neither know nor care were your feet are carrying you as you simply keep walking, your step unsteady, your vision blurred by unshed tears and your lungs contracting painfully, your breaths short and sharp. You can hear your own heartbeat ringing loudly in your ears and a familiar voice calling out your name, the latter sound faint as if originating from another world far, far away. You just kissed Jimin. You just kissed Jimin and ruined everything. Now you lost him, too. Now you’re alone. You kissedJimin. You hurt Jimin. You hurt him! You’re a monster. A monster. So your thoughts keep spinning, pinwheeling, on and on, faster and faster, their pace quickening with the rhythm of your erratic breathing. Until the frigid night breeze finally pulls you back to reality. Confused, you stop cold in your step, frantically looking around, trying to identify familiar buildings or landmarks or really any point of reference. To no avail. Where are you? How did you get here? How did you even get outside? Turning on the spot, clutching your aching chest, lost in the dark, you can feel a strong dizzy spell overpower you, leading your tired legs to ultimately give out under the weight of your body, the pavement closing in by the second. A choked sob escaping your throat, you plummet to the ground, the coarse texture of the flagstone painfully digging into your bare knees. But the pain is a relief, really, finally enabling your tears to fall freely, your stifled sobs echoing throughout the silent night. So you stay, kneeling on the ground, hugging yourself to protect your body against the cold, shivering, crying uncontrollably. Until you feel two soft, warm hands cupping your face. You know who they belong to without even looking. „Y/N, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I reacted in the way I did. I never meant to hurt you. I’m just — I thought — I was surprised, that’s all.“ Slowly, reluctantly, your lids flutter open. Blinking away tears, you look up at Jimin, his soft features shimmering unreally in the cold glow of the streetlights. His eyes overflowing with genuine affection, he fondly smiles at you, nodding reassuringly. „Are you alright now, Y/N? Can you breathe again?“ You shrug your shoulders, unable to pay attention to your own body at the moment, all of it being taken up by Jimin and your newly awoken feelings for him which still send your head spinning. „Alright, let’s see“, he simply says, his tone calm, patient, while he slowly extends a hand in order to plant it on your chest. Involuntarily, you flinch, Jimin’s touch suddenly new and strange to you, his effect on your nervous system an entirely different one than it had been before your shared kiss. Questioningly, insecure, Jimin raises an eyebrow at you, his expression, however, growing softer again as soon as he realizes that you neither pull back nor push his hand away. „It seems your heart is beating and your lungs are working just fine young Miss“, he then states, disguising his voice to sound deeper, an impish grin playing on his plump lips. „What, are you a doctor now!?“, you scoff, your voice hoarse from crying, half laughing, while Jimin helps you back to your feet. He just smiles sheepishly, his face, however, dropping as soon as his gaze brushes past your injured knees. „Y/N!? What happened? Did you fall? You fell, right!? You’re bleeding! Does it hurt?“ „Jimin, calm down! It’s nothing! They’re barely even scratched!“ Still shaking from the cold, you look down on your sore knees, streams of blood staining your bare skin. „It’s really not that bad, Jimin …“ But he already kneels down in front of you, indicating you to get on his back. „Come on, Y/N, hop on, I’ll give you a piggyback ride“. Eagerly smiling back at you, Jimin pats his shoulder, waiting. You can feel your cheeks flush hotly in the cold night air. „No, Jimin-ah“, you whine, covering your face with your hands and taking a step backward. „That’s really not necessary. I can walk just fine. See?“ „I won’t take ‚no’ for an answer and you know me well enough to take me literally. Come on, Y/N. You must be tired and I’m sure your knees hurt.“ Actually, they do, now that he mentions it, and you feel like falling back to the ground any second, the fatigue resulting from your panic attack and nightly walk finally catching up with you. Still, the mere thought of being so physically close to Jimin right now is more than enough to make your heart race and your stomach twist. „Don’t be silly, Y/N. We’ve done this a hundred times already. Right now I don’t care about what just happened. I only want you to be safe and warm again. You look like you’re freezing.“ A concerned frown forming between his strong brows, Jimin now gets back up, eying you intently. „Yah, Y/N! Just look at you, shaking like a leaf!“, he raises his voice, his fair features all of a sudden distorted by rage. „What the hell got into you, leaving the house like that, only dressed in this excuse of a shirt and pajama shorts!? Do you have a death wish I should know of!?“ Ruefully, you shake your head, eyes fixed on your bare feet. The next thing you feel is a warm, heavy fabric being draped around your shoulders. „Here, that should be better“, Jimin whispers, more to himself, a pleased smile taking the place of his angered frown. After zipping the soft hoodie jacket around your slender figure, he looks you deep in the eye, still smiling, for what feels like an eternity without saying a single word, cupping your face with his hands again, his expression showing so much affection it almost hurts. „And now, get on my back, Y/N. Resistance is futile.“ Your cheeks burning, you nod your head and reluctantly do as he says, wrapping your legs around Jimin’s strong waist and your arms around his neck, nestling into the shape of his body, your chin resting on his shoulder. He lifts you up like it’s nothing and starts walking, headed for the dorm. „Are you comfortable back there, Y/N?“, he inquires after a while, obviously making an effort not to let show how heavily he’s breathing. „Perfectly comfortable“, you admit, to him and yourself. „This brings back memories. You haven’t carried me on your back in … years.“ You feel your throat tighten and Jimin’s shoulders tense under your weight. You shouldn’t have said that. „But I can walk by myself from here, really, Jimin. If I am too heavy, just put me back down already. It’s late and you have practice in a few hours, I don’t want to drain you of your precious energy. Besides, I’m getting blood all over your pretty shirt. Isn’t that the one Hobi got you just last week? It’s ruined now.“ „I don’t care about that, Y/N! It’s just a shirt!“, he simply replies, his tone unexpectedly gruff. „Alright, alright. Do as you please. But don’t complain tomorrow“, you try to joke and lighten the mood. Unsuccessfully as it seems. You can see Jimin clench his jaw. The same way he does whenever he sees you and Namjoon fight, whenever he sees you cry, whenever he is mad. Keeping it all in. Seconds pass in silence until you can’t take it any longer. „What did I say now? What did I do, Jimin!?“ „Nothing“, he scoffs. „That’s obviously a lie. If you have something to tell me, do it. Say it. I can handle whatever you throw my way. But don’t give me this passive-aggressive shit. I hate that and you know it. If you don’t really wanna carry me, put me down, don’t feel obligated. I never asked for it anyway.“ Shaking his head, he only chuckles dryly. This is getting too much. Struggling to free yourself from Jimin’s tight clutch around your thighs, to get off his back, you start wiggling around. In vain. He simply tightens his grip on you. „Jimin, put me down, for fuck’s sake! This is ridiculous!“ Finally, he sets you down at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the dorm’s entrance. You didn’t even notice you’d arrived already. Furious, you turn around to face Jimin, prepared to call him out on his behavior, freezing, however, at the sight of his expressionless features which are suddenly bare of any of the warmth and affection you are so used to. „I agree, Y/N. This isn’t right. What you did wasn’t right. You know full well what I’m talking about and I can’t keep on pretending that it doesn’t hurt. Because it hurts like crazy. And I don’t know if I can take it much longer. I never told you how hard it was, how hard it still is for me to be around you, to be there for you. To —“ „Then don’t!“, you cut him off, practically screaming now, paying no mind to who might hear you, Jimins honest words having stricken a nerve. „I never expected anything of you from that day on! I never asked for your help or protection! If it’s such a drag just leave me be!“ Your voice sounds shrill, strange to your own ears, seething with the same helpless rage and long-suppressed pain you can find in Jimin’s expression. „I can move out right now, if you’d feel more comfortable that way“, you continue. „I don’t have that much stuff at your place. I’ll just take a night bus home, if that’s what you want.“ You’re already about to head inside when he holds you back, his hand firmly grasping at your wrist. His mere touch lets you shiver. „Are you serious right now!? You don’t get it, Y/N, do you? I said it was hard. I never said I didn’t want to be there for you, to take care of you, to be around you, see you, even just hear your voice over the phone. I needed you, even, and I knew you needed me, too, so I put up with the way things had turned out to be. But it was still hard. And painful. To see you with Namjoon, so happy, so in love. I was glad you were doing great, of course. But it hurt nonetheless. And it took all my determination and self-control to not once act on those feelings I still had for you. They never changed and they never will. I firmly believe that. And I know you knew were aware of it all this time. You must have been. Everybody was. It must’ve been obvious, really. Still, you acted as if everything was fine, as if we were ‚just friends‘. And I went along with it, since the last thing I wanted was for you to be unhappy or hurt because of me. Also, I didn’t want to add to your pain in your current situation and make you uncomfortable, having offered you a safe place for now and intending to keep my promise. But lately it has just gotten too much. Seriously. I noticed, Y/N. I’m not stupid, you know. I noticed you were trying to make Namjoon jealous. You used me, and it felt like dying.“ Swallowing hard, you solely manage to stare at him, eyes burning, unable to move even an inch, lips apart, incapable of forming words in reply even though there is so much you want to say to him right now, so much your heart feels but you aren’t able to express. „Alright, I see ..“, Jimin finally whispers into the drowning silence occupying the space between you, pushing you further apart by the minute. Never before have you seen such hurt in his eyes. „I’m gonna go in first. When you’re done with it, just put the jacket on my bed. And of course you can stay tonight. You’re hurt and cold. I’m not a complete asshole. And I don’t hate you all of a sudden. Just — Ah, never mind.“ Slowly shaking his head, Jimin lets go of your wrist and proceeds to climb the stairs, his step the heavy step of resignation, while you remain frozen in place, helpless, your own body failing you in this defining moment. No. No!, you internally scream. You can’t let him leave like this. This can’t be it! Mustering all the strength still remaining in your tired body, you finally succeed in breaking free from your paralysis, your hand moving almost automatically as it reaches for Jimin’s. Instantly he stops his movements, only slowly turning around, eyes wide in shock and pain as if your touch had burned him. „Jimin —“, is all you manage to get out before your voice abandons you. Suddenly, inexplicably, and to your genuine surprise, Jimin’s gaze softens and he steps closer, his free hand reaching up to brush away the tears streaming down your face. You had no idea you were even crying. „I — I never — You —“ „Please, Y/N. Don’t say anything.“ He pauses, avoiding your glance. „Don’t say anything you don’t really mean. It will only make things worse.“ You can feel his words rip through your heart, leaving it aching, broken, the pain of it making it unbearable for you to breathe. Gasping for air, you clutch your chest, panic immediately showing on Jimin’s face, all his resentment towards you instantly forgotten. „What is it, Y/N? Can’t you breathe?“ Soundlessly, you shake your head, your lungs burning. „Okay. Come on, we’ll go inside. Just try and breathe, alright. In and out. In and out. Deep breaths.“ Unconscious of your actions you let him guide you inside. Only the hot water streaming down your still clothed body brings you back to your senses. When you open your eyes, you discover that you’re in the dorm’s bathroom, standing in the shower, not having the faintest notion how you got here. Jimin’s face is so close to yours you can feel his breath stroke your cheek, fear, and worry written all over it. „Can you hear me now, Y/N? Can you breathe again?“ Slowly you nod in agreement, taking a deep breath to prove it. „Good, good …“, Jimin sighs in relief, running a wet hand over his face, brushing back his hair, the other one still holding you upright by your shoulder. „I’m sorry, Jimin“, you start speaking as soon as you can trust your vocal cords again. He merely stares at you, his expression blank. „I know, my words are probably worth nothing, but I mean it when I say I am so, so very, deeply sorry for any pain I have ever inflicted on you“, you continue, your voice shaking, grateful the running water obscures your tears. „I never meant to do so. Honestly. You are one of the people most precious to me. Hell, maybe you are the person most precious to me! And what I did earlier — The kiss“, you almost choke on the word. „I didn’t do that just for fun, Jimin, and not to make Namjoon jealous. I did it because I felt like I had to. And it opened my eyes. It really did. Jimin, you brought me back to life! I spent the past few weeks as a breathing corpse. I killed myself, killed off all my emotions so I’d be able to keep going, to survive. I was empty, dead inside and I truly believed I’d never be able to feel again, to feel something good again. Until I kissed you.“ Uncertain, awaiting his reaction, you pause. But Jimin remains motionless, his glassy eyes quickly filling with tears, their expression a mystery to you, a puzzling mixture of hurt, affection, incredulity, and relief. „Jimin, will you be able to forgive me? I’m sorry if I went too far. I didn’t mean to reopen old wounds. We never talked about it but you were right. I actually could tell how hard you tried to put this, us behind you, and I believed you probably got over me long ago. I mean, it’s been years since you told me how you felt and I recklessly rejected you. I wasn’t ready for you back then. I was blind and clueless. I couldn’t grasp the full meaning of your words or my feelings for you back then. But I finally understood. I’m sorry it took me so long and I know it was wrong, in my selfishness keeping you by my side as a friend for the past three years and now acting on this idiotic impulse without realizing or considering the consequences, without realizing how deeply it would hurt you. I can’t stand the fact I caused you pain and I hate myself for it, I mean it. I am truly sorry, Jimin, and even though I know my apology won’t redeem my actions, I really, really hope and wish you could somehow, someday forgive me. Because I can’t imagine my life without you. And I love you, in so, so many ways, more than just as a friend. I’m sorry I only realized that now. I’m sorry I’m too late.“ Your voice slowly trails off and you can do nothing but look at him, hopeful. Without a word, Jimin simply returns your gaze, his fierce yet overflowing with warmness, not once breaking eye contact while he takes a step towards you, into the shower, the hot water now encompassing both your bodies as he pulls you to his chest and into a tight, lingering embrace. „You’re not too late, Y/N“, he then whispers into the crook of your neck, one hand buried in your soaking wet hair, the other one still pressing your body against his as if he’d never want to let you go again. „I know it sounds cheesy, but I would’ve waited for you to the bitter end. I really would’ve had no choice.“ These words of his release something deep inside of you. Something that had been locked up there for years. It feels as if a weight is being lifted from your chest. Now you can’t hold back the sobs any longer. Sobs of relief and utter felicity rendering you a shivering, shaking mess, only held upright by Jimin’s strong arms. „It’s alright. I’m never gonna leave you, Y/N. Never. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.“ Now he breaks your embrace to bring just enough distance between the two of you to get a good look at your tear-streaked face. „You were right all these times you told me to get back out there, to try and date“, he says, his voice low and soft, the mere sound of it setting your chest on fire. „There are so many beautiful women out there who would gladly spend there lives with me. But their devotion would be meaningless to me. Because it’s you and only you who was capable of capturing my soul. It’s bound to yours now if I like it or not, and I’m afraid you’ll never let it go.“ You want to say something, do something, anything, to soothe the bittersweet agony seeping from the deep, dark wells of Jimin’s beautiful eyes as he voices this, his painful truth. However, you are powerless, petrified under his gaze. Minutes pass like this, the both of you lost in each other's eyes, unmoving, only the steady murmur of the water, still running, filling the quiet that had descended on the bathroom. Until you finally break the silence, your voice barely audible. „May I kiss you?“ Jimin’s expression merely changes, remaining unusually serious despite the softness in his gaze. „Only under one condition“, he finally relieves the fearful tension having increasingly built up in your chest with every other second of his silence. „Under the condition that it’s real this time, that you’re sure you really want this, me. I love you, Y/N, without question and you know that. But I’m not willing to be your toy anymore. This can only happen if you promise me one thing.“ He pauses, his body tensing slightly but unmistakably against yours. „You have to promise me, Y/N that, whatever was going on between you and Namjoon until now, is definitely over. That your heart is free for me. Because I will no longer be satisfied by only having one piece of you to cling onto. I want the whole of you or nothing at all. The alternative and the uncertainty it entails would be too painful. I can’t take any more of that.“ Both surprised and deeply touched by the maturity of his words, you nod your head without hesitation, over and over again, even though your burning heart calls you a liar. „Yes, yes, Jimin! I can promise you that! Namjoon has lost me. What he did is unforgivable and whatever we had was probably over long before he hurt me the way he did. He has no place in my heart anymore. I promise. I promise.“ His glassy eyes smiling, Jimin lets out a sigh of relief, bowing down to rest his forehead against yours. „And you mean it? You really mean it, Y/N?“, he asks, his tone still resonating with painful insecurity. „Yes, I mean it, Park Jimin. I really, truly mean it.“ You can feel your heart twitch as you say these words, breaking into two fragile halves beating out of sync. One for him, Jimin, one for the other man still inhabiting it. But, no. No. There is no room for Namjoon anymore. This is real. You desperately want it to be real. No more. No more games. No more uncertainties. „I’m all in“, you whisper, your lips finding Jimin’s all by themselves, joining them gently in a slow, soft kiss, which is unhesitatingly reciprocated by him and quickly grows deeper, heated, more passionate. Its intensity indulges your senses, leaving you breathless, longing, your body pressed close to his, following deep-rooted instincts. But this kiss is so much more than just an act of lust or a consequence of mere physical attraction. It stirs something inside of you. Your innermost feelings, dreams, and desires. It stirs your soul. And you long or nothing more at this moment than to feel his, too. Jimin’s soul, his body, his everything. Your and Jimin’s lips only ever parting shortly to gasp for air, your hands start working naturally, almost automatically, relieving Jimin of his wet shirt, sticking to his toned torso like a second skin, while his carefully strip you of his jacket, your pajama top and finally your lacy bra until you stand opposite each other almost entirely undressed. Slowly, ardently, yet overflowing with obvious affection and admiration, his hungry eyes trace down your bare chest, even his sole gaze upon your exposed skin sending hot and cold shivers down your spine. „Y/N, you’re so beautiful“, Jimin then whispers, incredulously shaking his head, his hands slowly, hesitantly reaching out to touch you, his questioning gaze awaiting your approval. Smiling, biting your lip, you nod, almost coming undone under his hands, hardly stifling a moan as his fingers softly cup your breasts. „So, so very beautiful …“, Jimin absentmindedly mutters under his breath before he leans down to kiss you again while his hands keep exploring your curves, leaving you a quivering mess, your body responding to his on its own, beyond your control. This time his tongue naturally finds its way through your eagerly parting lips to meet yours, the kiss continuously deepening, getting more urgent and sloppy by the second, teeth repeatedly colliding. As you bite his full lower lip following an impulse, you can feel him immediately react, his pleasure intensifying yours. Having lost all awareness of your surroundings or actions, you entangle your hands in his soft, wet hair, your fingers slowly wandering downwards tracing the muscles on his back, caressing his bare skin. Soon, you are pressed up against the wall, your legs around Jimin’s waist, the cold tiles scraping your exposed back. Instinctively, your hands start pulling at the rim of his sweatpants. You want more. You want him inside you. You have never wanted anyone the way you do Jimin at this very moment. And you want him now. Breathless, he disrupts your kiss to look at you, his dark eyes wide with expectation and wonder. „Are you sure, Y/N? Are you sure you want to go that far tonight?“ Silently, incapable of any clear thought let alone forming a full sentence, you simply nod your head with determination, impatiently biting your lower lip while your eyes are still fixed on his reddened, swollen lips, longing for their kiss. „I’m glad you feel that way“, Jimin replies his soft tone accompanied by a warm smile even reaching his dark brown eyes. „But we have to try and keep it down, alright? We don’t want the others to know yet, do we?“, he then asks, his gaze suddenly darkening, his voice rougher this time, an enticing huskiness to it that is foreign to you and leaves your wet core aching for him to fill you. „I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time“, he whispers as his gentle hands painfully slowly wander up your thighs, a satisfied grin curving his plump lips. „Me, too“, you breathe against his neck, your voice so low it’s almost inaudible over the noise of the hot water still running.

„This is real, Jimin. It truly is. I want it to be“, you whisper against his chest in the darkness of the silent living room, his arms around yours, your body nestled to his, your two forms fitting so perfectly as if they’d been created solely for each other. „I know, Y/N. Don’t worry and rest easy now. I believe you. I trust you.“ Finally closing your eyes, well and truly content for the first time in a long time, your tired, aching body still remembering the past pleasures, you huddle against Jimin’s warm, comfortable body even more closely, his embrace around you naturally tightening. „Sleep now, my angel“, he then whispers, brushing his soft lips against your forehead. And you sleep. As deeply and peacefully as never before. When you wake up the following morning, the sun is long up, its warm light filling the dorm’s common area, casting dancing shadows on your blanket. Well rested and smiling you sit up, stretching your limbs, still slightly sore. Jimin must’ve left before the others woke up, you figure since you decided to hide your intimate relationship for now. You know his sneaking away in the early morning hours without a word was surely reasonable and meant as a thoughtful gesture, Jimin probably not wanting to disturb your sound sleep. But still his sudden absence leaves you with a bittersweet aftertaste to last night, feeling lonely, sad even. You would’ve loved waking up next to him after your first shared night, to see his beautiful smile and loving eyes first thing in the morning. But we can’t have that. Not yet, you remind yourself. As you sit up, though, your gaze falls on your phone still sitting on the coffee table. Seven unread messages by Jimin. Your heart racing, you quickly open them. To find his smiling eyes fondly looking at you from the screen. He must’ve taken a selfie, right after waking up next to you, his hair ruffled and his eyes still puffy.

You can’t stop staring at your phone, still not daring to believe this is actually true, this is actually happening. Smiling, you finally, reluctantly, detach your gaze from the image of Jimin’s beautiful face and get up to face the day, a single tear of incredulous happiness running down your cheek.

To be continued …

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I really hope you enjoyed it so far! Thanks for your patience and stay tuned for more! Thanks for reading and making such awesome requests!!! 🙏🏻🙃💜 Take care!

And, again, a quick reminder to check out my Masterlist for the remaining chapters and some more BTS fiction!

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tindang · 4 years ago

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Nico!

3/28/21- It's been a week out from my visit to the emergency department at MGH. Blisters have formed since then, flowering from the red/brown patch of skin on my left thigh, where I had spilled boiling water in a terrible accident. I was in a lot of pain yesterday, but I woke up today to shrunken blisters and pruritus in-and-around the area. I'm sad to miss Palm Sunday mass and to have spent the whole weekend room bound. I've been trying to find some positives, but life has not been too kind lately. I'm back in a state of rollercoaster emotions and I'm waiting to get off.

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4/5/21 - Deviating from the Ideal: U.S. Migration Policies in the Context of Rawlsian Principles of Justice

In "Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders", the philosopher Joseph Carens begins his argumentation with the following epigraph:

Many poor and oppressed people wish to leave their countries of origin in the third world to come to affluent Western societies...[and] there is little justification for keeping them out.

He goes on to examine three distinctive political theories--Nozickean, Rawlsian, and utilitarianism--and applies them to the issue of immigration. Though distinct, Carens finds that all three approaches evince the moral failures of militarizing borders and restricting the movement of peoples, suggesting that a world without borders is one that respects the idea of moral equality.

I found Carens's Rawlsian argument most compelling, insofar as it goes furthest in laying the framework for thinking about this issue transnationally. He does this in two ways: first, by arguing that people in Rawls’s “original position”--a tabula rasa -esque scenario in which people first come together to decide how they wish to be governed--would consent to principles of equal liberty and social redistribution if cloaked under a “veil of ignorance” that erases distinctions like race, class, sex, and most pointedly, national origin; and second, by refuting objections to the application of the Rawlsian veil to global contexts (Rawls had only intended for the original position to apply to certain societies with a “particular understanding of moral personality”, not all).

I posit that the analytical power of Rawl’s original position, as it is applied to transnational affairs, comes from the tensions inherent in upholding principles of equal liberty in real-world settings. Of course, Rawls had predicted such conflict, and sought to address it by drawing distinctions between ideal and non-ideal theory: in ideal theory one assumes that people will abide by the principles chosen in the original position, even after the “veil of ignorance” is lifted; in nonideal theory, one considers the historical and human behavioral challenges of staying true to original-position precepts, which is more reflective of everyday problems and situations. I believe that these tensions between ideal and non-ideal theory serve as useful tools for critiquing restrictive U.S. migration policies. By exploring the deviations from ideal theory--in the context of U.S/Mexico border policies--towards the practicalities of non-ideal praxis, I hope to reify my understanding of border issues and justify (to myself) Carens’s conclusion, that there is little justification for restricting immigration.

It is no surprise that current U.S. immigration and border policies fall far from the ideals of liberty envisioned in the original position. The question has always been how did we get here? The answer most likely predates any explanation that the Enlightenment might afford us, lying deep in the consequences of American settler colonialism and chattel slavery. Though I acknowledge this history and its foundational impact on modern American society, let me first flesh out my understanding of the gradual legal push away from ideal theory--while remaining always fully aware that the law is but one avenue through which principles of white supremacy and racism are encoded. If we are to then start with the legal perspective for answering the question posed above, we might begin with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Chinese Exclusion Case (1889), which contains the nation’s very first declaration of national sovereignty over immigration and vested Congress with plenary power over such matters. Sarah Song, a law professor at UC Berkeley, traces the philosophical tradition undergirding this decision to ideas espoused by Swiss author Emer de Vattel, whose Les droit des gens (The Law of Nations, 1758) outlined the parameters of sovereignty in the case of international law. Vattel writes:

The sovereign may forbid the entrance of his territory either to foreigners in general, or in particular cases, or to certain persons, or for certain particular purposes, according as they may think it advantageous to the state. There is nothing in all this, that does not flow from the rights of domain and sovereignty.

In staking this claim, Vattel followed already established notions of the state as being like a “moral person,” first laid out by German jurist/philosopher Samuel von Pufendorf, and later further developed by German author Christian Wolff. This personification of the state sanctions it with “an understanding and a will of which it makes use for the conduct of its affairs”, namely, as Vattel reasoned, in the interest of its self-preservation and self-perfection. It’s worth noting that Vattel understood that this self-interest deviated from the ethos of being a “moral person”, which if taken to its logical conclusion with regards to the idea of “moral state(s)”, would result in a “universal republic” in which “a real friendship [would] be seen to reign among them” (II.12). Here, it is not lost on me that this utopian conclusion mirrors the conditions of Joseph Carens’s ideal theory--that is, a global community void of hierarchical distinctions. In this sense, Vattel’s swing towards non-ideal realism, defined by state self-interest, may be at the heart of today’s polemics over immigration.

Indeed, I believe this is so. Public anxiety re the economic burden of migrants on American social institutions and fair wage have led to communitarian objections to increased migration from both conservatives and social democrats--while attending a protest against the Trump administration in 2017, I fondly remember standing next to a supposed feminist who, while rallying against the now former president, also expressed a resolute “no” when the crowd began reciting “Immigrants are welcome here.” The fixation on self-preservation may explain far-right popularization of terms like “chain migration” in lieu of “family reunification,” and the 2019 revision of the public charge rule which would have expanded the definition of being a “public charge,” and would have thus restricted poorer immigrants from either being admitted into the U.S. or attaining Legal Permanent Resident status. And, not surprisingly, today’s fears were enshrined in law vis-à-vis other, past Court decisions that occurred soon after that seminal 1889 case: in Nishimura Ekiu v. United States (1892) and Fong Yue Ting v. United States (1893), the Supreme Court again expanded the U.S. government’s power over immigration, citing further elaborations of Vattel’s theory of sovereignty (Song 2017); within the latter decision, these two passages from The Law of Nations are cited in their entirety:

Every nation has a right to refuse admitting a foreigner into her territory, when he cannot enter it without exposing the nation to evident danger, or doing her a manifest injury. What she owes to herself, the care of her own safety, gives her this right; and in virtue of her natural liberty, it belongs to the nation to judge, whether her circumstances will or will not justify the admission of that foreigner. (I.230)

Thus also it has a right to send [asylees] elsewhere, if it has just cause to fear that they will corrupt the manners of the citizens, that they will create religious disturbances, or occasion any other disorder, contrary to the public safety. In a word, it has a right, and is even obliged, to follow, in this respect, the suggestions of prudence. (I.231)

In other words, the state, by virtue of its personhood and the rights accorded to moral persons, has the right to exclude those it deems dangerous to its self-interest. As many scholars have pointed out, the right to exclude is essentially a property right; and the commensuration of individual property rights to collective, state territorial rights has been the source of much debate (See Carens’s Nozickean argument for open borders).

All this is to say that the principles of state sovereignty that underlie American immigration policy were founded under non-ideal theory conditions, which privilege human interest over ideal theory egalitarianism. The effect of this philosophical turn cannot be overstated; because while it is one thing to erect borders and deny access in the name of self-interest, it is another to punish those seeking opportunity and/or asylum for similar reasons.

To explain today’s punitive approach to immigration, it is incumbent on me to outline another ideal to non-ideal theory transition: This time, I mark as my starting point the Bracero Accord, a U.S./Mexico bilateral program that, between 1942-1964, facilitated over 4.5 million temporary labor contracts to male Mexican workers in an effort to redress previous, depression-era deportations of Mexican-American citizens and to address labor shortages that appeared during and after World War II. Though imperfect (the program was ultimately deemed exploitive), this bracero initiative may have came closest in realizing the tenets of justice that ideal theory conceptualized, formalizing (now questionable) protocols for far pay and anti-discrimination; that is, in setting aside the dehumanizing experience that braceros encountered, we might think of the legal protections granted to these workers, and the imperative that the U.S. government showed in trying to repair its relationship with Mexico, as a promise towards an ideal--a quasi- “veil of ignorance” that ended up being unrealistic, ineffective, and violent. So, it might be here within the context of the hopes of the Bracero Accord and the porous border through which hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers made their way each year that we locate our ideal beginning.

From this point, the rapid progression towards non-ideal theory, which again takes into account the “historical obstacles and the unjust actions of others” that seek to undermine liberty and justice, paradoxically began during the civil rights era of the 1960s, when a) the termination of the Bracero Program and b) amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act effectively ended the legal and cyclical migration patterns of years past. Princeton sociologist Douglass Massey summarizes:

Whereas in the late 1950s, some 450,000 Mexicans had entered the United States each year as Braceros and 50,000 as permanent residents, by the late 1970s the Bracero Program was gone and legal visas were capped at 20,000 (Massey 2014)

A closed door, however, does not mean a locked one; notwithstanding new restrictions on migration, former braceros continued their northward journey through unauthorized channels, paving the way for what has become considered “illegal” migration. In his article, Massey provides this useful figure, which takes data from DHS to assess Mexican migration to the U.S. in the three categories shown below:

The noticeable inverse between trends in temporary labor migration and unauthorized migration (measured by the annual number of apprehensions divided by the number of Border Patrol officers, expressed per thousand) in 1964 reveals the unspeakable harms of supposedly benevolent updates to U.S. immigration policy. Despite the tapering of unauthorized migration since 1986, shown above, the wide-ranging consequences of the 1964 recategorizing of what were once “legal” guest workers to now “illegal” trespassers on the political, social, and individual levels of society deserves pause and reflection.

At the broad level of the body politic, the rising number of annual border apprehensions in the mid-1960s effectuated closer federal scrutiny of the border. At the behest of political racketeers, members of the U.S. Border Patrol, and a changing landscape of public opinion surrounding undocumented migration, Congress enacted a litany of measures that further restricted entry: 1986′s Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), while granting amnesty and Legal Permanent Resident status to 2.7 million former undocumented migrants--subject to conditions of learning English and seeking citizenship--criminalized undocumented hiring and signed off the first of a series of significant increases in appropriations for the Border Patrol; 1994′s Operation Gatekeeper militarized the busiest border sector in San Diegos (See also ‘prevention through deterrence’ strategy); 2001′s PATRIOT Act made it easier for the government to employ immigration rules to detain or deport non-citizens without resort to the lengthy procedural regulations of the criminal justice system (Akram 2006). Juliet Stumpf and others have mapped these measures to a phenomenon they call “crimmigration,” which describes the American merger of criminal and immigration law that has happened since 1875 when the first federal statute was passed to restrict immigration of Chinese women. Since then, Stumpf writes, “the relationship between immigration and criminal law has evolved from merely excluding foreigners who had committed past crimes to the present when many immigration violations are themselves defined as criminal offenses and many crimes result in deportation” (Stumpf 2006). Indeed, today, immigration prosecutions outnumber all other types of federal criminal prosecutions, including prosecutions for drugs and public order violations (See “Prosecution/Courts”).

Interwoven into the political and structural realignments of U.S. migration policy during this time was the effect that legal/illegal discursive shifts had on White Americans. As politicians seized on the expediency of showing strength against the "Mexican Menace” and “alien invasion”, and as journalists found success in characterizing undocumented border crossers as “illegals” set out to “inundate” American society and “swamp” its culture (Chavez 2001), it becomes easy to imagine the kind of social re-engineering that must have taken place: As Mae Ngai reminds us in Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America, Mexicans were once considered legally white and enjoyed migratory privileges not afforded to Asian migrants (Ngai, 38, 2004); but, as UMASS-Amherst professor Moon-Kie Jung might say, racial differentiation happens when people come to hold schemas for “separating human populations by some notion of stock or collective heredity of traits” (Jung, 64, 2006). Viewed in the light of American genocide, slavery, colonialism and imperialism, the racialization of Mexicans based on notions of in/exclusion was par for the course. We might find then, within the border debates of the mid to late twentieth century, the seed of today’s social animus towards Latinx migrants, which has encouraged bias in enforcement of immigration law and (most likely) inspired Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070 (Read more about state/federal collaboration and interdependency when it comes to developing and enforcing immigration law in Judith Resnick’s “Bordering by Law”).

The human impact of these policy adjustments should not be forgotten, nor go unnoticed. For it is at the individual--and for some of my friends with undocumented parents, personal--level that federal immigration policies harm. This case is explicitly made in Jason de León’s The Land of Open Graves, which lays the blame for migrant deaths along the border squarely in the hands of the U.S. government. It is described in this podcast during which a university student talks about her experience growing up living in fear that her parents could be deported at any moment; and again, in the harrowing stories that undocumented child migrants have told, as documented by Valeria Luiselli in Tell Me How It Ends; and perhaps, more recently, in the iconic image of Yanela, the 1-year-old Honduran girl, who was captured crying for her detained mother. Between these examples, one thing is clear: U.S. immigration policies violate, if not the ideals of moral equality that America was founded on, then international human rights.

De Leon writes: “The benefit of the chronological distance from the pain and suffering of past migrations is that many Americans today have no problem putting nationality before humanity” (Leon, 26, 2015). In this blog post/essay, I make the case that this antipathy for life, or explicitly for the life of Others, has as much to do with historical myopia as it underlines the principles of self-interest that lie behind our legal and social interpretations. When people hear that undocumented migrant children are being separated from their families yet still defend the action as just since “They came into our country illegally,” I see this perverse rationalization as but a product of self-preservation. Mae Ngai has spoken about the consequences of normalizing such principles of sovereignty in immigration affairs, suggesting that it “generates the view that immigration is a zero-sum game among competitive nation-states” (Ngai 2004). Not only does this view fuel anti-immigrant resentment, it discourages us from seeing the moral worth of our neighbors and prevents us from coming together to form humane and bilateral coalitions for tackling transnational problems.

Against the backdrop of U.S. human rights violation, and the radical transition away from the conceptions of justice laid out in Rawls’s original position, I remain cautiously hopeful that there will come a day when justice will be served. It might not happen during my lifetime, but I’ll be on the vanguard of this fight.

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natsubeatsrock · 5 years ago

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Interesting Details from HERO’S

As a big fan of almost all of Mashima’s works, (I’ll get to Monster Hunter Orage), Hero’s was one of the most fun I had all of last year. There were plenty of fun things that I’m not sure a lot of people got. To celebrate Mashima’s 43rd birthday, I wanted to keep my word and talk about some of the more fun connections between HERO’S, the series each character comes from, and a few other works that Mashima’s responsible for.

As a bit of a warning, there are mild spoilers for each of the series. I’ll do my best not to spoil too much crazy stuff from any of the series. However, I absolutely expect you to have read HERO’S before coming into this post as I talk about every chapter in great detail, including the special bonus chapter.

Chapter 1

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. The series is called HERO’S because... Hiro Mashima. Not everyone will be like this.

Gray formed the habit of uncontrollably stripping during his time training to be an Ice Make Wizard. It was help him get over cold temperatures. And yes, this is only a Gray thing.

The necklace around Rebecca’s neck is her B-Cubing device. As a B-Cuber, she wants to do her best not to miss a good video opportunity, as we’ll see in Chapter 10.

Pino is particularly interested in magic abilities. While meeting Fairy Tail mages does much to satisfy that desire here, it’s not as if that thirst isn’t satiated in her own series.

While Mashima has gone on record to say Edens Zero exists in a separate universe from Fairy Tail (pun not intended), this explanation does a great job in showing how the series could have been made to work together.

I, along with others, have made the joke a few times that Homura is the love child of Kagura from the wizard guild Mermaid Heel, and Erza. Glad to see Mashima nodding off Kagura in ths series.

Shiki’s hilariously eager to make friends with people he’s cool with. Natsu’s also fairly amicable, but Shiki’s more interested in making a ton of friends in his series.

The “fireworks“ Lord Mashyre creates bear a resemblance to Nakajima, a house plant in Haru’s house and technical co-star of the extra seiies “Rave 0077″. We later learn there’s a whole island of creatures like him, and even meet his parents.

If the name Musica sounds familiar, it’s because Panther Lily’s sword is called the Musica Sword. (Note the similar note on it and Haru’s base sword.) In Rave Master, Musica learns to do a bit of sword crafting of his own.

Chapter 2

Elie’s pajamas have a similar sign as Erza’s base armor as Heart Kreuz is a company that exist across all three universes. Lucy’s pajamas has the Aquarius mark across the top of the chest. Rebecca’s pajamas have cats across them as she’s a huge fan of cats.

Speaking of cats, the Edens Zero version of Happy, who shows up later, has more than a few similarities and differences between the two of them. A notable one is that EZ’s Happy is only partially a cat.

Similarly, Elsie Crimson looks very similar to Erza. She’s an infamous galactic pirate who is responsible for gifting Shiki and his friends the titular Edens Zero.

In a chapter published after HERO”S, Pino compares herself to a rabbit.

Homura going to the desert is likely a part of her training against heat. This will matter later on.

The prison guards have M’s on their face. Use your best guess as to who that’s for. In Fairy Tail, an evil guild left their prisoners in equal or worse states of dress, depending on your version of Fairy Tail.

Fans of Fairy Tail’s anime will likely remember Rave Master’s Jiggle Butt Gang. In Rave, they were train robbers who made infrequent appearances after becoming less evil.

Haru’s sword, the Ten Commandments, has the ability to change into one of ten different swords. Fans of Fairy Tail may recognize the names and abilities as similar to the spear Erza Knightwalker used.

As a silver claimer, Musica’s able to manipulate the shape of his necklace into a weapon. Silver Ray is a ship Musica was looking to destroy. About halfway through the series, he finds and destroys it. It later becomes his most powerful weapon and unbreakable spear. It means a lot to him.

Griff’s cartography makes him an important member of the Rave Warriors. However, he’s fairly annoying because of his more pervy tendencies. Weird to see a mesh of that in this chapter.

Much of Rave involves the Rave Warriors fighting enemies using Dark Brings. Rave Master gets its in-series name from the five Rave Stones and the Rave Masters are considered wielders of the Holy Stones.

Chapter 3

Most of the other characters on this cover are in this series and I’ve talked about Griff and Nakajima. But Ruby the penguin isn’t. Before joining the Rave Warriors, he was the owner of a casino and tied in unknowingly tied to less than good affairs.

Let and Julia are members of Rave Master’s Dragon Race. Unlike dragon slayers, they’re closer to dragons. At 20, they look like hybrids between dragons and humans. After a year of training, they go through a special ritual. If they suceed, they’ll look more human; if they fail, they’ll look more like dragons.

Being corrupted by evil desires turns a man who wants to use the powers of creativity for himself into a lookalike of one of Mashima’s most copied off characters. Touche.

For those who don’t know, Rave Master, Fairy Tail, and Edens Zero all have characters who bear a resemblance to Sieghart. Though we’ll get to that soon enough.

Chapter 4

Before releasing HERO’S, Mashima tweeted out a rough sketch of the cover picture with Weisz, Musica, and Gray.

Rebecca uses a few different types of guns. However, Edens Zero Happy is able to transform into a pair of blasters. As he’s currently on the Edens Zero, we get this line.

Part of Rebecca’s B-Cubing life revolves around playing video games. Tome Rider would no doubt be one of them.

Ichiya does break into his more muscular form every now and then in Fairy Tail.

Mosco was also held as a prisoner in Edens Zero, though he was held under much better conditions than he likely was here. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the best introduction to the EZ Crew.

“Greck” is a curse used in Rave Master. Depending on how you read Rave, you’ll see other curse words used...

Haru and Elie have a closest relationship than the hero and heroine couples of the three series. We get a glimpse of that in this chapter, calling back to a number of moments in Rave.

Note the “HK” on the arrow sling. These are Erza’s weapons and she has a bit of a contract with Heart Kreuz.

Pino does have the ability to disable electronic devices. While this is particularly helpful throughout Edens Zero, it’s of no use against these monsters.

If it wasn’t clear already, Natsu and Shiki not recognizing each other confirms that this works outside of a similar crossover Mashima did between Fairy Tail and Rave Master.

Chapter 5

Mashima does have an Aki and a Fuyu. Aki is a member of the Black Airs in Mashima’s Monster Soul and Mafuyu is the main character of Mashima’s one shot Combo Squad Mixture.

Incidentally, Mashima has two Shiki's. Before Edens Zero, he gave the name Shiki to the main character of Monster Hunter Orage. He’s also mentioned naming a character named Seison, which is French for seasons in an interview.

Plue exists across Mashima’s various universes in different forms, as early as Mashima’s first one-shot. In Fairy Tail, he’s one of Lucy’s minor spirits. In Edens Zero, Nikora is a species of dog that serve food at a restaurant. Mashima’s even joked about one being his own personal pet.

In Rave Master, Sieghart was a powerful magician that was important in understanding Elie’s abilites and backstories. He was one of Mashima’s favorite characters and he wasn’t happy with how he ended up in the series. He said that me might show up in another series.

Enter Jellal. He became a part of Fairy Tail’s magic council under the alias Siegrain. He went from villain to vigilante across the span of the series, even now as the sequel is running.

While they haven’t met, Shiki is likely aware of a character in his own universe named Justice who is part of the Interstellar Union Army. One of his prime targets is Elsie.

This chapter represents one of the missed opportunities of the Fairy Tail x Rave OVA. Let and Julia don’t know that Wendy and Natsu received their Dragon Slaying powers from actual dragons. They’re less apt to kill real dragons than others might be.

Chapter 6

Speaking of Dragon Slayers, Gajeel the Iron Dragon Slayer is shown playing chess. He’s accompanied by Levy McGarden and Panther Lily. Note the chess pieces have Plue icons on them and that Gajeel seems to be winning.

This is the clearest example of something I’ve said a number of times before: Mashima’s series aren’t interchangable. Haru’s goal is destroying the Dark Bring. Natsu’s goal is beating a powerful enemy. Shiki’s goal is finding his friend. Each of these goals makes sense given their characters and respective series universe.

As contentious as this was at the time it was released, it’s hard to say that Lucy is stronger than Wendy past the halfway point of the series. I wouldn’t compare her to Natsu, Gray, or especially Erza.

Elie has lower INT points than Mashima’s later female leads.

Gray and Musica’s meeting represents the most disappointing omission from the OVA for Fairy Tail x Rave. In that meeting, Musica notes the similarity between Gray’s necklace and one of the Rave stones. This was a nod to a plan Mashima had to make Gray a Rave Master in Fairy Tail.

As an Exceed, Carla has the ability to transform into a more human form. Of the Exceeds in the Fairy Tail guild, Happy is the only one unable to do this.

The Fairy Tail guild is used to fights in their guild hall. On a couple of occasions, the enemies have come to their guild hall for the fight.

I don’t want to talk about the many guild members in Fairy Tail in too much detail, but I’ll list the ones I’ve yet to talk about.

Panel 1: Max Alors, Warren Rocko, Nab Lazaro

Panel 2: Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman Strauss

Panel 3: Juvia Lockser and Cana Alberona

Panel 4: Including the trio from the cover, Jet and Droy

Panel 5: Laki Olietta, Wakaba Mine, Romeo and Macao Conbolt, Laxus Dreyar, Freed Justine, Bickslow, Evergreen, Alzack, Bisca, and Asuka Connel, Reedus Jonah

Panel 6: Makarov Dreyar

Fairy Tail’s Eighth Guild Master, Makarov Dreyar’s appearance suggests that this series takes place closer to the end of the series.

Shuda and Belnika are characters that join the Rave Warriors past the halfway point of the series. Shuda started out as a member of Rave Master’s Oracion Six, but later reforms and joins the Rave Warriors. Belnika is a mage who has the ability to use healing magic.

Chapter 7

Belnika and Wendy share a cover with Hermit from Rave Master. While Mashima has drawn a Twitter sketch of Hermit and Wendy together, the more interesting connection is between Wendy and Belnika. In addition to both being primarily support mages, Wendy buys a Belnika doll in the Fairy Tail x Rave OVA.

Elie learns to shoot magic bullets out her tonfa blasters very late in the series.

Fact: this isn’t the first time Natsu’s used his hands to cover Lucy’s naked boobs. Unfortunately, this wasn’t his last.

Shiki is deathly afraid of bugs. It gets bad at times.

Elie has been shown to be an especially skilled dancer, even winning an in-series dance contest. Though, it’s hard to call her a “nude dancer”.

While I’ve mentioned the out-of-series reason for the series name. In-series, it’s worth recognizing that HEROS allows all three series protagonists reach their goals.

This broadcast is coming from the Edens Zero. On board, we see Edens Zero’s version of Happy along with three of the Demon King’s Four Shining Stars: Hermit, “the Mind of Edens”, Witch, “the Shield of Edens”, and Sister Irvy, “the Life of Edens”.

Witch calls Shiki the Demon King. He inherited the title from his adoptive grandfather, along with his Ether Gear powers.

Chapter 8

This is an interesting cover with series baddies. Lucia Raregroove ended up being the final villain of Rave Master. Zeref is responsible for much of the mischief in Fairy Tail. Ziggy is the former Demon King from Edens Zero. We haven’t seen enough of Ziggy for me to say that he truly belongs in the same company as these guys, but I doubt “Demon King” was a nice title.

Remember what I said about Elie’s INT points? When Let joined the Rave Warriors, she called him “Mr. Alligator” as he was in his half-dragonized form.

Natsu’s a much bigger fan of fighting people than Shiki or Haru. His personal preference is tests of skill as opposed to battles to the death.

Weisz is fairly pervy in his own right. It wouldn’t be wrong to say he is like Griff in those regards.

Dual Explosions is part of a techinque where Haru combines the abilities of his swords together. Here, the properties of Blue Crimson and Explosion are combined.

It’s worth recognizing that Genesis is obviously corrupted by magic and coming up with spells that come from other series. Sema is one of Jellal’s spells.

Elie doesn’t have as much qualms about being “the weak one“ as Lucy and Rebecca do. In fact, one big issue she has with her friends is that they seem to want to protect her, as opposed to wanting her to help them.

Chapter 9

Very funny, Mashima. Here’s the order: top left is Genesis, top right is Jellal Fernandez from Fairy Tail, bottom left is Sieghart Caesar from Rave, and bottom right is Justice from Edens Zero.

A bit of perspective is worth recognizing. Rebecca is from x492 and the guild she’s apart of is 50 years old. Fairy Tail ends at x793 and a good amount of the set up for the series events takes place about 400 years before the series starts. The Rave Master timeline starts with the birth of a character named Resha Valentine who was born about 70 years before the series starts.

I’ll admit I didn’t know this on my own. The gods refer to other mangakas in Monthly Shonen Magazine. George Morikawa writes Hajime no Ippo, Yuuji Terajima writes Ace of Diamond, Seo Kouji writes Fuuka, and Kei Sagusa writes Domestic Girlfriend.

Note the difference in the descriptions of stories: Rave’s focus is on finding the Rave Stones, Fairy Tail’s focus is on the guild, and Edens Zero’s is on the journey through space.

Being a mangaka is notoriously difficult work. We see that manifested in a bit of Lord Mashmyre’s history.

Much of Elie’s personal quest in Rave Master is regaining her own memories. That’s all I’m going to say on that.

It’s worth mentioning that the Edens Zero’s secret weapon is called Etherion. Unfortunately, they can’t use it now as there are only three of the Four Shining Stars currently on the Edens Zero.

We’ll get to Rave Master’s Etherion, but in Fairy Tail, Etherion was a special weapon used by the Magic Council capable of destroying entire countries.

“Ducky” is another series specific saying, this time from Rebecca. She’s the only one that says it.

My favorite moment of the series is Plue being thrown to destroy Oasis. In Rave Master, Plue’s nose is well known for destroying Dark Bring.

While Lucy and Elie are both adept magic users, Rebecca is just starting to get the hang of her Ether Gear power. However, Ether Gear works very similar to magic in other series, hence her ability to help in this situation.

Grand Chariot is a spell shared by both Siegrain and Jellal.

Chapter 10

Shuda has a bit of personal interest in the safety of Haru, as the person responsible for his changing to the light. Among other reasons...

As I’ve previously mentioned, Haru and Elie are the only one of the main duos to become an official couple, as of the time I’m writing this. (Fans of Fairy Tail may notice my self-restraint.)

I should mention that Let and Julia are also lovers in Rave Master.

Juvia’s had a number of perceived threats to a romantic relationship with Gray starting the same chapter they first met. While Pino might seem like a weird rival, she’s also considered another Exceed named Frosch to be a love rival.

Erza’s bunny costume makes yet another appearance in a crossover between Fairy Tail and Rave. Yeah, this was a thing there as well.

Speaking of that crossover, Elie considered Happy to be a bug when she first saw him then. In her defense, she also thought Plue was a bug the first time she saw him. Wait...

Gray’s master is Ur Milkovich, one of the strongest Ice Wizards. Homura’s master is Valkyrie Yura, a member of the Demon King’s Shining Stars, the Sword of Edens.

Weisz is a fan of bunny girl outfits. As part of a wager, he got Homura to wear a bunny girl outfit.

I’ve yet to talk about the various types of swords that the Ten Commandments turns into in this series.

Eisenmeteor - base sword.

Explosion - sword that causes explosions

Silfarion - speed-enhancing sword

Runsave - sword that cuts through intangible objects

Melforce - pushes enemies away

Blue Crimson -fire sword and ice sword

Gravity Core - sword with gravity abilites

Shiki’s quite an ugly crier. He has plenty good reason to cry about friends, given his own series.

Note how Mashymre’s final words correpsond with the series: talk of worlds for Edens Zero, talk of people for Fairy Tail, and talk of tasks for Rave Master.

Lucy is also an author. Fans of Edens Zero might have noticed her breakout hit novel “Iris Adventure” as an easter egg in a chapter.

Bonus Chapter

Along with Symphonia in the last chapter, Song Continent displays how the names in Rave Master were based around music theme

Weirdly enough, both the time Lucy and Elie were naked are tied to spoilery events. Suffice it to say, these actually happened and neither case was of their own will.

Remember when I said heat training would matter later? Homura sees being in the spa as “part of her training”.

Etherion is Elie’s special magic in Rave Master. Incidentally, the number 3173 is important to understanding both. Even as it’s not the Etherion Hermit or Irvy know, it’s likely as potent.

Lucy joins the ranks of Edens Zero Happy and Homura as people who have completed the “Mind Numbing Torture and Pleasure Massage” and live.

Lucy has poor luck when it comes to setting traps for people in Fairy Tail.

Rebecca is shown to be as big of an eater as Shiki in Edens Zero. Being drawn by the smell of food makes sense for her.

This wouldn’t be the first time Elie has been accidentally seen bathing by Haru.

The shot of Haru and Elie holding hands is a call back to a moment in the manga where they fall asleep holding hands. Mashima also drew a similar moment with Natsu and Lucy as part of a cover, but without the hand holding.

Xiaomei serves as the narrator for Edens Zero and Mavis Vermillion was the first guild master for Fairy Tail.

While we’ve seen most of the men in this final page, Lazenby the White Demon makes an appearance from Rave Master. He also appeared in the OVA version of Fairy Tail x Rave.

This was supposed to be only 43 fun details to celebrate his birthday. I got carried away.

Hopefully I can talk about HERO’S more in the future. I talk a lot about Fairy Tail on this blog and have done chapter reviews of Edens Zero on charlierejouis. I do plan on talking about Rave in the future, as I’m currently collecting the physical volumes of the series (against my better judgement).

Mashima’s managed to make a number of amazing worlds across his career as a mangaka and I’m excited to see what he does next. Here’s to more years of health and happines!

#hero's #hiro mashima #fairy tail #edens zero #rave master #this was over two days #just under 36 hours to be exact #i'm insane #also mashima's birthday technically passed for him #and he'll likely never see this #but oh well #i had fun doing this #ish? i guess?

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roidespd-blog · 5 years ago

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Chapter Eleven : RuPaul

“Hello ! Hello ! Hello !” RuPaul Charles (born November 17, 1960) has been a Pop culture Icon for the past 30 years as a punk rock singer turned dancer turned drag queen turned singer-songwriter turned model turned talk-show host turned occasional actor turned producer turned cosmetic guru turned all-around business powerhouse. Though there doesn’t seem to be any secrets surrounding the most famous drag performer in the world (and I’m not running a investigation blog), I do wish to retrace his steps, pay homage to a singular career as he just launched his new talk show last night (June 10th, 2019), and talk about the mistakes he made along the way as a way of learning from them all together.

THE DRAG REVOLUTION

Unless you were alive and moving around Atlanta in the 80s, you probably first put your eyes on RuPaul as an extra dancing on B-52’s “Love Shack”. Yes, he was a drag performer back then too. A starring role on a low-budget film called “Star Booty” here, appearances on a couple of documentaries there. Mostly nightclub work for a true working guuuurl.

In 1993, He recorded his debut album, Supermodel of the World, clearly stating his ambitions. His first single, “Supermodel (You Better Work)” is actually a masterpiece of dance/house music. The track and album were modest successes but attracted extreme media attention through heavy rotation on MTV. Soon, he became the first drag queen to sign a modeling contract (for cosmetics) and released his (first) autobiography, “Lettin’ It All Hang Out”. Side bar, I do believe that the first time I was made aware of RuPaul was in the 1995 movie ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar”, a suck-my-bone-marrow American imitation of “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. It’s about three drag queens going on a road trip from New York to Hollywood to participate in the biggest Drag Pageant of America. It’s quite vulgar, not subtle for one second and put three straight male actors into drag in performances that don’t shy away from clichés. In the end, they (SPOILER ALERT) made it to the competition and who’s crowning the winner ? Miss RuPaul, anty. I used to love that movie as a kid. Didn’t get it was about drag queens though. But please, watch Priscilla, instead. End of side bar.

By 1996, VH1 gave him his own talk show “The RuPaul Show”. For 2 seasons and 100 episodes, RuPaul interviewed celebrity guests (from Diana Ross to Cher) and made history as one of the first openly gay person to host a show on national television. For the rest of the decade, he released two more albums (one being a Christmas record entitled Ho Ho Ho — priceless name) that lead to commercial failure and overall media fatigue. Because it’s fun to see you, but “different” is better in small portions.

SECOND CUMING

From 1998 to 2004, only one forgettable song from RuPaul was released. This fourth record Red Hot (2004) received little to no coverage — Although the singles kept topping the dance charts. RuPaul admitted to feeling frustrated over the lack of interest in his work during the period, noting the media wasn’t reviewing his records and putting him on magazine covers anymore. Quote “I don’t know what happened. It seemed I couldn’t get press on my album un less I was willing to play in the role that the mainstream press has assigned to gay people, which is as servants of straight ideas”.

In 2008 however, Logo came to RuPaul with an idea that changed so much lives in the process. The offered him the possibility to host and produced a reality competition program based on his brand name called RuPaul’s Drag Race. For those who still don’t know what Drag Race is (HOW DARE YOU?), the premise of the program has drag queens competing to be selected as “America’s Next Drag Superstar” in a series of mini and maxi challenges, culminating in the end of each episode to the bottom two queens lip-syncing for their motherfucking lives and the elimination of one of them. The (new) drag revolution began on February 2, 2009 with a first season that was a bit disavowed by the host himself but it was successful enough to be renewed for a second season. A then a third. And a fourth and so on. The show just ended its eleventh cycle.

The show itself had a very interesting journey. It debuted on the fringe of entertainment, a fun little anomaly for the “in” people. It developed in its first three seasons into a somewhat very solid shows, powering through better storylines, challenges and candidates. In its fourth season, it started to be critically lauded as an incredible piece of pop culture with a cast of queens out of this world. Creatively, the show peaked from season 4 to 6 (4 having the best queens, 5 the best storylines, 6 the best narrative structure). By season 7, it was a phenomenon that keeps on growing as of today.

Last September, Drag Race received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for the first time. RuPaul himself won Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program three years in a row and each year, the audience gets bigger and bigger. The show (who has already been renewed for a 12th year) has introduced us to almost 150 queens over 145 episodes and spawned a couple of spin-off shows, some successful (Drag Race All Stars — four seasons and counting) some not so much (RuPaul’s Drag U, canceled in 2012 after three pretty uneventful seasons). A few international incarnations were made around the world, most notably the UK edition that’s about to be released in 2019 with RuPaul (and bestie Michelle Visage) returning as judges.

EVERYBODY SAY… LOVE ?

From that storyline of a Phoenix rising from its ashes, RuPaul developed into you can pretty much describe as an “Empire Incarnate”. He released 10 new albums, 8 of them serving as official and non-official soundtracks for the show (which is made of RuPaul songs from beginning to end — ROYALTIIIIIES, PEOPLE!). He created a podcast called What’s the Tee ? with Michelle Visage in 2014 as a way to revive The RuPaul Show into another form. He developed everything RuPaul from glass wear to cosmetic lines, promoting them all on the show, released 3 more books (the latest being called “GuRu”) and establishing an annual event a few years ago called ‘RuPaul’s Drag-Con’ happening in New York City and Los Angeles with most of the show’s drag queens making appearances. Basically, he’s making so, so, so much money. An impressive feat from someone who came from nothing and did something with what he had.

Unfortunately, success and worldwide exposure don’t come without their fair share of controversies. First, the fact that everything is about RuPaul, RuPaul, RuPaul (the puns, the challenges, the fact that HE gets to choose who becomes America’s Next Drag Superstar, blablablah) comes to a breaking point in 2019. After eleven years of almost non-stop self promotion, I do feel like I need to take a little break from his sphere. I mean, we had four seasons of Drag Race and Allstars in the spam of 18 months. That’s 44 episodes of intense Queen Dramas and Glitter Balls. I do feel like too much of a good thing harms the quality and appreciation of a program. Drag Race’s latest seasons weren’t as thrilling as the previous ones, mostly due to lack of imagination in challenges, weaker casts and a formula that refuses to evolve with time. As the show went on to become an actual phenomenon, it became a bit too pleasing for all crowds, including straight people. Not that it’s a bad thing that straight people can watch and appreciate the show, but adapting it for their comprehension is kind of fucked up. They should adapt to the show’s (and ours) culture. We open the window and let the song be heard, we don’t blast the door open and give the partition for free. Anyway, just an opinion.

My biggest concern with RuPaul comes from his relationship with the trans community. Drag Race has featured a number of contestants who now identity as trans women (Sonique, Carment Carrera, Jiggly Caliente, Monica Beverly Hillz, Kenya Michaels, Gia Gunn, Peppermint), some of them making their identity public while competing on the show and that’s a good thing for the trans representation around the world.

In 2014, Carmen Carrera (Season 3) and Monica Beverly Hillz (Season 5) criticized the show’s use of words “tranny” and “shemale”. Well, yes it’s bad but the show is about drag queens and they can call themselves whatever they want, right ? (That’s me trying to come up with excuses for RuPaul back in the day). They also described the announcement phrase ‘You’ve got she-mail’ as transphobic, the same year a mini challenge called “Female or She-male” was used on the show’s sixth season. Hmm, well, the producers removed that phrase and have been careful about their challenges ever since, plus RuPaul released an apology so it’s good, right ? (Me, still finding ways to find peace within myself). In 2018, RuPaul gave an interview to the Guardian in which he states that a post-transition trans woman would ‘probably not’ be accepted on the show, noting that at the time of competition Peppermint (season 9) had not yet had breast implants. Fuck. Ru. RuPaul also compared trans drag queens who had transitioned to athletes who had taken performance-enhancing drugs. Fuck. Ru. Two. He has since expressed regrets for the comments he made but I got to say, regrets won’t totally cut it. For a man who ends every season of Drag Race with a “EVERYBODY SAY LOOOOVE!” and preaches acceptance and self-love and seems to be so involved in his community, his views on the trans community are problematic. The only criteria for contestants are “Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent”, which are qualities you can also find with Trans women. Damn, don’t you know that drag queen is a vocation, NOT an identity ?

I believe that over exposure and the lack of course correction on some of this opinions could cause RuPaul’s downfall in the near future. He’s a phoenix, he’ll come back I’m sure but if he plays his cards right, he won’t have to DO come back. Last night, his new talk show, RuPaul, aired for the first time for a three-week try basis. I watched it this morning on YouTube and… Why do you have a talk show, man ? What’s in it for me to keep watching it, aside from the fact that you are a pleasant person to see for 40 minutes ? The talk show is a vanity project that probably won’t help with the overexposure I keep talking about. I do hope that in the next three weeks though, you will receive a trans person on the show and face the criticism you’ve been shamelessly ignoring on Drag Race.

From the icon who expressed so eloquently how it’s like to have an inner saboteur, to his “you can call he. You can call she. You call me regis and Kathie Lee, I don’t care ! Just as long as you call me” or his incredible “Unless they’re paying your bills, pay for bitches no mind”, I do hope you’ll reconsider some of your actions. Do a little less Drag Race, a little less self promotion. Go enjoy your ranch with your husband for a year or so, reacquaint yourself with your community and come back.

This was an homage to you, RuPaul. I do hope I won’t come to regret my words.

NOW SISSY THAT WALK (ALL THE WAY TO WYOMING)

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commander-yinello · 8 years ago

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The Matchmakers - Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

A drabble series I’m working on with @setthestarsxnfire, hope you enjoy!

The pictures Jihyun had selected to auction off at the next party were perfect, as always. They were different than his usual themes of landscapes and the sky, featuring laughing couples at holiday events, creating a warm atmosphere just by looking at them. A strange feeling of regret hit Jumin. It would have been nice to have a picture of yesterday, when Zen showed him around the fair and made him try all kinds of things he had never heard of before. He had thoroughly enjoyed it and surprisingly enough, hadn’t thought about work that entire afternoon. That had never happened before. He noticed Assistant Kang entering his office and greeting his best friend. Just as he was about to ask why she was here, Jihyun gently touched his shoulder and turned his attention back to him. “Thank you for taking time to look at them Jumin, I appreciate it.” “Of course.” Something about the timing felt a bit odd, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. After V left, Jumin returned to his desk with the intent of working the whole evening. His eye fell on a modern apparatus lying on the mahogany. Ah, Jihyun had forgotten his camera. He would be sure to send it back to him via courier. Next to the camera, there was a stack of contracts accompanied by a DVD box. He picked it up, inspecting the cover. It looked like a romantic story, if all the rose petals and sparkly clouds were an indication. The male lead made him double-check. Was that… Zen? He was wearing a black wig but there was no mistaking those red eyes and handsome, symmetrical features. Hmm. Didn’t his father once mention this building had its own cinema? *** Unbelievable. Once again Zen found himself in C&R on his way to Jumin’s office. This was starting to look less like a coincidence and more like the God of Fate was actively yanking his chain. He remembered he had been trying to relax at home, trying not to constantly stare at the two, two!, gifts he had received from Jumin now. The teddy bear sat next to the vase of roses as he was unsure what else to do with it, serving as a reminder of what had happened the past days. Every time he glanced at them, there was a strange tingling sensation in his chest. He did have fun at that fair, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Why was Jerkmin Han being so nice to him anyway? Could it be that the cold corporate robot was coming out of his shell… because of him? His phone rang while he had a mini freak-out and Zen picked up, glad for the distraction. “Hello Zen. How are you?” “Heya! I’m fine. What’s up, V?” “I was wondering if you could help me. I left my camera at Jumin’s office and I don’t have time to go back for it now. Could you pick it up for me? “W-why me?! Surely Jaehee would be better-“ “I asked everyone else but they’re all busy. Please Zen, you’re my last hope.” “I… Alright.” “Thank you so much Zen. Please take your time.” V had helped him many times with his problems, he would be an ass to refuse. In hindsight, he should have asked what the hell he meant with ‘take your time’. He told a receptionist that he was here to see Jumin. When she directed him to a room that wasn’t his office, Zen was confused. Even more when the sign outside said room read MOTION PICTURES. Once he entered the small room, he was shocked to see what was displayed on the wide screen. That was him on stage in his hanbok, waxing poetically about lost love. And there was Jumin, sitting on the large U-shaped couch, holding a glass of red wine. Out of nowhere, a woman with black long hair approached him with a cart full of drinks, asking if he’d like something. When Jumin turned to look at him, he felt like a deer in headlights and mumbled something about a beer. Her smile when she gave him a glass and walked off reminded him way too much of that moment on the fair. “Zen? Why are you here?” “Yeah, I came here because… Why are you watching this?” He pointed towards the screen, the glass of beer almost spilling over, forgetting his original mission. “I found a DVD. I believe Assistant Kang must have accidentally left it behind.” “Okay… But why are you watching it?” “I was… curious. To see if your acting was as good as everyone claims it to be.” Of course his acting was great! Not like he needed Jumin to confirm that! Before he could stop himself, he took a seat next to the executive. It wasn’t because he wanted to know Jumin’s opinion, he told himself. It was because he looked so handsome on the wide screen and he didn’t want to waste a good beer. “And?” Damn it. Jumin was smiling, small but it was there, eyes glued to the screen. Zen stared at him in fascination. He had never seen him like this before. “Had I never met you, I would have sworn this is who you truly are. Very natural. No wonder you have so many fans.” Wow. A genuine compliment. The biggest grin appeared on his face, accompanying the joyous feeling. As soon as he realized what he was doing, Zen quickly took a big gulp of his beer to hide his face. They continued to watch the musical, Jumin occasionally pointing out moments he enjoyed, making Zen feel increasingly more fuzzy and flustered. When the heavy dramatic scene came up, they were silent, both immersed in the moment. It then changed into a romantic exchange between the two leads and suddenly Zen felt something warm wrap around him, breaking him out of his movie trance. Jumin’s arm was around him. Jumin’s freaking arm was around him! It didn’t seem like Jumin was aware of what he was doing as the dark-haired man kept staring at the screen. Zen blushed heavily as thoughts raced through his mind. ‘Okay. Is this happening? This is actually happening. Okay, I really should say something before it gets awkward. Say something. Say something!’ And then Jumin pulled him closer and Zen felt all blood rush to his head as he leant against the warm executive, so fast he was almost dizzy. ‘Oh God I’ve taken too long. Now it’s awkward if I say something. Maybe… maybe he’ll let go soon enough without him noticing.’ With that thought, he resigned to his fate. The combination of body warmth, beer and drowsy atmosphere slowly made his head droop until it rested on something comfortable. *** Zen on screen was dying. It took Jumin all he had not to yell out at the injustice of it all, instead opting to hold on tight, as if that would bring comfort to the people in the movie. Despite the drama, he felt quite pleasant. Warm and soft. His phone buzzed in his pocket and it pulled Jumin back to reality. He had completely forgotten about the planned overseas business call. That was not like him at all. He almost dropped his empty wine glass when he turned his head, Zen’s hair brushing against his nose. The actor’s head leaned on his shoulder, with his arm around Zen. Jumin shot up from the couch, making Zen fall over with an undignified squawk. “I need to make a call. Please, feel free to finish watching.” It took all he had not to stutter. He couldn’t even look at Zen, adjusting his tie for no reason. As he rushed out of the room, trying his hardest to keep down the heat threatening to spread across his complexion, he didn’t see Zen plant his face in his hands behind him. ***

707: V, I thought you said you sent Zen to Jumin’s office? V: I did, to pick up the camera I left there. Jaehee Kang: Like you asked, I also put the DVD near it. 707: Then why don’t I see them both there? MC: The plan was that they would meet there and hopefully they’d talk about it, right? Saeran: Are you sure you’re checking the right security cameras? 707: How dare you doubt my God Skills! MC: Don’t tell me they both missed each other? Yoosung★: Nooo, not after all that effort! Jaehee Kang: Looks like this plan was a bust. V: ^_^;;; Saeran: Right, enough Saeran: Let me show you all how it’s done MC: :O! Jaehee Kang: Oh dear.

#the matchmakers #juminzen #juzen #zumin #jumin x zen #zenmin #drabble #drabble series #fanfiction #mysme #mystic messenger #zenjumin #zenju #jumin han #zen

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todaynewsstories · 6 years ago

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NASCAR notebook: Larson sees a future of ‘Kyle, Kyle and Chris’ shows

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kyle Larson was well aware something was missing when he took the checkered flag in Friday night’s Food City 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Aug 11, 2018; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) during practice for the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

That something was Kyle Busch.

Starting from the pole, Busch led the first 69 laps of the race but slammed the Turn 3 wall on Lap 70 — the eventual result of a brush with the Turn 2 wall on Lap 66 — and exited the race with a broken front suspension.

Larson took over after that and rolled home with the win in overtime, with Xfinity Series leader Christopher Bell close behind.

But Larson would rather have beaten Busch at the finish as well.

“I wish he could have been in the field,” Larson said after the race. “He checked out that one run, but I was closing on him there at the beginning.

“I felt like Bell was just as good, if not better than Kyle. It was good to battle Chris and still get the win.”

Larson and Bell are long-time competitors in open-wheel events on dirt, and Larson is looking forward to his rival’s ascension to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series — perhaps as much as Bell is.

“It’s going to be fun,” Larson said. “I feel like it’s been the Kyle and Kyle show at a lot of these places, but with Chris’s driving style, I feel like it’s going to be the Kyle, Kyle and Chris show at a lot of these places, especially at Bristol.

“I’m excited for him to get his Cup opportunity, whenever that might arise. It’s always fun racing Chris and Kyle.”

ROUSH FENWAY’S NO. 60 CAR TRYING TO OUTLIVE APPARENT “CURSE”

You have to feel sorry for crew chief Mike Kelley, who is tasked with preparing the No. 60 Roush Fenway Ford for a trio of young Xfinity Series drivers — Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric and Ty Majeski.

No matter which young gun is driving the No. 60 Mustang, the car can’t seem to avoid trouble, often through no fault of the drivers.

Cindric was behind the wheel in the season-opening race at Daytona and crashed out in last place after 10 laps, the first of eight DNFs for the No. 60 this season. All told, the car has sustained damage in 17 of 22 races and has finished on the lead lap just seven times.

Majeski owns the best finish in the car this year, a seventh at Iowa, but that came after he crashed out in his first three races in the 60.

Aug 12, 2018; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) before the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday night at Bristol, with Briscoe driving, bad karma (or maybe it should be “carma”) once again struck the star-crossed Mustang. Racing side-by-side with Ross Chastain, Briscoe washed up into Chastain’s car and nosed into the inside wall, ending his race after 142 laps.

“I just got racing with the 4 (Chastain) really hard,” Briscoe said. “I’m all for hard racing, but it’s just frustrating when he lets four guys in a row go. We were faster than him and just kept hitting on him and hitting on him. I just kept trying to pass him on the inside.

“I could never clear him, and I just got tight underneath him and drove up the race track a little bit and got my right-front up into him and spun out and hit the inside wall. It’s definitely frustrating.

“I hate it for all the 60 guys. They’ve had to work on a lot of race cars this year. I felt like we had decent speed tonight and maybe could have contended for a top-10, but the day got cut short.”

Given the history, perhaps it’s time to do what you do when an old girlfriend won’t stop calling — change the number.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. EXPECTS TO HAVE 2019 PLANS IN FOCUS SOON

The most striking aspect of Martin Truex Jr.’s question-and-answer session with reporters on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway was that the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion’s status for 2019 is still in limbo.

With the announced departure of sponsor 5-hour Energy, Furniture Row Racing has open inventory on the hood of Truex’s No. 78 Toyota, which also receives support from NASCAR perennial Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats and Auto-Owners Insurance.

Truex is in a contract year and has yet to re-sign with Furniture Row, which in turn has yet to re-up its manufacturer deal with Toyota.

Asked to estimate the percentage chance he will return to Furniture Row next season, Truex replied:

“That’s hard to put a number on. Honestly, I really don’t know. I think in another week or two I’ll have a better answer for you. Better percentage — right now, we need sponsorship, and that’s as simple as it gets.

“It’s hard to say. Is there a 50 percent chance we get that in a couple weeks or 100 percent chance or two percent? I don’t know. I can tell you that everything is based upon that.”

It’s clear, though, that Truex would prefer to remain with team owner Barney Visser and crew chief Cole Pearn, even though rumors of other options already have begun to circulate.

“I’m starting to hear rumors,” Truex acknowledged. “That’s kind of how it works in this sport. I’ve been in this position before. I’ve got a great team — Barney has done a lot for my career.

“It’s something we all want to keep going and just need a little bit of time to let the dominoes fall into place and see if we can keep it going. And, if not, I have to figure it out from there.”

— NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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redhot760-blog · 8 years ago

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Trump Proclaims the month of April Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. He definitely has a long list of experience on this topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations From Wikipedia Donald Trump (left, 2016) and former wife Ivana (right, 2007), who publicly accused Trump of rape in 1993. Donald Trump, an American businessman and current President of the United States, has been accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by at least fifteen women since the 1980s. Trump has denied the allegations, saying that he has been the victim of media bias, conspiracies, and a political smear campaign.[1][2][3][4] In October 2016, Trump publicly vowed to sue all of the women who have made allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment against him, as well as to sue the New York Times for publishing the allegations,[5][6] but never followed through.[7][8] Several of these allegations preceded Trump's candidacy for president, but many more arose during that campaign, when a 2005 recording was leaked. Trump was recorded bragging that a celebrity like himself "can do anything" to women, including "just start kissing them ... I don't even wait" and "grab 'em by the pussy". During the October 9, 2016 second presidential debate, two days after the recording was leaked, Trump denied that his recorded comments described sexual assault and denied ever inappropriately touching a woman. Many of his accusers stated that these denials provoked them into going public with their allegations. Three women have filed lawsuits - that were eventually withdrawn and/or settled - alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Trump. Additionally one accuser filed a defamation lawsuit after Trump called her a liar.[9] In addition to these lawsuits, Trump has also been publicly accused of non-consensual kissing, or non-consensual groping of breasts, buttocks and genitalia, by at least twelve more women. Multiple accusations, primarily beginning in October 2016, claim that Trump entered dressing rooms of beauty pageant contestants in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006, while they were in various stages of undress, a practice that Trump admitted to during a 2005 interview on The Howard Stern Show. This practice allegedly extended to Miss Teen USA; several former participants in that pageant allege that Trump walked into the dressing rooms of girls as young as 15. Contents [hide] 1 Accusations filed in court against Trump 1.1 Ivana Trump (1989) 1.2 Jill Harth (1992) 2 Recording controversy and second 2016 presidential debate 3 Allegations of unwanted physical contact 3.1 Jessica Leeds (1980s) 3.2 Kristin Anderson (1990s) 3.3 Cathy Heller (1997) 3.4 Temple Taggart McDowell (1997) 3.5 Karena Virginia (1998) 3.6 Mindy McGillivray (2003) 3.7 Rachel Crooks (2005) 3.8 Natasha Stoynoff (2005) 3.9 Jessica Drake (2006) 3.10 Ninni Laaksonen (2006) 3.11 Summer Zervos (2007) 3.12 Burnett's unnamed friend (2010) 3.13 Cassandra Searles (2013) 4 Allegations of pageant dressing room visits 4.1 Miss Teen USA contestants 4.2 Bridget Sullivan (2000) 4.3 Tasha Dixon (2001) 4.4 Unnamed contestants (2001) 4.5 Samantha Holvey (2006) 5 Reactions 5.1 Comparisons to other behavior 5.2 Donald Trump 5.3 Trump affiliates 5.4 #WhyWomenDontReport 5.5 Smear allegations 5.6 Criticism of media silence 5.7 Michelle Obama's speech 6 Notes 7 References Accusations filed in court against Trump Ivana Trump and Donald Trump married in 1977.[10] Ivana stated in a deposition taken in 1989, during their divorce proceedings, that Donald had visited her plastic surgeon following which he had expressed anger and ripped out hair from her scalp.[11] Donald said the allegation was "obviously false".[10] The 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald Trump, by Harry Hurt III, described the alleged attack as a "violent assault" during which Donald attacked Ivana sexually.[10] According to the book, Ivana later confided to some of her friends that Donald had raped her.[10] In a statement given just before the publication of Hurt's book, and included in the book, Ivana said: On one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a "rape," but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense. — Ivana Trump[10][11] The Trumps' divorce was granted in December 1990[12] on grounds that Donald's treatment of Ivana was "cruel and inhuman".[10][13] According to Trump's lawyer, Jay Goldberg, this was based on Trump having been seen in public with Marla Maples in 1990.[12] Their settlement[a] had a confidentiality clause, per a statement by Ivana.[11] In 1992, Trump sued Ivana for not honoring a gag clause in their divorce agreement by disclosing facts about him in her best-selling book, and Trump won a gag order.[16][17][18] Years later, Ivana said that she and Donald "are the best of friends".[11] In a July 2016 campaign endorsement, Ivana said: "I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit."[19] Jill Harth (1992) Jill Harth alleges that Trump assaulted her several times. Harth has stated that in December 1992, while dining with Trump and her then-boyfriend George Houraney, Trump attempted to put his hands between her legs.[11] Harth and Houraney visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in January 1993 for a contract-signing celebration. Trump, according to Harth, offered her a tour before pulling her into the empty bedroom of his daughter Ivanka. "I was admiring the decoration, and next thing I know he's pushing me against a wall and has his hands all over me. He was trying to kiss me. I was freaking out." Harth says she desperately protested against Trump's advances, and eventually managed to run out of the room. She and her boyfriend left rather than stay the night, as they had intended.[11] After she became engaged, Harth alleges, Trump began to stalk her.[10] Harth filed a lawsuit in 1997 in which she accused Trump of non-consensual groping of her body, among them her "intimate private parts",[20][21] and "relentless" sexual harassment.[22] The suit was withdrawn after Houraney settled with Trump for an undisclosed amount in a lawsuit that claimed that Trump backed out of a business deal.[11][23] She still claims to have been sexually assaulted[11] and although he was never violent with her, she says he made attacks that were "unwanted and aggressive, very sexually aggressive."[10] "They dated for several months in 1998, when he was separated from Maples, she says. In the end, he was a disappointing boyfriend, always watching television and rarely offering emotional support, she says."[20] In 2015, Harth worked at one of Trump's rallies as a makeup artist. Of the experience, she said: "I'm a makeup artist. The guy is a mess, OK? He really needed my services, and I'm a makeup artist that needs a job. Why would, if I was on friendly terms, why wouldn't I try to get that job?"[10] Her case was first published in May 2016[10] in the New York Times article "Crossing the Line".[24] Trump characterized her story in the Times as "false, malicious and libelous" and stated that he "strongly denies the claims."[10] Harth stood by her charges in a July 2016 interview with The Guardian.[23] In October 2016, she stated that, if sued by Trump, she intends to counter-sue.[25] Recording controversy and second 2016 presidential debate Main article: Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording Billy Bush was recorded having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" with Trump in 2005. Two days before the second 2016 presidential debate, the 2005 Access Hollywood tape was released, which records Trump having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" in which he described being able to kiss and grope women because he was "a star": "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it, you can do anything ... grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."[26] Many attorneys and media commentators have said that Trump's statements described sexual assault.[b] On October 7, Trump released a video statement in which he stated, "I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize." He called the development a distraction and attempted to deflect attention to the Clintons, and in particular sex scandals involving Bill Clinton. Republican critics called on him to withdraw from the presidential race.[26] During the second debate, Anderson Cooper asked Trump if he understood that he had bragged about sexually assaulting women. Cooper used the Justice Department's sexual assault definition to include "any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient."[36][37] Trump denied that he had said that he had sexually assaulted women.[37][38] He claimed the comments were merely "locker room talk", then, after being asked three times whether he had ever kissed or groped any person without consent, he said "no I have not".[38] Several of his subsequent accusers said this was the moment at which they were motivated to come forward.[39][40][41] Allegations of unwanted physical contact In May 2016, The New York Times published the article "Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved with Women in Private". For the article, Times reporters Michael Barbaro and Megan Twohey conducted 50 interviews with women who had known Trump socially, during their professional career, or while modeling or competing for a beauty pageant title.[24] Their accounts — many relayed here in their own words — reveal unwelcome romantic advances, unending commentary on the female form, a shrewd reliance on ambitious women, and unsettling workplace conduct, according to the interviews, as well as court records and written recollections. The interactions occurred in his offices at Trump Tower, at his homes, at construction sites and backstage at beauty pageants. They appeared to be fleeting, unimportant moments to him, but they left lasting impressions on the women who experienced them. Other women interviewed for the story, a few of whom had worked for Trump, stated they had not received unwanted advances and "they had never known Mr. Trump to objectify women or treat them with disrespect." Jill Martin, a vice president and assistant counsel at the company, said that Trump was supportive of her and her role as a mother. Laura Kirilova Chukanov, a Bulgarian immigrant and 2009 Miss USA pageant contestant, said that Trump helped her make connections for a documentary that she was working on about her home country.[24] Natasha Stoynoff, Mindy McGillivray, Jessica Leeds, and Rachel Crooks spoke out about their allegations in October 2016 after hearing Trump deny during the debate that he had ever assaulted women.[38][39][42] The Times stated that they verified the stories with friends and family members of the accusers to ensure that the stories had been relayed to them earlier.[43] Jessica Leeds (1980s) In the early 1980s, Leeds was a businesswoman at a paper company on a flight from the Midwest, returning to New York. A flight attendant offered her an empty seat in the first-class cabin next to Trump. Leeds described how, about 45 minutes after takeoff, Trump lifted the armrest and began to touch her, grabbed her breasts, and tried to put his hand up her skirt. "He was like an octopus," she said. "His hands were everywhere. It was an assault."[39][42] Leeds said she had sent a letter containing her allegations to the editor of The New York Times.[10][39] Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to the allegation calling it "fiction." Miller stated the charges were politically motivated "for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all." Trump publicly threatened to sue the Times over the newspaper's publication of the allegation, and demanded a retraction.[44][45] The Times rejected Trump's retraction demand,[45][46] and Trump never followed through on his threat to take legal action against the company.[7] An alleged witness to the case who claimed he saw "nothing untoward" upon the flight was former British Conservative county councillor from Gloucestershire, Antony Gilberthorpe. Gilberthorpe has a history of making false allegations against politicians[47] and has been previously accused of making "advances of an intimate nature" towards Conservative students.[48] Kristin Anderson (1990s) On October 14, 2016, The Washington Post reported accounts by Kristin Anderson that Trump groped her beneath her skirt in a Manhattan nightclub in the early 1990s. An aspiring model at the time of the incident, Anderson related her experience to friends, and decided to come forward after reading accounts of other women who had done so.[49] Anderson believed that the incident occurred at the China Club, a Manhattan nightclub that Newsday referred to as "Donald's Monday-night nest" due to his alleged habit of picking up women there.[49] Cathy Heller (1997) In February 2016, Cathy Heller was interviewed off the record for an article for The Guardian in which she recounted how she was grabbed and kissed by Donald Trump two decades earlier.[50] Heller reports that, in 1997, she met Trump when she attended a Mother's Day brunch with her children, her husband, and her husband's parents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Her parents-in-law were members of Mar-a-Lago. Heller was introduced to Trump, who became angry when she avoided a kiss. He then "grabbed" her and, when he tried to kiss her, she turned her head. Trump kissed her on the side of the mouth "for a little too long" and then he left her.[50][51] Heller's husband and children, who were present during the event, have corroborated her account. In the summer of 2015, the members of Heller's mahjong group heard Heller's account of the 1997 incident; this was not long after Trump announced his candidacy.[52] She decided to go public after seeing the second presidential debate on October 9, 2016. Heller is a registered Democrat, and public supporter of Hillary Clinton.[50] Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller stated that Heller's account is "false" and "politically motivated".[52] Temple Taggart McDowell, Miss Utah USA in 1997, publicly accused Trump of unwanted kisses and embraces that left McDowell and one of her chaperones so uncomfortable, according to McDowell, that she claimed she was instructed not to be left in a room alone with him again. According to McDowell, a chaperone had accompanied her to Trump's office.[53] At the time, McDowell was 21 and was known as Temple Taggart.[10] This incident occurred in Trump's first year of ownership of the Miss USA contest.[10] McDowell told her story initially to The New York Times in May 2016[53] which was published in the "Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved With Women in Private" article.[24] She had not intended to speak publicly about the incidents again, but she received numerous calls recently due to the "Crossing the Line" article and felt, as a mother, that it is important to share a message about unwanted advances: "You have the right to say no. You have the right to get out of there. You have the right to leave, and you have the right to make them feel uncomfortable if they're making you feel uncomfortable," she said. Trump stated that he does not know her and denied McDowell's claims.[53] He also told The New York Times that he is "reluctant to kiss strangers on the lips."[10] Taggart McDowell stated that she is a Republican, and not coming out with the allegation in order to support Hillary Clinton.[54] Karena Virginia (1998) At an October 2016 press conference with attorney Gloria Allred, yoga instructor and life coach Karena Virginia stated that in 1998, Trump grabbed her arm and touched her breast. Virginia, who was 27 years old at the time, was waiting for a ride after the US Open in Queens, New York.[55] She stated that Trump, who she had not met previously, approached her with a small group of other men, while commenting on her legs, then he grabbed her right arm. Virginia continued, "Then his hand touched the right side of my breast. I was in shock. I flinched. ‘Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who I am?’ – that’s what he said to me. I felt intimidated and I felt powerless."[55] Trump campaign spokesperson Jessica Ditto responded to the allegation with a statement reading in part, "Discredited political operative Gloria Allred, in another coordinated, publicity seeking attack with the Clinton campaign, will stop at nothing to smear Mr. Trump."[56] Mindy McGillivray (2003) In an article by The Palm Beach Post, Mindy McGillivray stated that in January 2003, when she was 23 years old, she was groped by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.[10][41] She said, "All of a sudden I felt a grab, a little nudge. I think it's [my friend Ken Davidoff's] camera bag, that was my first instinct. I turn around and there's Donald. He sort of looked away quickly."[10] Ken Davidoff, a photographer, corroborated McGillivray's account, saying he remembered her pulling him aside moments after the alleged incident to say "Donald just grabbed my ass!"[41] McGillivray said that she "chose to stay quiet"[38] and never reported the incident to authorities. She had only shared details of the incident with close family and friends until she heard Trump deny such behavior during the second presidential debate on October 9, 2016.[41] Hope Hicks, Trump's press secretary, stated that McGillivray's allegations lacked "any merit or veracity" and were untruthful.[38] Ken Davidoff's brother, Darryl Davidoff, said that he was also present at the time at Mar-a-Lago, and stated that in his opinion McGillivray is lying.[57][58] According to Darryl: "I do not believe it really happened. Nobody saw it happen and she just wanted to be in the limelight."[57][c] Rachel Crooks (2005) In 2005, Rachel Crooks was a 22-year-old receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate investment and development company in Trump Tower in Manhattan. She says she encountered Trump in an elevator in the building one morning and turned to introduce herself. They shook hands, but Mr. Trump would not let go. Instead, he began kissing her cheeks, then directly on the mouth.[39][42] "It was so inappropriate," Crooks recalled in an interview. "I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that."[42] Her story was printed by The New York Times, along with that of Jessica Leeds.[39] Trump has categorically disputed Crooks' claims.[10] Crooks is a public supporter and donor to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.[59] Natasha Stoynoff (2005) Canadian author and journalist Natasha Stoynoff, who wrote for People magazine and, previously, the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun, went to Trump's Florida estate in December 2005 to interview him and his wife, Melania. While there, Trump gave Stoynoff a tour of the Mar-a-Lago estate. She says that during this tour, he pushed her against a wall and forced his tongue into her mouth.[10][38] Stoynoff described the alleged episode, "We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat ... I was stunned. And I was grateful when Trump's longtime butler burst into the room a minute later, as I tried to unpin myself."[40] Stoynoff composed herself and conducted the interview,[10] after which she said Trump repeatedly told her, "We're going to have an affair, I'm telling you."[38][40] Melania was also interviewed for that article.[40] Trump sent out a tweet on October 13, 2016, in which he said it had not happened and wondered why she had not mentioned the event in her People article of 2005.[10] Stoynoff responded that she had become angry when Trump denied assaulting women during the presidential debate and was triggered by the release of the Access Hollywood recording in early October. Until that point, she said, she had conflicting emotions common among victims of assault, combined with embarrassment and confusion. J.D. Heyman, People's deputy editor, said: "It was disorienting for her. She felt a great deal of worry and distress about it. Then she felt angry."[60] That same day, Melania's lawyer demanded an apology from People magazine, stating that Melania did not say some or all of what was quoted in the People article by Stoynoff published on October 12, 2016; Melania specifically denied Stoynoff's claim that she'd run into her on Fifth Avenue following the article's publication.[61] In an interview with Anderson Cooper that aired October 17 on CNN, Melania again denied having crossed paths with Stoynoff on Fifth Avenue, as stated in Stoynoff's article. The following day, People published the account of Liza Herz. Herz said she witnessed the sidewalk encounter between Stoynoff and Melania Trump; Herz' account corroborated that of Stoynoff.[62] On October 18, People produced six corroborating witnesses who said Stoynoff had recounted the incident to them around the time that it occurred.[62] The six witnesses were: "two editors from People, Mary Green and Liz McNeil; a professor of journalism, Paul McLaughlin; a co-worker; and two personal friends of Ms. Stoynoff."[63] Trump's former butler at Mar-a-lago resort in Florida, Anthony Senecal, 85, was asked about the 2005 incident in which Ms Stoynoff alleged that the butler "burst in" on Mr Trump when she was pinned down by him; Senecal denied that ever happened. Mr. Senecal further states as a butler "I don’t burst in. I knock, then I go in, usually after someone says ‘come in'," further alleging "And when I went in, there was nothing strange about where she was standing."[64][65] According to Senecal, the alleged incident took place in a massage room with windows all around which made it unsuitable to grope anyone since there was no privacy.[64] Jessica Drake (2006) On October 22, 2016, Jessica Drake and attorney Gloria Allred held a news conference in which Drake accused Trump of having sexually assaulted her and two acquaintances nearly ten years prior. Drake, an adult film actress and sex education advocate, said that she met Trump at her company's booth during a charity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in 2006. Drake claims that she was invited to meet with Trump, who was married at the time, at his hotel suite; she was "uncomfortable going alone" and brought two friends. Describing the meeting with Trump, Drake recounted that "He grabbed each of us tightly, in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission."[66] Drake stated that she and her friends left the suite after 30–45 minutes. Shortly thereafter, Drake claims she received phone calls from Trump or his associate, requesting that she join him in his suite for $10,000, and offering to fly her on his jet back to Los Angeles. She said she declined his offers.[66] During the news conference, Drake said, "I am not looking for monetary compensation. I do not need additional fame... I understand that I may be called a liar or an opportunist but I will risk that in order to stand in solidarity with women who share similar accounts."[66][67] During the news conference, Gloria Allred held up a picture showing Trump and Drake standing together at the time.[66] In response to Drake's allegations, the Trump campaign stated that her story is "false and ridiculous", that "[t]he picture is one of thousands taken out of respect for people asking to have their picture taken with Mr. Trump" but Trump did not know Drake and "would have no interest in ever knowing her," and that the story was "just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate."[68] Donald Trump appeared to dismiss the significance of the accusation because of Drake's line of work, saying, "Oh, I’m sure she’s never been grabbed before."[69][70] Amanda Prestigiacomo, writing in the The Daily Wire, has criticized Drake for suggesting that being greeted with a hug and a kiss without permission is "sexual assault".[71] According to Prestigiacomo, if this were to be "sexual assault" then everyone has been "sexually assaulted" numerous times, and making such a claim does a disservice to women who have actually faced sexual assault.[71] Ninni Laaksonen (2006) Ninni Laaksonen, Miss Finland 2006, appeared with Trump on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 26, 2006.[72] Laaksonen claims that before they went on the air, Trump grabbed her buttocks. As Laaksonen describes the interaction: "He really grabbed my butt. I don’t think anybody saw it but I flinched and thought: "What is happening?"[72] Someone later told Laaksonen that Trump liked her because she looked like his wife, Melania, when she was younger.[73][74][75] Laaksonen revealed her account to a local Finnish newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat, which had contacted her regarding the level of professionalism involved in Donald Trump's handling of his employees within the Miss Universe pageant. The story was published on October 27, 2016.[76] Summer Zervos (2007) Summer Zervos was a contestant on the fifth season of The Apprentice, which filmed in 2005 and aired in 2006.[77][d] After she contacted Trump, in 2007, about a job after the show's completion, he invited her to meet him at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Zervos stated that Trump was sexually suggestive during their meeting, kissing her open-mouthed, groping her breasts,[77] and thrusting his genitals on her.[79] She also stated that his behavior was aggressive and not consensual.[78] Zervos is being represented by attorney Gloria Allred.[80] John Barry, her cousin and a Trump supporter, claimed that Zervos had talked to her family and friends about Trump, promoting his candidacy and stating how he had helped her out in her life. During the presidential primary campaign, Zervos allegedly invited Trump to her restaurant, and he declined.[80][81] In October 2016, the Trump presidential campaign released an email by Zervos, sent in April 2016, in which she expressed her wish to 'reconnect' with Trump.[82] On January 17, 2017, Zervos filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, arising from his claim that she had lied about the allegations.[83][84] Burnett's unnamed friend (2010) According to CNN anchor Erin Burnett, an unnamed female friend of Burnett's alleges she was kissed in a Trump Tower boardroom in 2010. She said, "Trump took Tic Tacs, suggested I take them also. He then leaned in, catching me off guard, and kissed me almost on lips. I was really freaked out." She was invited by Trump into his office. She and Trump were alone in the office when he made further advances, giving her his cell phone number, telling her she was special, and asking her to call him. The woman said that she "ran the hell out of there". The story was reported by Burnett on CNN in October 2016.[10] Cassandra Searles (2013) Rolling Stone and NPR have reported that Cassandra Searles, Miss Washington USA of 2013, was fondled by Trump during the Miss USA pageant of that year.[10][85] Yahoo!News published an article in June 2016[10] stating that Searles had made Facebook postings that accused Trump of making unwanted advances. She said that he was "continually" groping her buttocks and had asked her to go "to his hotel room".[10][85][86] Searles also asserted that Trump had "treated us like cattle."[86] Trump and his campaign have not specifically responded to Searles' allegations.[10] Allegations of pageant dressing room visits Trump owned the Miss Universe franchise, which includes Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, from 1996 to 2015.[53][85] Contestants of the shows have alleged that, during his tenure, Trump would enter the dressing rooms while they were in various stages of undress. These incidents happened in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006. Former Miss Arizona Tasha Dixon mentioned such an incident in 2001 at the Miss USA contest.[87] Trump also entered the dressing room of the Miss Teen USA pageant in 1997 while the girls were dressing. The youngest contestants were 15 years old. He told the girls, "Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before."[42][85][88] Of the 15 former contestants who were interviewed, none alleged Trump said anything sexually explicit or made physical contact in the dressing room.[89] During a Howard Stern interview in 2005, Trump described his practice of walking in unannounced while beauty pageant contestants were naked or partially clothed: You know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it... Is everyone OK? You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that ... I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else.[85] Miss Teen USA contestants Mariah Billado, Miss Vermont Teen USA, is one of four women to mention such a dressing room visit incident in 1997.[89] Billado said of the visit: "I remember putting on my dress really quick, because I was like, 'Oh my god, there's a man in here.' Trump, she recalled, said something like, 'Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before.'"[10] The dressing room had 51 contestants, each with their own stations. Eleven girls said that they did not see Trump enter the dressing room, though some said it was possible that he entered while they were somewhere else, or that they didn’t notice. Allison Bowman, Miss Wisconsin Teen USA, expressed skepticism: "these were teenage girls. If anything inappropriate had gone on, the gossip would have flown."[89] Billado recalled talking to Ivanka, Trump's daughter, who responded "Yeah, he does that."[10] Trump's campaign stated the allegations of him entering the dressing room “have no merit and have already been disproven by many other individuals who were present.”[90] Bridget Sullivan (2000) In 2000, Bridget Sullivan was Miss New Hampshire USA. As she prepared for a television broadcast, Trump walked into the dressing room. She told BuzzFeed that he was coming to wish the contestants good luck, but they "were all naked". Some contestants that night do not remember him entering while the ladies prepared and other contestants mentioned that they had no negative experiences with Trump. A spokesman for Trump said that Sullivan's claims were "totally false".[10] Tasha Dixon (2001) Tasha Dixon, Miss Arizona USA 2001, told a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles that in 2001, "[Trump] just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless, other girls were naked." She said that having been walked in on when the women had little or no clothes put them in a "very physically vulnerable position, and then to have the pressure of the people that work for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him ..." Trump's response, provided through spokeswoman Jessica Ditto, is that: "These accusations have no merit and have already been disproven by many other individuals who were present," Ditto adds that she believes that there is a political motivation behind the accusation.[10] Unnamed contestants (2001) An unnamed Miss USA contestant said that in 2001 Trump walked into her dressing room unannounced while she and another contestant were undressed. She told The Guardian that Trump "just barged right in, didn't say anything, stood there and stared at us .... He didn't walk in and say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I was looking for someone.' He walked in, he stood and he stared. He was doing it because he knew that he could." Another contestant told The Guardian that the contestant spoke to others of this event at the time.[10] Samantha Holvey (2006) On October 14, 2016, Samantha Carol Holvey, Miss North Carolina USA 2006, related that "Trump's conduct was "creepy" around the women participating but never made an advance toward her." She also said that prior to pageant events, Trump had "moved into areas where she and other contestants were getting ready," and that she had "never been around men that were like that."[91] Reactions Comparisons to other behavior Shaun R. Harper, executive director of the Penn Graduate Center for Education, has said that "many men talk like Donald Trump"; objectifying women and saying offensive things about them. He puts Trump in a class of men whose behavior sometimes includes sexual assault and degrading women.[92] The Economist drew similar parallels, pointing to research that objectifying women can make sexual assault more likely.[93] NPR reported that Trump has exhibited questionable behavior in his treatment of women for some time, using offensive language to describe women including Megyn Kelly, Rosie O'Donnell, and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.[94] Arwa Mahdawi of The Guardian called his past remarks a "masterclass in rape culture", pointing to statements such as "26,000 unreported sexual assults [sic] in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?" and "women, you have to treat 'em like shit."[95] On October 13, a transcript from a 1994 Primetime Live interview was unearthed where Trump states "I tell friends who treat their wives magnificently, get treated like crap in return, 'Be rougher and you’ll see a different relationship.'"[96] Donald Trump File:Trump Faces More Accusations of Unwanted Sexual Advances.webm "I have no idea who these women are." – Donald Trump statement during campaign, published by Voice of America. Trump has presented himself as a political martyr in the face of these accusations.[97][e] He declared "this is a conspiracy against you, the American people", saying "the Washington establishment and the financial and media corporations that fund it exist for only one reason: to protect and enrich itself" and that "the Clinton machine is at the center of this power structure."[98] In his next speech, he said New York Times reporters are "corporate lobbyists" for minority shareholder Carlos Slim and Hillary Clinton, suggesting Slim's motivation is that he "comes from Mexico."[99] Trump also said the accusers may instead have been motivated by fame or money.[99] He went on to wonder why President Barack Obama had not been accused yet, and denied the Jessica Leeds allegation by saying "she would not be my first choice."[99] In the third presidential debate, Trump repeated his claims: "I think they want either fame or her campaign did it and I think it's her campaign."[100] At a speech at Gettysburg outlining his vision for his first 100 days, he repeated his denials and stated "all of these liars will be sued after the election is over."[101] To date, however, Trump has not filed suit against any of his accusers.[8] Trump affiliates Trump family Melania Trump has responded to the allegations by charging Trump's accusers with lying. Mrs Trump has insisted that her husband is a "gentleman" and claimed that he had become a victim of a conspiracy involving the news media and the Clinton campaign.[102][103] Although Ivanka Trump has claimed to be shocked over Trump's 2005 lewd Access Hollywood tapes, calling them "inappropriate and offensive", she has refused directly to address the issue of her father's alleged sexual assault.[104] In contrast, Donald Trump Jr. described the 2005 comments as "a fact of life",[105] and Eric Trump dismissed all allegations of assault as "dirty tricks" from the Clinton campaign.[106] Trump campaign Leeds's and Crooks's allegations, published by The New York Times on October 13, were disputed by Trump's campaign as having "no merit or veracity". The campaign alleged that the Times had a vendetta against Trump.[43] The Trump campaign issued this statement through its spokesman Jason Miller:[10] This entire article is fiction, and for The New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr. Trump on a topic like this is dangerous. To reach back decades in an attempt to smear Mr. Trump trivializes sexual assault, and it sets a new low for where the media is willing to go in its efforts to determine this election. It is absurd to think that one of the most recognizable business leaders on the planet with a strong record of empowering women in his companies would do the things alleged in this story, and for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all. Further, the Times story buries the pro-Clinton financial and social media activity on behalf of Hillary Clinton's candidacy, reinforcing that this truly is nothing more than a political attack. This is a sad day for the Times. Trump's campaign staff also stated that the Stoynoff and McGillivray accusations were without merit.[38] Trump's attorneys Trump's attorneys demanded a retraction of the Times article and an apology for what they said was a "libelous article"[38]—defamation designed to destroy Trump's run for president.[43] David McCraw, assistant general counsel for the Times, responded on October 13, 2016, to the libel claims from Trump's attorney. He stated that Trump's reputation is damaged and "could not be further affected" due to his own statements, like those he made on the Howard Stern show. McCraw continues, "it would have been a disservice not just to our readers but to democracy itself to silence [the accusers'] voices."[107] In response to the request to retract the story, McCraw said, "We decline to do so" and stated that Trump was free to pursue the matter in court.[108] Trump's attorney, Michael D. Cohen, has defended Trump by saying that the accusers are not women Trump would find to be attractive.[f] #WhyWomenDontReport Further information: Post-assault treatment of sexual assault victims The hashtag #WhyWomenDontReport started trending on Twitter in response to the Trump campaign's statements that the accusers lack credibility.[111] Many commentators disputed the claim that the timing of the allegations during the presidential campaign has a bearing on how likely the events were. The range of reasons given for why women are reluctant to immediately report sexual assault included fear of reprisals, fear that no one will believe them, the low likelihood of obtaining justice against the assailant, and the traumatic experience of having to be reminded of the event.[111] Liz Plank points out that Trump's accusers are now experiencing all of these factors since coming forward.[112] Civil rights lawyer Debra Katz and others point out that high-profile cases tend to encourage victims to speak up, even years later.[113][114] Tom Tremblay, a police specialist in sexual assault, says: "Victims may wait days, weeks, months, years, decades ... When one victim comes forward, it's not at all uncommon to see other victims come forward, who are thinking, 'Well, they came forward; now it’s not just my word.'"[115] Susan Dominus, writing for The New York Times Magazine, hopes this backlash against Trump will lead to more people believing women's stories in the future.[116] Smear allegations Washington Times online opinion editor and Fox News contributor Monica Crowley has commented that the accusations come across as a "classical political hit job" on Trump. According to Crowley this "coordinated attack" could backfire and end up generating sympathy for Trump.[117] Criticism of media silence There was also criticism in the print media against the television media, which was perceived to have ignored the allegations until the Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording surfaced.[118] Michelle Obama's speech External video First Lady Michelle Obama live in Manchester, New Hampshire | Hillary Clinton on YouTube – speech about Trump, sexual predation, and women's experiences The day after The New York Times reported the allegations, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a widely praised speech on women's experiences of sexism and sexually predatory behavior.[119][120][121] Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post said the speech "will go down as one of the most important of this political cycle, a moment in which she crystallized the feelings of many women in the wake of the Trump tape."[119] Michelle Obama had planned to deliver her normal campaign speech, but said during her speech it would have been “dishonest and disingenuous” to do so, as she felt compelled to address Trump’s remarks on women.[122] The speech was "a message she'd been seeking to deliver for a long time about Donald Trump's cruel language toward women."[123] In her speech Obama denounced the Trump tape and Trump's alleged advances: "This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior, and actually bragging about kissing and groping women ... And to make matters worse, it now seems very clear that this isn’t an isolated incident." Her speech discussed the history of similar behavior, and the obstacles it places in women's lives, her voice occasionally trembling with emotion:[121] It’s that feeling of terror and violation that too many women have felt when someone has grabbed them, or forced himself on them and they’ve said no but he didn’t listen – something that we know happens on college campuses and countless other places every single day. It reminds us of stories we heard from our mothers and grandmothers about how, back in their day, the boss could say and do whatever he pleased to the women in the office, and even though they worked so hard, jumped over every hurdle to prove themselves, it was never enough. Trump Proclaims the month of April Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. He definitely has a long list of experience on this topic. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_sexual_misconduct_allegations Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations From Wikipedia Donald Trump (left, 2016) and former wife Ivana (right, 2007), who publicly accused Trump of rape in 1993. Donald Trump, an American businessman and current President of the United States, has been accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment by at least fifteen women since the 1980s. Trump has denied the allegations, saying that he has been the victim of media bias, conspiracies, and a political smear campaign.[1][2][3][4] In October 2016, Trump publicly vowed to sue all of the women who have made allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment against him, as well as to sue the New York Times for publishing the allegations,[5][6] but never followed through.[7][8] Several of these allegations preceded Trump's candidacy for president, but many more arose during that campaign, when a 2005 recording was leaked. Trump was recorded bragging that a celebrity like himself "can do anything" to women, including "just start kissing them ... I don't even wait" and "grab 'em by the pussy". During the October 9, 2016 second presidential debate, two days after the recording was leaked, Trump denied that his recorded comments described sexual assault and denied ever inappropriately touching a woman. Many of his accusers stated that these denials provoked them into going public with their allegations. Three women have filed lawsuits - that were eventually withdrawn and/or settled - alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Trump. Additionally one accuser filed a defamation lawsuit after Trump called her a liar.[9] In addition to these lawsuits, Trump has also been publicly accused of non-consensual kissing, or non-consensual groping of breasts, buttocks and genitalia, by at least twelve more women. Multiple accusations, primarily beginning in October 2016, claim that Trump entered dressing rooms of beauty pageant contestants in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006, while they were in various stages of undress, a practice that Trump admitted to during a 2005 interview on The Howard Stern Show. This practice allegedly extended to Miss Teen USA; several former participants in that pageant allege that Trump walked into the dressing rooms of girls as young as 15. Contents [hide] 1 Accusations filed in court against Trump 1.1 Ivana Trump (1989) 1.2 Jill Harth (1992) 2 Recording controversy and second 2016 presidential debate 3 Allegations of unwanted physical contact 3.1 Jessica Leeds (1980s) 3.2 Kristin Anderson (1990s) 3.3 Cathy Heller (1997) 3.4 Temple Taggart McDowell (1997) 3.5 Karena Virginia (1998) 3.6 Mindy McGillivray (2003) 3.7 Rachel Crooks (2005) 3.8 Natasha Stoynoff (2005) 3.9 Jessica Drake (2006) 3.10 Ninni Laaksonen (2006) 3.11 Summer Zervos (2007) 3.12 Burnett's unnamed friend (2010) 3.13 Cassandra Searles (2013) 4 Allegations of pageant dressing room visits 4.1 Miss Teen USA contestants 4.2 Bridget Sullivan (2000) 4.3 Tasha Dixon (2001) 4.4 Unnamed contestants (2001) 4.5 Samantha Holvey (2006) 5 Reactions 5.1 Comparisons to other behavior 5.2 Donald Trump 5.3 Trump affiliates 5.4 #WhyWomenDontReport 5.5 Smear allegations 5.6 Criticism of media silence 5.7 Michelle Obama's speech 6 Notes 7 References Accusations filed in court against Trump Ivana Trump and Donald Trump married in 1977.[10] Ivana stated in a deposition taken in 1989, during their divorce proceedings, that Donald had visited her plastic surgeon following which he had expressed anger and ripped out hair from her scalp.[11] Donald said the allegation was "obviously false".[10] The 1993 book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald Trump, by Harry Hurt III, described the alleged attack as a "violent assault" during which Donald attacked Ivana sexually.[10] According to the book, Ivana later confided to some of her friends that Donald had raped her.[10] In a statement given just before the publication of Hurt's book, and included in the book, Ivana said: On one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a "rape," but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense. — Ivana Trump[10][11] The Trumps' divorce was granted in December 1990[12] on grounds that Donald's treatment of Ivana was "cruel and inhuman".[10][13] According to Trump's lawyer, Jay Goldberg, this was based on Trump having been seen in public with Marla Maples in 1990.[12] Their settlement[a] had a confidentiality clause, per a statement by Ivana.[11] In 1992, Trump sued Ivana for not honoring a gag clause in their divorce agreement by disclosing facts about him in her best-selling book, and Trump won a gag order.[16][17][18] Years later, Ivana said that she and Donald "are the best of friends".[11] In a July 2016 campaign endorsement, Ivana said: "I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit."[19] Jill Harth (1992) Jill Harth alleges that Trump assaulted her several times. Harth has stated that in December 1992, while dining with Trump and her then-boyfriend George Houraney, Trump attempted to put his hands between her legs.[11] Harth and Houraney visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in January 1993 for a contract-signing celebration. Trump, according to Harth, offered her a tour before pulling her into the empty bedroom of his daughter Ivanka. "I was admiring the decoration, and next thing I know he's pushing me against a wall and has his hands all over me. He was trying to kiss me. I was freaking out." Harth says she desperately protested against Trump's advances, and eventually managed to run out of the room. She and her boyfriend left rather than stay the night, as they had intended.[11] After she became engaged, Harth alleges, Trump began to stalk her.[10] Harth filed a lawsuit in 1997 in which she accused Trump of non-consensual groping of her body, among them her "intimate private parts",[20][21] and "relentless" sexual harassment.[22] The suit was withdrawn after Houraney settled with Trump for an undisclosed amount in a lawsuit that claimed that Trump backed out of a business deal.[11][23] She still claims to have been sexually assaulted[11] and although he was never violent with her, she says he made attacks that were "unwanted and aggressive, very sexually aggressive."[10] "They dated for several months in 1998, when he was separated from Maples, she says. In the end, he was a disappointing boyfriend, always watching television and rarely offering emotional support, she says."[20] In 2015, Harth worked at one of Trump's rallies as a makeup artist. Of the experience, she said: "I'm a makeup artist. The guy is a mess, OK? He really needed my services, and I'm a makeup artist that needs a job. Why would, if I was on friendly terms, why wouldn't I try to get that job?"[10] Her case was first published in May 2016[10] in the New York Times article "Crossing the Line".[24] Trump characterized her story in the Times as "false, malicious and libelous" and stated that he "strongly denies the claims."[10] Harth stood by her charges in a July 2016 interview with The Guardian.[23] In October 2016, she stated that, if sued by Trump, she intends to counter-sue.[25] Recording controversy and second 2016 presidential debate Main article: Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording Billy Bush was recorded having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" with Trump in 2005. Two days before the second 2016 presidential debate, the 2005 Access Hollywood tape was released, which records Trump having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" in which he described being able to kiss and grope women because he was "a star": "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it, you can do anything ... grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."[26] Many attorneys and media commentators have said that Trump's statements described sexual assault.[b] On October 7, Trump released a video statement in which he stated, "I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize." He called the development a distraction and attempted to deflect attention to the Clintons, and in particular sex scandals involving Bill Clinton. Republican critics called on him to withdraw from the presidential race.[26] During the second debate, Anderson Cooper asked Trump if he understood that he had bragged about sexually assaulting women. Cooper used the Justice Department's sexual assault definition to include "any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient."[36][37] Trump denied that he had said that he had sexually assaulted women.[37][38] He claimed the comments were merely "locker room talk", then, after being asked three times whether he had ever kissed or groped any person without consent, he said "no I have not".[38] Several of his subsequent accusers said this was the moment at which they were motivated to come forward.[39][40][41] Allegations of unwanted physical contact In May 2016, The New York Times published the article "Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved with Women in Private". For the article, Times reporters Michael Barbaro and Megan Twohey conducted 50 interviews with women who had known Trump socially, during their professional career, or while modeling or competing for a beauty pageant title.[24] Their accounts — many relayed here in their own words — reveal unwelcome romantic advances, unending commentary on the female form, a shrewd reliance on ambitious women, and unsettling workplace conduct, according to the interviews, as well as court records and written recollections. The interactions occurred in his offices at Trump Tower, at his homes, at construction sites and backstage at beauty pageants. They appeared to be fleeting, unimportant moments to him, but they left lasting impressions on the women who experienced them. Other women interviewed for the story, a few of whom had worked for Trump, stated they had not received unwanted advances and "they had never known Mr. Trump to objectify women or treat them with disrespect." Jill Martin, a vice president and assistant counsel at the company, said that Trump was supportive of her and her role as a mother. Laura Kirilova Chukanov, a Bulgarian immigrant and 2009 Miss USA pageant contestant, said that Trump helped her make connections for a documentary that she was working on about her home country.[24] Natasha Stoynoff, Mindy McGillivray, Jessica Leeds, and Rachel Crooks spoke out about their allegations in October 2016 after hearing Trump deny during the debate that he had ever assaulted women.[38][39][42] The Times stated that they verified the stories with friends and family members of the accusers to ensure that the stories had been relayed to them earlier.[43] Jessica Leeds (1980s) In the early 1980s, Leeds was a businesswoman at a paper company on a flight from the Midwest, returning to New York. A flight attendant offered her an empty seat in the first-class cabin next to Trump. Leeds described how, about 45 minutes after takeoff, Trump lifted the armrest and began to touch her, grabbed her breasts, and tried to put his hand up her skirt. "He was like an octopus," she said. "His hands were everywhere. It was an assault."[39][42] Leeds said she had sent a letter containing her allegations to the editor of The New York Times.[10][39] Trump spokesman Jason Miller responded to the allegation calling it "fiction." Miller stated the charges were politically motivated "for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all." Trump publicly threatened to sue the Times over the newspaper's publication of the allegation, and demanded a retraction.[44][45] The Times rejected Trump's retraction demand,[45][46] and Trump never followed through on his threat to take legal action against the company.[7] An alleged witness to the case who claimed he saw "nothing untoward" upon the flight was former British Conservative county councillor from Gloucestershire, Antony Gilberthorpe. Gilberthorpe has a history of making false allegations against politicians[47] and has been previously accused of making "advances of an intimate nature" towards Conservative students.[48] Kristin Anderson (1990s) On October 14, 2016, The Washington Post reported accounts by Kristin Anderson that Trump groped her beneath her skirt in a Manhattan nightclub in the early 1990s. An aspiring model at the time of the incident, Anderson related her experience to friends, and decided to come forward after reading accounts of other women who had done so.[49] Anderson believed that the incident occurred at the China Club, a Manhattan nightclub that Newsday referred to as "Donald's Monday-night nest" due to his alleged habit of picking up women there.[49] Cathy Heller (1997) In February 2016, Cathy Heller was interviewed off the record for an article for The Guardian in which she recounted how she was grabbed and kissed by Donald Trump two decades earlier.[50] Heller reports that, in 1997, she met Trump when she attended a Mother's Day brunch with her children, her husband, and her husband's parents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Her parents-in-law were members of Mar-a-Lago. Heller was introduced to Trump, who became angry when she avoided a kiss. He then "grabbed" her and, when he tried to kiss her, she turned her head. Trump kissed her on the side of the mouth "for a little too long" and then he left her.[50][51] Heller's husband and children, who were present during the event, have corroborated her account. In the summer of 2015, the members of Heller's mahjong group heard Heller's account of the 1997 incident; this was not long after Trump announced his candidacy.[52] She decided to go public after seeing the second presidential debate on October 9, 2016. Heller is a registered Democrat, and public supporter of Hillary Clinton.[50] Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller stated that Heller's account is "false" and "politically motivated".[52] Temple Taggart McDowell, Miss Utah USA in 1997, publicly accused Trump of unwanted kisses and embraces that left McDowell and one of her chaperones so uncomfortable, according to McDowell, that she claimed she was instructed not to be left in a room alone with him again. According to McDowell, a chaperone had accompanied her to Trump's office.[53] At the time, McDowell was 21 and was known as Temple Taggart.[10] This incident occurred in Trump's first year of ownership of the Miss USA contest.[10] McDowell told her story initially to The New York Times in May 2016[53] which was published in the "Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved With Women in Private" article.[24] She had not intended to speak publicly about the incidents again, but she received numerous calls recently due to the "Crossing the Line" article and felt, as a mother, that it is important to share a message about unwanted advances: "You have the right to say no. You have the right to get out of there. You have the right to leave, and you have the right to make them feel uncomfortable if they're making you feel uncomfortable," she said. Trump stated that he does not know her and denied McDowell's claims.[53] He also told The New York Times that he is "reluctant to kiss strangers on the lips."[10] Taggart McDowell stated that she is a Republican, and not coming out with the allegation in order to support Hillary Clinton.[54] Karena Virginia (1998) At an October 2016 press conference with attorney Gloria Allred, yoga instructor and life coach Karena Virginia stated that in 1998, Trump grabbed her arm and touched her breast. Virginia, who was 27 years old at the time, was waiting for a ride after the US Open in Queens, New York.[55] She stated that Trump, who she had not met previously, approached her with a small group of other men, while commenting on her legs, then he grabbed her right arm. Virginia continued, "Then his hand touched the right side of my breast. I was in shock. I flinched. ‘Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know who I am?’ – that’s what he said to me. I felt intimidated and I felt powerless."[55] Trump campaign spokesperson Jessica Ditto responded to the allegation with a statement reading in part, "Discredited political operative Gloria Allred, in another coordinated, publicity seeking attack with the Clinton campaign, will stop at nothing to smear Mr. Trump."[56] Mindy McGillivray (2003) In an article by The Palm Beach Post, Mindy McGillivray stated that in January 2003, when she was 23 years old, she was groped by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.[10][41] She said, "All of a sudden I felt a grab, a little nudge. I think it's [my friend Ken Davidoff's] camera bag, that was my first instinct. I turn around and there's Donald. He sort of looked away quickly."[10] Ken Davidoff, a photographer, corroborated McGillivray's account, saying he remembered her pulling him aside moments after the alleged incident to say "Donald just grabbed my ass!"[41] McGillivray said that she "chose to stay quiet"[38] and never reported the incident to authorities. She had only shared details of the incident with close family and friends until she heard Trump deny such behavior during the second presidential debate on October 9, 2016.[41] Hope Hicks, Trump's press secretary, stated that McGillivray's allegations lacked "any merit or veracity" and were untruthful.[38] Ken Davidoff's brother, Darryl Davidoff, said that he was also present at the time at Mar-a-Lago, and stated that in his opinion McGillivray is lying.[57][58] According to Darryl: "I do not believe it really happened. Nobody saw it happen and she just wanted to be in the limelight."[57][c] Rachel Crooks (2005) In 2005, Rachel Crooks was a 22-year-old receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate investment and development company in Trump Tower in Manhattan. She says she encountered Trump in an elevator in the building one morning and turned to introduce herself. They shook hands, but Mr. Trump would not let go. Instead, he began kissing her cheeks, then directly on the mouth.[39][42] "It was so inappropriate," Crooks recalled in an interview. "I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that."[42] Her story was printed by The New York Times, along with that of Jessica Leeds.[39] Trump has categorically disputed Crooks' claims.[10] Crooks is a public supporter and donor to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.[59] Natasha Stoynoff (2005) Canadian author and journalist Natasha Stoynoff, who wrote for People magazine and, previously, the Toronto Star and Toronto Sun, went to Trump's Florida estate in December 2005 to interview him and his wife, Melania. While there, Trump gave Stoynoff a tour of the Mar-a-Lago estate. She says that during this tour, he pushed her against a wall and forced his tongue into her mouth.[10][38] Stoynoff described the alleged episode, "We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat ... I was stunned. And I was grateful when Trump's longtime butler burst into the room a minute later, as I tried to unpin myself."[40] Stoynoff composed herself and conducted the interview,[10] after which she said Trump repeatedly told her, "We're going to have an affair, I'm telling you."[38][40] Melania was also interviewed for that article.[40] Trump sent out a tweet on October 13, 2016, in which he said it had not happened and wondered why she had not mentioned the event in her People article of 2005.[10] Stoynoff responded that she had become angry when Trump denied assaulting women during the presidential debate and was triggered by the release of the Access Hollywood recording in early October. Until that point, she said, she had conflicting emotions common among victims of assault, combined with embarrassment and confusion. J.D. Heyman, People's deputy editor, said: "It was disorienting for her. She felt a great deal of worry and distress about it. Then she felt angry."[60] That same day, Melania's lawyer demanded an apology from People magazine, stating that Melania did not say some or all of what was quoted in the People article by Stoynoff published on October 12, 2016; Melania specifically denied Stoynoff's claim that she'd run into her on Fifth Avenue following the article's publication.[61] In an interview with Anderson Cooper that aired October 17 on CNN, Melania again denied having crossed paths with Stoynoff on Fifth Avenue, as stated in Stoynoff's article. The following day, People published the account of Liza Herz. Herz said she witnessed the sidewalk encounter between Stoynoff and Melania Trump; Herz' account corroborated that of Stoynoff.[62] On October 18, People produced six corroborating witnesses who said Stoynoff had recounted the incident to them around the time that it occurred.[62] The six witnesses were: "two editors from People, Mary Green and Liz McNeil; a professor of journalism, Paul McLaughlin; a co-worker; and two personal friends of Ms. Stoynoff."[63] Trump's former butler at Mar-a-lago resort in Florida, Anthony Senecal, 85, was asked about the 2005 incident in which Ms Stoynoff alleged that the butler "burst in" on Mr Trump when she was pinned down by him; Senecal denied that ever happened. Mr. Senecal further states as a butler "I don’t burst in. I knock, then I go in, usually after someone says ‘come in'," further alleging "And when I went in, there was nothing strange about where she was standing."[64][65] According to Senecal, the alleged incident took place in a massage room with windows all around which made it unsuitable to grope anyone since there was no privacy.[64] Jessica Drake (2006) On October 22, 2016, Jessica Drake and attorney Gloria Allred held a news conference in which Drake accused Trump of having sexually assaulted her and two acquaintances nearly ten years prior. Drake, an adult film actress and sex education advocate, said that she met Trump at her company's booth during a charity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in 2006. Drake claims that she was invited to meet with Trump, who was married at the time, at his hotel suite; she was "uncomfortable going alone" and brought two friends. Describing the meeting with Trump, Drake recounted that "He grabbed each of us tightly, in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission."[66] Drake stated that she and her friends left the suite after 30–45 minutes. Shortly thereafter, Drake claims she received phone calls from Trump or his associate, requesting that she join him in his suite for $10,000, and offering to fly her on his jet back to Los Angeles. She said she declined his offers.[66] During the news conference, Drake said, "I am not looking for monetary compensation. I do not need additional fame... I understand that I may be called a liar or an opportunist but I will risk that in order to stand in solidarity with women who share similar accounts."[66][67] During the news conference, Gloria Allred held up a picture showing Trump and Drake standing together at the time.[66] In response to Drake's allegations, the Trump campaign stated that her story is "false and ridiculous", that "[t]he picture is one of thousands taken out of respect for people asking to have their picture taken with Mr. Trump" but Trump did not know Drake and "would have no interest in ever knowing her," and that the story was "just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate."[68] Donald Trump appeared to dismiss the significance of the accusation because of Drake's line of work, saying, "Oh, I’m sure she’s never been grabbed before."[69][70] Amanda Prestigiacomo, writing in the The Daily Wire, has criticized Drake for suggesting that being greeted with a hug and a kiss without permission is "sexual assault".[71] According to Prestigiacomo, if this were to be "sexual assault" then everyone has been "sexually assaulted" numerous times, and making such a claim does a disservice to women who have actually faced sexual assault.[71] Ninni Laaksonen (2006) Ninni Laaksonen, Miss Finland 2006, appeared with Trump on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 26, 2006.[72] Laaksonen claims that before they went on the air, Trump grabbed her buttocks. As Laaksonen describes the interaction: "He really grabbed my butt. I don’t think anybody saw it but I flinched and thought: "What is happening?"[72] Someone later told Laaksonen that Trump liked her because she looked like his wife, Melania, when she was younger.[73][74][75] Laaksonen revealed her account to a local Finnish newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat, which had contacted her regarding the level of professionalism involved in Donald Trump's handling of his employees within the Miss Universe pageant. The story was published on October 27, 2016.[76] Summer Zervos (2007) Summer Zervos was a contestant on the fifth season of The Apprentice, which filmed in 2005 and aired in 2006.[77][d] After she contacted Trump, in 2007, about a job after the show's completion, he invited her to meet him at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Zervos stated that Trump was sexually suggestive during their meeting, kissing her open-mouthed, groping her breasts,[77] and thrusting his genitals on her.[79] She also stated that his behavior was aggressive and not consensual.[78] Zervos is being represented by attorney Gloria Allred.[80] John Barry, her cousin and a Trump supporter, claimed that Zervos had talked to her family and friends about Trump, promoting his candidacy and stating how he had helped her out in her life. During the presidential primary campaign, Zervos allegedly invited Trump to her restaurant, and he declined.[80][81] In October 2016, the Trump presidential campaign released an email by Zervos, sent in April 2016, in which she expressed her wish to 'reconnect' with Trump.[82] On January 17, 2017, Zervos filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump, arising from his claim that she had lied about the allegations.[83][84] Burnett's unnamed friend (2010) According to CNN anchor Erin Burnett, an unnamed female friend of Burnett's alleges she was kissed in a Trump Tower boardroom in 2010. She said, "Trump took Tic Tacs, suggested I take them also. He then leaned in, catching me off guard, and kissed me almost on lips. I was really freaked out." She was invited by Trump into his office. She and Trump were alone in the office when he made further advances, giving her his cell phone number, telling her she was special, and asking her to call him. The woman said that she "ran the hell out of there". The story was reported by Burnett on CNN in October 2016.[10] Cassandra Searles (2013) Rolling Stone and NPR have reported that Cassandra Searles, Miss Washington USA of 2013, was fondled by Trump during the Miss USA pageant of that year.[10][85] Yahoo!News published an article in June 2016[10] stating that Searles had made Facebook postings that accused Trump of making unwanted advances. She said that he was "continually" groping her buttocks and had asked her to go "to his hotel room".[10][85][86] Searles also asserted that Trump had "treated us like cattle."[86] Trump and his campaign have not specifically responded to Searles' allegations.[10] Allegations of pageant dressing room visits Trump owned the Miss Universe franchise, which includes Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, from 1996 to 2015.[53][85] Contestants of the shows have alleged that, during his tenure, Trump would enter the dressing rooms while they were in various stages of undress. These incidents happened in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2006. Former Miss Arizona Tasha Dixon mentioned such an incident in 2001 at the Miss USA contest.[87] Trump also entered the dressing room of the Miss Teen USA pageant in 1997 while the girls were dressing. The youngest contestants were 15 years old. He told the girls, "Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before."[42][85][88] Of the 15 former contestants who were interviewed, none alleged Trump said anything sexually explicit or made physical contact in the dressing room.[89] During a Howard Stern interview in 2005, Trump described his practice of walking in unannounced while beauty pageant contestants were naked or partially clothed: You know, no men are anywhere. And I'm allowed to go in because I'm the owner of the pageant. And therefore I'm inspecting it... Is everyone OK? You know, they're standing there with no clothes. And you see these incredible-looking women. And so I sort of get away with things like that ... I'll go backstage before a show, and everyone's getting dressed and ready and everything else.[85] Miss Teen USA contestants Mariah Billado, Miss Vermont Teen USA, is one of four women to mention such a dressing room visit incident in 1997.[89] Billado said of the visit: "I remember putting on my dress really quick, because I was like, 'Oh my god, there's a man in here.' Trump, she recalled, said something like, 'Don't worry, ladies, I've seen it all before.'"[10] The dressing room had 51 contestants, each with their own stations. Eleven girls said that they did not see Trump enter the dressing room, though some said it was possible that he entered while they were somewhere else, or that they didn’t notice. Allison Bowman, Miss Wisconsin Teen USA, expressed skepticism: "these were teenage girls. If anything inappropriate had gone on, the gossip would have flown."[89] Billado recalled talking to Ivanka, Trump's daughter, who responded "Yeah, he does that."[10] Trump's campaign stated the allegations of him entering the dressing room “have no merit and have already been disproven by many other individuals who were present.”[90] Bridget Sullivan (2000) In 2000, Bridget Sullivan was Miss New Hampshire USA. As she prepared for a television broadcast, Trump walked into the dressing room. She told BuzzFeed that he was coming to wish the contestants good luck, but they "were all naked". Some contestants that night do not remember him entering while the ladies prepared and other contestants mentioned that they had no negative experiences with Trump. A spokesman for Trump said that Sullivan's claims were "totally false".[10] Tasha Dixon (2001) Tasha Dixon, Miss Arizona USA 2001, told a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles that in 2001, "[Trump] just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless, other girls were naked." She said that having been walked in on when the women had little or no clothes put them in a "very physically vulnerable position, and then to have the pressure of the people that work for him telling us to go fawn all over him, go walk up to him, talk to him ..." Trump's response, provided through spokeswoman Jessica Ditto, is that: "These accusations have no merit and have already been disproven by many other individuals who were present," Ditto adds that she believes that there is a political motivation behind the accusation.[10] Unnamed contestants (2001) An unnamed Miss USA contestant said that in 2001 Trump walked into her dressing room unannounced while she and another contestant were undressed. She told The Guardian that Trump "just barged right in, didn't say anything, stood there and stared at us .... He didn't walk in and say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry, I was looking for someone.' He walked in, he stood and he stared. He was doing it because he knew that he could." Another contestant told The Guardian that the contestant spoke to others of this event at the time.[10] Samantha Holvey (2006) On October 14, 2016, Samantha Carol Holvey, Miss North Carolina USA 2006, related that "Trump's conduct was "creepy" around the women participating but never made an advance toward her." She also said that prior to pageant events, Trump had "moved into areas where she and other contestants were getting ready," and that she had "never been around men that were like that."[91] Reactions Comparisons to other behavior Shaun R. Harper, executive director of the Penn Graduate Center for Education, has said that "many men talk like Donald Trump"; objectifying women and saying offensive things about them. He puts Trump in a class of men whose behavior sometimes includes sexual assault and degrading women.[92] The Economist drew similar parallels, pointing to research that objectifying women can make sexual assault more likely.[93] NPR reported that Trump has exhibited questionable behavior in his treatment of women for some time, using offensive language to describe women including Megyn Kelly, Rosie O'Donnell, and former Miss Universe Alicia Machado.[94] Arwa Mahdawi of The Guardian called his past remarks a "masterclass in rape culture", pointing to statements such as "26,000 unreported sexual assults [sic] in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?" and "women, you have to treat 'em like shit."[95] On October 13, a transcript from a 1994 Primetime Live interview was unearthed where Trump states "I tell friends who treat their wives magnificently, get treated like crap in return, 'Be rougher and you’ll see a different relationship.'"[96] Donald Trump File:Trump Faces More Accusations of Unwanted Sexual Advances.webm "I have no idea who these women are." – Donald Trump statement during campaign, published by Voice of America. Trump has presented himself as a political martyr in the face of these accusations.[97][e] He declared "this is a conspiracy against you, the American people", saying "the Washington establishment and the financial and media corporations that fund it exist for only one reason: to protect and enrich itself" and that "the Clinton machine is at the center of this power structure."[98] In his next speech, he said New York Times reporters are "corporate lobbyists" for minority shareholder Carlos Slim and Hillary Clinton, suggesting Slim's motivation is that he "comes from Mexico."[99] Trump also said the accusers may instead have been motivated by fame or money.[99] He went on to wonder why President Barack Obama had not been accused yet, and denied the Jessica Leeds allegation by saying "she would not be my first choice."[99] In the third presidential debate, Trump repeated his claims: "I think they want either fame or her campaign did it and I think it's her campaign."[100] At a speech at Gettysburg outlining his vision for his first 100 days, he repeated his denials and stated "all of these liars will be sued after the election is over."[101] To date, however, Trump has not filed suit against any of his accusers.[8] Trump affiliates Trump family Melania Trump has responded to the allegations by charging Trump's accusers with lying. Mrs Trump has insisted that her husband is a "gentleman" and claimed that he had become a victim of a conspiracy involving the news media and the Clinton campaign.[102][103] Although Ivanka Trump has claimed to be shocked over Trump's 2005 lewd Access Hollywood tapes, calling them "inappropriate and offensive", she has refused directly to address the issue of her father's alleged sexual assault.[104] In contrast, Donald Trump Jr. described the 2005 comments as "a fact of life",[105] and Eric Trump dismissed all allegations of assault as "dirty tricks" from the Clinton campaign.[106] Trump campaign Leeds's and Crooks's allegations, published by The New York Times on October 13, were disputed by Trump's campaign as having "no merit or veracity". The campaign alleged that the Times had a vendetta against Trump.[43] The Trump campaign issued this statement through its spokesman Jason Miller:[10] This entire article is fiction, and for The New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr. Trump on a topic like this is dangerous. To reach back decades in an attempt to smear Mr. Trump trivializes sexual assault, and it sets a new low for where the media is willing to go in its efforts to determine this election. It is absurd to think that one of the most recognizable business leaders on the planet with a strong record of empowering women in his companies would do the things alleged in this story, and for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all. Further, the Times story buries the pro-Clinton financial and social media activity on behalf of Hillary Clinton's candidacy, reinforcing that this truly is nothing more than a political attack. This is a sad day for the Times. Trump's campaign staff also stated that the Stoynoff and McGillivray accusations were without merit.[38] Trump's attorneys Trump's attorneys demanded a retraction of the Times article and an apology for what they said was a "libelous article"[38]—defamation designed to destroy Trump's run for president.[43] David McCraw, assistant general counsel for the Times, responded on October 13, 2016, to the libel claims from Trump's attorney. He stated that Trump's reputation is damaged and "could not be further affected" due to his own statements, like those he made on the Howard Stern show. McCraw continues, "it would have been a disservice not just to our readers but to democracy itself to silence [the accusers'] voices."[107] In response to the request to retract the story, McCraw said, "We decline to do so" and stated that Trump was free to pursue the matter in court.[108] Trump's attorney, Michael D. Cohen, has defended Trump by saying that the accusers are not women Trump would find to be attractive.[f] #WhyWomenDontReport Further information: Post-assault treatment of sexual assault victims The hashtag #WhyWomenDontReport started trending on Twitter in response to the Trump campaign's statements that the accusers lack credibility.[111] Many commentators disputed the claim that the timing of the allegations during the presidential campaign has a bearing on how likely the events were. The range of reasons given for why women are reluctant to immediately report sexual assault included fear of reprisals, fear that no one will believe them, the low likelihood of obtaining justice against the assailant, and the traumatic experience of having to be reminded of the event.[111] Liz Plank points out that Trump's accusers are now experiencing all of these factors since coming forward.[112] Civil rights lawyer Debra Katz and others point out that high-profile cases tend to encourage victims to speak up, even years later.[113][114] Tom Tremblay, a police specialist in sexual assault, says: "Victims may wait days, weeks, months, years, decades ... When one victim comes forward, it's not at all uncommon to see other victims come forward, who are thinking, 'Well, they came forward; now it’s not just my word.'"[115] Susan Dominus, writing for The New York Times Magazine, hopes this backlash against Trump will lead to more people believing women's stories in the future.[116] Smear allegations Washington Times online opinion editor and Fox News contributor Monica Crowley has commented that the accusations come across as a "classical political hit job" on Trump. According to Crowley this "coordinated attack" could backfire and end up generating sympathy for Trump.[117] Criticism of media silence There was also criticism in the print media against the television media, which was perceived to have ignored the allegations until the Donald Trump and Billy Bush recording surfaced.[118] Michelle Obama's speech External video First Lady Michelle Obama live in Manchester, New Hampshire | Hillary Clinton on YouTube – speech about Trump, sexual predation, and women's experiences The day after The New York Times reported the allegations, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a widely praised speech on women's experiences of sexism and sexually predatory behavior.[119][120][121] Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post said the speech "will go down as one of the most important of this political cycle, a moment in which she crystallized the feelings of many women in the wake of the Trump tape."[119] Michelle Obama had planned to deliver her normal campaign speech, but said during her speech it would have been “dishonest and disingenuous” to do so, as she felt compelled to address Trump’s remarks on women.[122] The speech was "a message she'd been seeking to deliver for a long time about Donald Trump's cruel language toward women."[123] In her speech Obama denounced the Trump tape and Trump's alleged advances: "This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior, and actually bragging about kissing and groping women ... And to make matters worse, it now seems very clear that this isn’t an isolated incident." Her speech discussed the history of similar behavior, and the obstacles it places in women's lives, her voice occasionally trembling with emotion:[121] It’s that feeling of terror and violation that too many women have felt when someone has grabbed them, or forced himself on them and they’ve said no but he didn’t listen – something that we know happens on college campuses and countless other places every single day. It reminds us of stories we heard from our mothers and grandmothers about how, back in their day, the boss could say and do whatever he pleased to the women in the office, and even though they worked so hard, jumped over every hurdle to prove themselves, it was never enough. Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgDonald Trump sexual misconduct allegations - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.orgone plus one1one comment1

Shameful & Sad :(

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