#he owned a charity that provided water to those in need

[trishabeakens]

After two years of people begging me to draw my Negaverse version of Bud Flud/Liquidator, I finally did it. You're all welcome.

[goldenempyrean]

An Icy Plunge

〚 Notes - Life's been busy! New job, exams, writers block (only for sickfics too which is beyond annoying) but here's a little something which I thought of while rewatching BlackWidow an hour or so ago - I did sob at the end credits of course.. 〛

〚 Pairing - Natasha Romanoff x Reader 〛

〚 Summary - As a result of falling into the icy Norwegian waters, Nat ends up getting sick as you two make your way to Budapest. 〛

〚 Wordcount - 1400 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙

╚════════ ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ════════╝

“I told you we should’ve tried to get you warmed up properly.” You sighed quietly, more to yourself then anything as Nat sniffled softly. Her head resting on your shoulder as the pair of you sat at the back of a crowded train carriage. 

It had been almost 2 days since both you and Natasha were ambushed by an unknown person on your drive into town. Nat had taken the brunt of their attack, in turn, getting herself kicked off a bridge, plunging down into the icy Nordic waters below. 

She was fine for the most part, only a handful of bruises which all things considered, she got away pretty lucky. But there’d been a picture attached to the glowing band of red vials that she’d stashed in her pockets and by the time you had made your way down to the riverside to help her out of the water, Nat had already come up with a plan. 

You were going to Budapest. 

You hadn’t wanted to pry too much; she had told you it had something to do with her sister, but you didn’t know all the exact details – you still had some questions. All you knew was that Budapest was the place Nat thought she’d get the answers to her own questions, so that was where you were going. 

With both yourself and Natasha being global fugitives, getting to Budapest wasn’t as simple as hopping on board the first commercial plane. You were going to have to do this the hard way. It had taken almost half an hour to walk your way to the nearest town from the river, by the time you arrived, Nat was shivering helplessly beside you. 

The temperate was already in the low minuses as it was, but that icy water must’ve been excruciatingly cold. Even with your jacket draped over her, it was clear to see she was freezing.  

“Do you think we should stay in a hostel or something for the night? You’ll get hypothermia if you stay in those clothes. We can leave at first light.” You had offered as the two of you made your way deeper into the town, passing by a small convenience store. 

Natasha seemed to debate your offer, nodding her head after a moment as she fought back another shiver, “Yeah, that’s probably best.” She agreed, before looking around and pointing to a charity shop in the distance, “They’ll sell clothes in there, can you go get us a bed?” She asked, nodding back at an inn you’d walked past earlier. 

You agreed with Natasha's plan, and she headed towards the shop while you made your way to the inn. The place seemed quaint from the outside, but you couldn't shake the feeling that it might be a little too rustic for comfort. However, beggars couldn't be choosers, and you hoped it would at least provide a warm bed for the night. 

The innkeeper was a gruff-looking man who eyed you suspiciously as you inquired about a room for the night. "We got a room, but don't expect any luxury here. No hot water tonight, and the heating is barely working," he warned. 

Well, you had a bed atleast. 

The innkeeper handed you a key, and you made your way up the creaky staircase to find your room. The space was small and dimly lit, with a single window covered by thin curtains that did little to keep out the harsh cold.  

You had a double bed so that was a positive you’d supposed. It was honestly comical the amount of times you and Nat had to share a small single bed together, but it wasn’t like you minded that anyway. Talking of Nat, she’d only been 10 minutes or so behind. Shuffling into the room with some rough but warmer looking clothes bundled under her arm. 

“Get what you needed love?” You asked, as she began to strip out of her soaked clothes. 

“The pants aren't exactly my style, but they’ll be better than these,” She sighed, taking her new clothes and heading into the tiny attached bathroom, “I’ll try hang these wet ones to dry.”  

When she came out, she looked more like herself, although the lingering chill was still evident in her eyes. "I could really use a hot shower right about now." she mumbled, rubbing her pale hands together in an attempt to generate some warmth. 

"Sorry about that," you apologised sympathetically, "The guy at the desk mentioned there's no hot water tonight. I can go check out town a little to see if there’s anywhere, you’d be able to get one, clothes can only do so much to warm you up." 

She shook her head, “You don’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.” Natasha sighed, but she didn't complain. Instead, she walked over to the bed and crawled under the covers, fully dressed. You joined her, wrapping your arms around her to share body heat. The cold from the room made the close contact comforting rather than stifling. 

The night passed with the two of you huddled together for warmth. The room, despite its lack of amenities, did provide some respite from the biting cold outside. The next morning, you awoke to the soft light filtering through the thin curtains and the sound of Natasha stirring beside you. 

"Morning," you greeted, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. 

Natasha groaned in response, her voice sounding hoarse and congested. "Morning," 

Your brow creased in worry at the sound of her voice, “You don’t sound too good honey, I knew we should’ve gotten you into a hot shower.” Your hand came to cup her face, your thumb drawing soft circles on her subtly flushed cheeks. 

Natasha shifted uncomfortably, her hand reaching up to touch her forehead. "I'll be fine," She tried to offer a weak smile but was quickly replaced by a damp sneeze. It’s probably just a little cold. Besides, we can't afford to stay here too long anyway. We need to get to Budapest," she insisted 

Despite Natasha's insistence that she would be fine, it was clear that she wasn't in the best shape. She sniffled and shivered under the covers; her body temperature higher than it should be. Still, she pushed herself to get up. 

"I'll be alright," she reassured you, her voice wavering slightly. "Let's get going. We can't afford to waste any more time." 

You reluctantly agreed, helping her gather her things and head downstairs. The innkeeper gave you both a sceptical look as you settled the bill, and you couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for not being able to pay for a more comfortable stay. Nevertheless, you and Natasha made your way to the bus station, where you boarded a bus bound for the nearest train station. 

The bus had dropped you off at a larger town where you had to transfer to a train. The train station was bustling with people all rushing about, and you held Nat’s hand as the pair of you navigated through the crowds before coming to a ticket stand where you both bought tickets to take you to the border, from there you’d have to take a ferry to get into mainland Europe then another 2 or 3 trains to finally arrive in Budapest. It wasn’t a direct journey by any means, the several stops, long distances and changes meant it was going to take a few days to get there at the minimum. 

This had led you to where you were now. A couple hours or so into your long journey to the border with Nat resting on your shoulder, small stuffy breaths coming from her parted lips.  

She sneezed suddenly, a sharp sound that seemed to startle even herself. She looked at you with a mix of surprise and irritation, as if the sneeze had betrayed her. 

You couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Bless you," you said, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead. The skin felt warm against your lips, and you couldn't ignore the worry gnawing at you. Natasha sighed, leaning into your touch for a moment. 

"Thanks," she mumbled, her voice still raspy. "I hate being sick." 

"I know, love," you replied, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "Once we get to the border, we'll find a pharmacy or something but for now just try to catch up on some sleep, okay?” 

“We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.” 

〖 Join My Taglist! 〗@sayah13 @mahalkitanova @romanoffskisser @scrambled-brain-eggs @natashamyl0ve @bloomingflowersthings @kathleenmikaelson @shamelessbearunknown @inluvwithfictionalwomen @citrussnz @fluffyblanketgecko @kljhsong @santana1437 @blackwidow-3 @asiangmrchk13 @lovelyy-moonlight @juiles @lots-of-pockets @sashawalker2 @natashamaximoff69 @observeowl @beholdagaywriter @widows201@llovergirleraa @danveration @idkeithershawty @rainedontknow @poison-blackheart @loveshineslikethesky @somber-sapphic @lexasaurs634 @ahintofchaos @scarlettssub @paisley-yy @wandanats-goodgirl @nuianced-tck-enby @maomaoincomming @anne-lister 

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Les Misérables - ‘M. Myriel Becomes Monseigneur Bienvenu’

There’s a couple things that stand out to me in this chapter.

First, the dining hall - one single room within a large mansion - specifically is focused on, and the bishop estimates it will hold 20 beds. There are 26 in the hospital. I feel this sets the reader up to expect that 20 patients will be put in the dining hall, and the other 6 will remain in the hospital - a great improvement, and one where the the bishop will sacrifice some dignity of entertaining in state, but will still have a comfortable life. This makes the bishop’s actual, much more sweeping decision - the hospital will have all of the palace, and he will move into the hospital - a true sacrifice of comfort - much more striking.

The next is how the bishop phrases this - not as charity, but as justice, as the restoration of what should be. He is not giving them the palace, it is naturally theirs.

“There is a mistake, I tell you. You have my house, and I have yours. Restore mine to me; you are at home.”

This is the same attitude he will evince later when Valjean steals the silver: “I have for a long time wrongfully withheld the silver; it belonged to the poor. Who was this man? A poor man evidently.”

The ‘regulation of the bishop’s household expenses’ is similar - it starts out with amounts that would be substantial but leave him comfortable, then works up to, 1000 livres for fathers of families imprisoned for debt, 2000 to supplemeng the salaries of poor schoolmasters, 1500 for free instruction of poor girls, and finally, the crowning amount, 6000 for the poor.

Having given up all but the minumum for his own needs, the bishop continues his charity by implementing, as far as his powers allow, a system of redistributive taxation:

In regards to the official perquisites, marriage licenses, dispensations, private baptisms, and preaching, consecrations of churches or chapels, marriages, etc., the bishop gathered them from the wealthy with as much exactness as he dispensed them to the poor.

And his example inspires others within his diocese to donate as well, through him, to assist those in need.

And even all this is not enough to provide for all the poor of his diocese! (Everything was given away, so to speak, before it was recieved, like water on thirsty soil.)

I like the name given to him, Monsiegneur Bienvenu (‘Lord Welcome’, I think, would be the translation, with Welcome being treated as his first name; and I think the text implies that it is one of his given names?)

[sketchfanda]

A Little Moxxie Love:Titanic Twins

Every once so often when it came to their missions in the living world, I.M.P could count themselves lucky to have opportunity to go out and about easily enough to do a hit without the need for disguises. Halloween for example, after all who’d notice a trio of imps in a sea of kids, teens and adults alike dressed up in costumes? Masquerade parties, cosplay at conventions, whatever suits provided things didn’t go FUBAR or Blitzo decided to use his brain for a change and not his dick. Which brings us to the current Job ongoing at this every moment at a local campus where a costume party was being hosted for charity.

This event of course was being hosted by one of the college’s sororities which had to do with why our band of mist fits was here, the target this time around was the Dean, who in spite of his clean cut image that appealed to conversation and liberal alike was crooked as fuck!! According to their current client at least, a former campus security guard who’d accidentally stumbled upon evidence of the educational figure’s dirty secret for which the fucker thought was worth killing to keep quiet for. The secret in question being a scrapbook filled with dirty photos of some of the coeds, the horny bastard had hidden cameras and spy holes to peep on them in their most personal and private moments, including their client’s own daughter!! Which of course brings to the current whereabouts of our trio and what they were doing right at the moment.

it was a case of the classic divide and conquer strategy, find their dirty peeping Tom of a target and end his waste of a life. After all a large party full of sexy barely legal college coeds in all manner of costumes that especially highlighted their finest physical qualities and assets? The filthy voyeur was sure to be somewhere that was giving him a great view of the more naughty sort of private moments to ogle and jerk off to. So the sooner they could find and kill his ass, the sinner they could get back to Hell and collect their payday.

So it went with Blitzo covering the north to south end range of the party while Millie would cover the west end and Her sweet possum thespian of a husband would handle the east. Now Moxxie knew Millie was more than capable of handling herself, Christ in a stick when she got angry, she was a one woman murder machine but their employer? At a party where booze was flowing like water in an environment where they weren’t disguised, it was like a chemical equation pending combustion, the clown was ludicrous when he got drunk. So he knew that he had to find that voyeur dean and put his peeping Tom ass six feet under soon as possible before Blitzo got them all on the Six O’Clock news for indecent behaviour and exposure.

Now Moxxie of course figured the best way to find their target was to look for one of those infamous hidden cameras in one of the co-ed’s dorm rooms and baed in the odd small talk and chitter chatter, safe bet for lay dirt would be the room of the Perkins twins. Shelly and Kelly, practically identical from head to toe except that the former had the biggest boobs while the latter had the biggest booty and they were turning heads at the party with their choice of costume as Morrigan and Lilith Aensland from Darkstalkers. Which provided easy distraction as Moxxie found and located the twins’ dorm room, making his way inside after managing to pry and pick the lock then proceed with his search. Easier said than done of course because they didn’t call them hidden for nothing especially with how borderline microscopic they could be.

it didn’t help the Perkins twins’ room was about the sort of organised chaos you’d expect a couple of college hottie to have so the best he could guess was the dean had his voyeur network set up to get the best angles and views. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been at it so far but his efforts had bared little fruit so far when suddenly the thespian imp paused like a deer at the headlights when the door suddenly opened. There stood the cosplaying twins themselves, puzzlement and confusion on their face at the presence of this intruder in their dorm room. Moxxie knew for certain that his part of this job was about to so Deep South, he might as well be back in hell as he awaited the inevitable reaction any woman would have to finding a strange guy in their room going through their personal things.

In the meantime of course Blitzo was pretty much living up to his name as he was busy getting blitzed and hammered because of course how could he pass up an opportunity at a kegger to get wasted and flirt with anything that moved? While Millie of course managed to find their target and pretty much kill his ass, having lucked out on spitting and following the Pervy fuck on the way to his secret voyeur room hidden in his office. She made it about as slow and painful as possible, starting from the groin up as he was rendered in ways that would make him useless to a woman. After cleaning up her knives of course, she made moves to start smashing up his precious system before she paused at the min display monitor which streamed the broadcast from the Perkins twins’ room, making the earth imp ooh and giggle at what was going on as she licked her lips and took a seat to enjoy the show.

What a show it was heating up to be as Moxxie currently found himself sitting on the edge of the mattress of the single king sized bed the twins shared. The boobylicious and bootylicious pair making out with the imp with deep, passionate tongue fuelled kisses as they had stripped him naked, their hands stroking his cock. Rather than shock and anger, Shelly and Kelly had mistaken Moxxie to be a party goer who was eager to have a sexual liaison with them, being no strangers to admirers crushin on them and wanting to get laid with them but they had to say the little possum was the cutest they had seen yet, to say nothing of his dick!! So here they were more than willing and able to give this hellborn hell spawn a little bit of heaven for being so direct and assertive in his last and desire that he snuck into their room.

Kelly:”Mmm dunno how we didn’t come across a sweetheart like you on campus sooner. This cock could give Davey a run for his money…You feeling good there baby!”*The Perkins girl with the party quality set of cake buns sensually quipped and praised their little mistaken secret admired as she currently sat on his lap. Sandwiching and massaging his imp dick with an ass job as she stroked his length and girth between those bubbly buns, panting and moaning as she felt the shaft’s twitching pulse. Pre spraying and flying as it stained her Lilith costume while her sister sat behind Moxxie, his head sandwiched between her bodacious boobs as she massaged his shoulders. Idly petting his sweet head as she sensually licked her lips, biting them erotically while awaiting her turn.*

Shelly:”Mmm how long You been dreaming about these sweet boy? Isn’t it much better having my boobs like this rsther than just staring at them? Mmm, it’s not often I find a cock I can’t smother drown in my girls….Aaaahn,k-Kelly, easy there girl. Not that I’m not enjoying this…”*The bustier Perkins sister teased and praised their sweet little rando, hands clasped with Moxxie’s in sensual intimacy as she was performed a titfuck, pumping his shaft between the valley of her cleavage. Gasping and moaning as the tip thrust close to he luscious lips, inches of crimson red fuckmeat sliding into her mounds like it was her pussy. All the while Kelly knelt behind her sister as she was bending over, eating her out as her tongue lapped away at Shelley’s exposed snatch. A hole torn in the crotch of her Morrigan costume’s leotard to expose her anal donut hole and her sloppy wet slit as the twins’ arousal was at the point where a little incest wasn’t unnnatura for them to occur when enjoying a guy together.*

Now the Perkins twins weren’t virgins in the very least, after all when genetics and liberty hit them as well as it had with a jackpot, how could they not be acquainted with sex? But Moxxie was certainly making their top 5, hell their top 3 best sexual partners to date as while the foreplay had been a tantalising delight, the moment he started fucking them with that big red imp cock of his? Their minds were being blown as they felt their nerves drown in an overdose of raw erotic bliss and ecstasy as they moaned long, loud and hard to fill their room with primal rhythm of animalistic mating. Their cries and the heavy freak and thud of their bed against the floors heard and felt throughout the party, making quite a crop of the female co-eds envious and curious as to what sort of stud could make the twins feel so good while a lot of the guys hollered and cheered on the lucky guy.

Shelly:”Ooohhh fuuckfuckfuckfuck!! Seriously where you been all my life daddy? Don’t stop now keep going!!”*The busty Perkins twin hollered and moaned as Moxxie plowed her, riding him cowgirl style as her tits bounced free and naked from the confinement of her costume. Kelly meanwhile sat atop his face, hands reaching behind her to grasp his horns as handlebars as she smothered him with her plump voluptuous booty as Moxxie ate out her slit and rimmed her, her naughty holes exposed for better access via the torn crotch of her own outfit. The twins feeling their nerves ablaze with pleasure as Shelly felt her womb being hammered by his fuckrod while Kelly found the imp’s tongue was as good as his cock. Their arousal skyrocketing as they leaned close towards one another, locking lips as they kissed and made out in an unsisterly manner to swap spit and play tonsil hockey.*

Kelly:”Oooh fuck ruin me daddy!, make me never want any other man except those as big as as you!! Knock us up daddy! Give us your babies!”*The booty blessed twin couldn’t help but utter such words in the heat of the moment as Moxxie took her from behind like the absolute unit of a stud he was. Having started with fucking her soggy style before her arms and legs couldn’t hold her up any longer, now laying flat on her front as she was being fucked prone bone style. His alpha male cock going balls deep as if shifted between fucking her ass and pussy in turn, those heavy crimson balls smacking every and a king her asscheeks clap like thunder and jiggle like jelly as he mounted her. All the whole she ate out Shelly as the big boobed twin sat in front of her, moaning deeply with ecstasy as she feltKelly’s tongue lap up her juice while she caressed Moxxie’s cue freckled face, making out with him while having him motorboat her luscious titties.*

Millie watched on and enjoyed every goddamn second of this free porn show happening right before her eyes as a pair of human hotties got the rare pleasure of experiencing the finest sexual beast hell had to offer. Fingering and groping herself with abandon as she watched Moxxie take the Perkins twins in a constant shift of two on one to one on one whenever Shelly or Kelly needed to recover some energy and catch their breath. Be it watching them hang their heads off the edge of the bed as they had is cock facefuck them, or use those wonderful set of tits and ass they had to great use as they relished and experienced first hand what sort of stamina freak they had become acquainted with. After all why rush and spoil her man’s fun by telling him and Blitzo the target was taken care of, they had time enough for the twins to enjoy some vitamin Moxxie…..

By the time Moxxie was finally done, panting and exhausted as the twins snuggled him like a plush toy, naked as he was with their costumes laying discarded on the floor. Basking in the afterglow with warm sensual smiles as the only remainder on their cosplay being their askew wigs, skin glistening with sweat and jizz along with their bedsheets as Millie snuck in. Gently snd softly picking up her husband as she planted soft, affectionate kisses on Shelly and Kelly’s temples as she left a note with hers and Moxxie’s contact details a little lipstick kiss saying “Next time you want another round…”, couldn’t have them getting lovesick or thinking it was a dream afte all. Carrying Moxxie out bridal style as she checked the coast was clear, making a call to Loona to set up the portal home, looking forward to sharing the juicy details with her.

The next morning, the news broke out and spread fast as the Dean’s massacred corpse had been found along with his secret peep show being exposed. So nobody was going to be mourning him, least of all the family of I.M.P’s client who made sure to find the sleazeball and ensure he’d suffered in Hell like he was supposed, another satisfied customer. Blitzo finally made his way back, albeit with a hell of a hangover, a sore behind and for some reason, a traffic cone, a police woman’s cap and a set of suspenders. While moxxie of course slept like a baby on the couch as he continued recovering from his wild night of passion with the twins, who shared quite the details with their gal,pals about the amazing lay they had with their unknown stud.

A stud they’d wasted no time in wanting to arrange to see as they got in contact with Millie via the note she so generously provided them, the wrath shortstack wasting no time in wanting to ensure Shelly and Kelly would feel more than welcome to her man. Meanwhile she hoped that Verosika had sent that USB key she provided her with the copy she had made of the Perkins twins’ threesome fun with Moxxie to a certain someone they knew would like to see it. Before she went to retrieve her husband, Millie had made a copy of the twins’ romp and deleted it but left the rest of the evidence for the police. Then she had made a copy on a thumb drive from her phone for the pop star succubus to share as it made its way to its secret destination.

In the office of the found and owner of Skullfuck productions, a certain flaming skullheaded enigma was provided a package from his secretary. In which he found the thumb drive and a note from Verosika sealed with a kiss saying to play it’s contents as she heard it contained something he’d like. Plugging it into his laptop and playing the video file, the being they called Mr.Sketch felt his need to find snd recruit a certain imp to his studio renewed with fresh energy. As well as uploading the video to his website and entitling it “Titanic Twins get Imped!!”, which made record numbers in views and likes in the living world hell and made the demand for Moxxie content skyrocket more so since the video with Marika and Sarita..

[thebowynntradition]

Bowynn Tradition Virtues {Hylin}

The following are the Sacred Seven virtues {Hylin} of the Bowynn faith. These seven virtues are one of many attributes of the Bowynn Holy Symbol, the Numatam:

Peace {Del}

Peacefulness is an inner sense of calm. It comes especially in quiet moments of reflection or gratitude. It is getting very quiet and looking at things so you can understand them. Peacefulness is a way of approaching conflict with others so that no one is made wrong.  It is being fair to others and yourself. Peace is giving up the love of power for the power of love. With peacefulness, everyone wins. Practicing peacefulness helps to create a calm mind free from worry. When you are peaceful, you respect others and their differences. People around you feel calm and safe.  Without peace, no one is safe. People get hurt.  Fighting doesn’t solve problems, and no one every really wins a war.  With peacefulness, any problem can be solved. Peace in the world begins with peace in your heart.  To find inner peace, become very still and think peaceful thoughts. Observe and think about your feelings, like anger, instead of acting with anger. To be a peacemaker, use peaceful language instead of name-calling, yelling or gossiping.  Avoid aggressive or violent actions. Talk things out and listen to the other person too.  Then look for a peaceful solution. Peacemakers find there are lots of creative ways to solve any problem.

Charity {Artaejen}

A person in need of charity is somebody who risks the loss of some very strong and stable desires. These include basic desires such as a desire for a warm place to sleep on a cold winter’s night, a desire for food and clean water to drink, a desire for health, and, in some cases, a desire to go on living. When a person has a desire to help fulfill the particularly strong desires of others, then an act of charity fulfills not only the desires of those to whom he gives, but his own desires as well. Some people state that part of the value of giving to charity is the pleasure that it provides to those who do the giving. However, this pleasure is contingent. This is a learned desire – a desire brought about by the use of social tools such as praise (of those who are charitable) and condemnation (of those who are selfish). People in general have many and strong reasons to praise those who are charitable, and to condemn those who are selfish. Any one of us could end up in a situation where some of our strongest and most stable desires are at risk – where we are without a home or suffer some severe threat to our health and long life. But we must remember to give because it is the right thing to do. Not because we expect good things in return.

Love {Brend}

We often think of love as an emotion we experience, an emotion characterized by the desire to be close to another person, the sense of cozy pleasure we feel in a relationship. This emotional aspect of love is usually perceived as warmth, attraction, intimacy, closeness and excitement. If we limit our understanding of love to the experience of transient emotions alone, we are on extremely unstable ground.  Whether we enjoy someone's company or not, whether we admire their character or not, we can still honor a person from a spiritual perspective simply because, we are all created from the same spirit. In this definition of love we make a commitment to remember the truth of our oneness and treat others with respect and kindness no matter if they are worthy of such sentiments or not. Loving another person in this way is respecting their divinity, which is the same as ours. This is a reliable foundation for a positive relationship. When we find ourselves angry or fearful, all love is not lost. We must turn our attention to the principle of love, which calls us to be gentle, kind and to treat others with respect despite the life-constricting emotions of anger and fear. This concept of love is what the ancient Greeks called Agape love -- a love that honors all others. When we have love to give, we can express it with respect, kind words and actions, even when the conditions don't seem to warrant loving-kindness. To foster love, we have to be honest in little and big matters.  To demonstrate love, we can give our undivided attention whether we are at work or at home. Just silently listening and being present can be a loving gesture. Never forget that love can be applied to any problem. Since this life is short, savor moments by being fun-loving and relishing connections with others. Each day, make a conscious choice to live lovingly and express love to yourself and others.

Courage {Baraej}

Courage is one of those virtues necessary to living a good life. Usually, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of courage is bravery in the face of a threat, yet it is so much more. It is the ability to choose the point that lies between cowardice and recklessness in any circumstance. Courage takes many forms. Examples include the courage to do what is right, the courage of facing a personal fear, the courage to accept unpopularity, the courage to endure physical or mental pain for the sake of self-improvement, the courage to push forward through frustration,

the courage to tell the truth, the courage to change, the courage to act, the courage to trust, the courage to love, the courage to commit, and many more. How do you make a habit of courage? This is not an easy undertaking, as you will have to overcome years of habits associated with making uncourageous decisions. First, let me suggest that you have to believe that practicing courage is a worthy pursuit. Developing courage will allow you to be more in control of your life as opposed to letting outside circumstances dictate your actions.  Another place to start is by developing the habit of being truthful. Telling the truth often requires courage because it may get you or someone you care about into trouble. Yet we inherently know it is the right thing to do. There is a selfish benefit to this strategy and that is people will respect you for this virtue. They may not always like it, but they will respect it. They will come to know that you are always telling them the truth and they will appreciate you for that quality.

Kindness {Skirnlee}

Kindness is the essence of a celestial life. Kindness is how a person treats others. Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes. Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given, but they can linger with us over the years. The attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness are inseparably linked.  Kindness is not a duty or an ethic either; it is an expression of personal virtue that flows from and is rooted in love, which is at the heart of all virtue. Kindness begins in the heart. In fact, many languages have words that are translated as "loving-kindness" or "kind-heartedness," which is kindness that goes beyond the minimum requirements of civility. Kindness is really more than being nice, polite or agreeable, but instead has more to do with our being than our behavior. It cannot be faked. Kindness softens hearts, lifts spirits and molds relationships. The value of our lives is best measured not by the material possessions we've acquired, but by the hearts we've touched, because who we are is far more important than what we have. Everything we do affects not only our own life, but touches other lives, too.

Spirituality {Tya'oamima}

A person with Spirituality will have firm beliefs about the meaning of the universe. Such people attach their life to something higher than themselves. Being spiritual may make it easier for a person to cope with difficult life events. Spirituality is not just about religious beliefs although the two are closely connected. People with religious beliefs have been shown to be able to cope with stress and handle difficult events when they arise. In religion, transcendence refers to the aspect of a god's nature and power which is wholly independent of the material universe, beyond all physical laws. This is contrasted with immanence, where a god is said to be fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways. In religious experience transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence and by some definitions has also become independent of it. This is typically manifested in prayer, séance, meditation, psychedelics and paranormal "visions". It is affirmed in the concept of the divine in various religious traditions, and contrasts with the notion of a god, or the Absolute, existing exclusively in the physical order or indistinguishable from it (pantheism). Spirituality can be attributed to the divine not only in its being, but also in its knowledge. Thus, a god may transcend both the universe and knowledge (is beyond the grasp of the human mind). Although transcendence is defined as the opposite of immanence, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Some theologians and metaphysicians of various religious traditions affirm that a god is both within and beyond the universe; in it, but not of it; simultaneously pervading it and surpassing it.

Balance {Bia}

Balance is defined as “stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis,” “equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements,” or “an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements,” according to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.  Balance is that spiritual straightness and stability that resists all influences to turn or deviate from the right path. It is the characteristic of righteousness that refuses to be allured, intimidated, or bullied into diverting from the assigned course. It resists reducing or exaggerating the truth, recognizing that error or excess in either direction, for any reason, remains error and excess. It is important to remember that balance is a godly virtue. It is clearly displayed in the nature of Bia itself. Bia is absolutely perfect in all holiness. Bia is pure and just in judgment, yet Bia’s mercy endures forever. Bia’s law reveals this virtue, calling for separation from the heathen, yet to love strangers, remembering they are strangers to others.  Finally, it must be understood that balance is an attainable virtue. That is not to say anyone will achieve perfect balance, but real and lasting progress can be made to achieve greater balance in life. If we keep our eyes on one unchanging, immovable focus, if we strive to become only what the gods want us to be and all that they want us to be, we will live with greater balance. Thus, we work to achieve balance for ourselves and others. Where the scales of balance are overweighed, we attempt to restore them into place, be it with physical labor, spiritual or metaphysical.

[avatar216]

Rant: Labour By Paris Paloma

This might get me hate, but I’m not sure. So, I was listening to Labour by Paris Paloma and it just honestly rubbed me the wrong way. I think it’s because the video that shows a woman who is clearly upper-middle class in a historical setting where she would of most likely have had a few servants and even some slaves to take care of everything shown in the video is complaining. It feels disingenuous to me because all I can think is that the servants below stairs should be saying this to both of them. Like I said I doubt she or he gets the water or fixes the gables. Even if she wasn’t married she would still have to do menial  labor. Life ain’t free. Also, why not leave and if possible get a divorce? I get that’s what she's planning on doing, but why not sooner. Also, if they possibly already have a son, is she going to leave him behind with the husband who appears to be a drunkard as well as an abusive bastard? 

 I also think there is important context missing for the man because there is a huge difference between say working as a farmer/farm-hand or a gentleman farmer vs working in a trade like mining or millinery. I can definitely understand a guy coming home from something like that bone-deep tired and not wanting to do anything. Made worse if he came back from war and has trauma. A lot of men in England could not vote historically as well as women because they didn’t own enough or any land. Voting rights were dependent on land holdings. A day laborer could no more vote than his wife.  

Most women were more focused on surviving and living to care about how they were treated. We honestly have to understand that they would really not have known any different. Homemaking was the norm and to deviate meant you were a spinster and thus a burden on your relatives. A single woman would have to rely on the charity of family and friends, if they did not marry and have their own household. Marriage provided women with freedom and security they wouldn’t have otherwise. They could of course work as a maid, farm-hand, or tutor/governess, but those would not have necessarily paid well. I don’t even want to know why this needs to be said, but it does none the less. Women did not work alone to do all these things regardless of having servants. Women would work together to complete tasks like cooking and looming, which could and would bring in income as well. Child rearing was a community thing. Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles, and older siblings would help look after the younger ones. Just look at William the conquerer and his wife Matilda, who had nine children.    

The video would make more sense if set in the post-war years of the late ‘40s/early ‘50s where the white picket fence dream was more of a thing and where your stereotypical housewife would be found since this type of wife is in fact a recent phenomenon because most couples would both bring in an income either through a dowry or funds made in the above mentioned ways. However, war rationing was still happening during these years in Britain. It lasted fourteen years in total. Also, the dream is an American one, so it’s kinda weird a Brit would want it. Marriage was not about love historically. It was more of a contract between families for economic and social status reasons. Often neither party got a say in it. It makes me wonder why the woman/women are not blaming their parents instead. In fact, England made it hard for people under 21 to just elope, so they would run away to Gretna Green. If this woman did run away with this man because she thought he would save her and so she could seemingly just kickup her feet and do nothing but instead he treats her like Cinderella, well that’s somewhat her fault. It kind of reminds me of my sister who has a man-child for a boyfriend who doesn’t do shit but yet begs her for money and makes her do everything, but it’s still her fault she’s in that relationship, but not that she gets treated like that.  

Why does it seem that people forget effective contraceptives are very recent things? So yes, a woman having sex historically would most likely get pregnant. A man pulling out is only about 80% effective. Condoms did exist but they didn’t really work well.  

I honestly don’t get why people are using this song for famous women who were badasses or cruel like Katherine of Aragon or Queen Bloody Mary Tudor. No one cares about lesser known badass women like Yolande of Aragon, who acted as regent of Provence during the minority of her son. She played a crucial role in the struggles between France and England as well. She helped fund Jeanne D’Arc {Joan of Arc}. Some of these women over shadowed their husbands like Catherine de’ Medici, wife of Henry II of France. I’m sorry this was so fucking long, but I had to get this out. Cross posting on Minds.com.                                   

[funkymbtifiction]

Hell Charity, I have a couple questions: 1)Is it accurate to say that the Ti/Fe axis sees everybody as the same, while Fi/Te sees people as better or worse than others? 2)Is it true that what EJs have in common is a habit of denying the self to fit expectations, and that IPs have the most self esteem 'cuz they put themselves first? 3)I saw that Jung defined inferior Te as fear of what others think of you, but mostly people say it's disorganization or laziness. Which is accurate?

The answer to the first question is yes, but it's more complex than that. Ti would look for an internal system through which to categorize people, whereas Fe is an 'equalizing function.' Fe wants us to all be the same, because that means we have things in common that can unite us -- we all want the same basic things, Fe argues. And in a sense, that is true -- humans all want water, shelter, to survive, etc. But if you equalize too much, you say that everyone IS the same, and that's where Te would argue -- no, we are not. Factually, some people are more intelligent than others -- they literally have a higher IQ. Now, for a Te, that's not a value judgment in the way that a Fi might argue a value judgment (everyone is an individual and deserves respect, and not to be hated for having a high/low IQ); it's a judgment of pure logical reasoning -- the argument that if you had to save the 100 most important people/leaders on the planet in case something bad happened, here's the criteria through which we make the list (these people need to possess these qualities so that the human race can survive -- they need to have a high enough IQ to provide these things for the populace, so these people are more important than those people, for the survival of humanity). So, these judgments come from different places, depending on which function is higher -- TJ (we are not all the same, because some of us contribute more to society than others); FP (we are not all the same; some of us are worse or better than others); TP (humans basically are the same, which makes it easier to categorize them and figure out what they want); FJ (we should all be treated the same and have equal opportunities).

I think what EJs share is the belief that their life isn't just their own -- their decisions impact those around them, for better or worse, and so they see themselves through how others are seeing them and based on the influence they are having. Just as an example, one EFJ I know overcame addiction because he saw the impact it was having on his family -- he struggled to do it just for me, but when it became about his wife and kids, he never did drugs again, because he could do that for them. His mindset was oriented toward them -- that's how an EFJ changes trajectory and can find their footing, by being reminded or reminding themselves that what they do affects others. I think self-esteem is a good descriptor for IPs (or maybe self-regard), provided people don't mistake that for "self-confidence" (because they can be insecure; but they ultimately do make decisions based on "me").

I think Jung has a point, in that there seems to be a real discomfort in a lot of IFPs I've spoken to in terms of them thinking about seeing themselves through the eyes of someone else -- they don't want to think about that, or about being 'observed' in that way, because their view is so strongly through the lens of self. Overall, though, I would say inferior Te is the repression of efficiency based on emotions and personal value judgments -- it's difficult for them to be objective, and it's difficult for them to be organized, and it's difficult for them to know what the logical decision is if it conflicts with their feelings.

[shadowkat678]

clipped wings has such an interesting concept to me~ does the story entail a great uprising a la the hunger games? or is it moreso just in worldbuilding atm

So the basic premise is that there is a group called the Children of Yuen who's trying for something like that. The main characters actually aren't a part of it, and the leader of the faction is a Wingless man named Hestor who was part of the mages that keep the city afloat and provided with food and water and control the climate and all that other good stuff. Magic is innate in the setting, and they're taken and raised as soon as they start having signs of it, but he may or may not have uncovered something and got thrown out, with both his flight and his magic taken in the process as is the standard. The problem is he's using the uprising more as one last big bang suicide note because he doesn't actually believe that society CAN be changed at this stage.

The main characters are Sybil, a priestess in training of the Goddess Omis, and a Flightless woman named Domiel who took the fall for her sibling and got punished in their place. The religion of the city is based on the main trinity with a smattering of other spirits and offsprings of the main two. And I promise this is relevant to this whole setup and not just me taking a chance to ramble about world-building.

Omis is considered the mother of the world and "She Who Brings Justice". Current mythos says that she came from a past world, where she and Amos were the sole survivors of chaos that consumed its godly people, and together they sought to recreate life. They're the ones that carry out sentencing. Note that the higher classes of the city often can get away with small crimes despite being very much an All Crimes Are Equal trope.

In their wisdom, they saw the coming destruction, and knew that it could not be stopped. That their fellows were too far gone in their selfish bickering.

In this world, not only would there be life, but there would be Order. The Order of Omis see themselves as the hand that carries out that vision, to keep the last bits of their own world from crumbling and repeating the cycle. Her symbology is heavily related to the sun, shedding light to the world and inspiring others in her teachings. They also have a more militant suborder that works as secret police and the church enforcers.

Meanwhile, Amos is the god of Magic, tied to the Moon and breathing life into Omis' creations. The two aspects of the church control the city, the priests and the mages. The priests and priestesses of Omis are tasked with ensuring order and making sure there is a fair system of justice that continues the legacy of the city in safety, whereas the mages and church of Amos keep the city fed, with clean water, and occasionally are tasked with bringing up new motes of earth for new purposes, guarding the Flightless enclaves, and using their abilities for the good of the city.

The Children of Yuen take on the image of Amos' and Omis' first child, Yuen. He's a bit of a trickster figure, and his meddling helped to shape a lot of things about the world. In doing so, introduces chaos to the order. He's not a villain in the mythos, but seen as a misguided child his parents have to reign in and a free spirit that misjudges his actions by putting himself over the whole.

The Flightless have begun adopting him as a mascot, which the church obviously isn't happy about, especially as they have begun crafting iconography of him in the image of Flightless, being born without wings and still with the use of the magic that Yuen inherited from his father Amos.

Followers of Omis often go to the outlying communities of Flightless to deliver healing and aid as a form of state-sponsored charity (obviously avoiding the subject of whose behind the fact that they need it), and many of them, Sybil included, were raised believing that the system is what's best for the city and the people and that what they were doing was just. But those priests have been made prime targets in the unrest, and she gets caught up in it.

There are no real guards there other than ones occasionally checking in to make sure there's no big uprising or protests happening, and to supervise any work, and the Flightless communities have developed their own system of community organization and justice. So when she gets separated and targeted, it's only those in the community that see it. One of those being Domiel, the other main character.

The rest of the book is questioning if such a civilization can be saved, what to do when you learn everything you've been taught about your duty is a lie, how to forgive someone who's been a part of a group that has hurt your own that now wants to atone, grappling with what that means and the loss brought about by turning from these teachings, etc. There's also uncovering of old history, and grappling with what the past says about our current present and future, and how systems of power can manipulate such history for their own aims and "greater good", and how complicated and murky the water can get when you consider how it affects everyone who is under such a system.

So that's the general gist and breakdown of it. I can't really say if the uprising will or not work, because I hope to publish this one day. But I will say it's not going to be a simple answer, or a clean one.

I'm still outlining some stuff while trying to write a few pieces of the story to make it clearer, so I have a long way to go. I actually started out with a dream about Hestor and the Children of Yuen about two years ago and it stuck around in my head until it morphed and evolved and now it won't leave.

I will also say that though Hestor is an antagonist, he's not the villain. The villain is the system as a whole. Hestor is simply someone who got caught up in it and is lashing out, which in itself isn't even a bad thing. The bad thing is he's misled those who joined him that think he found a solution when he's fully aware what he's leading up to is a suicide mission. I've kinda focused on making a lot of the characters mirror each other and traits and tried to do away with the "extremists are inherently bad" and the whole thing kinda has an overtone of "there is no white or black morality and punishing people for a mistake that costs them their whole lives Is Not Great Or Effective" so. Because I absolutely hate that in my media.

Systems of oppression and the people who fall under them are Complicated and they Cannot Be Reduced To 2D Caricatures. And obviously there are a lot of very messy complex issues that reflect our own world's social commentary in here and I'm trying to make sure I take the time to do them right instead of what's easy or convenient. Now that I'm in a writing critique group and I've been able to practice writing again after a long hiatus with short stories I think I'm finally going to try and put it together here soon.

[my-name-is-not-audrey]

The Tale of A Flower

There was a flower born on a wasteland next to a farmhouse.

The flower was once a bud, supposed to grow into a healthy, beautiful, and strong blossom—if she was not taken care of by the young farmer and his wife—who stumbled on her on an ordinary Wednesday in early spring.

The farmer was ecstatic after he found the small, delicate bud, eager to look after her and determined to flourish her into the most beautiful flower on earth. The married couple beavered away to keep their promise, harvesting crops while developing a side hustle by becoming a rancher, all to make piles and piles of dough—they were going to build a greenhouse, one to nurse the bud better.

The farmer was a respectful man, earning himself a reputation in town. Based on his fellow farmers in agricultural cooperatives in the workplace, the farmer was often described and heard as a dignified man. He was also a sedulous peasant, very bright and wise as if he could foresee the calamity, one to prevent or reduce it to the minimum beforehand, an aptitude that not many farmers owned. The peasant was already a successful man to many, but he still had flaws. It was known to the kinfolks and buddies that the farmer could sometimes tend to be stubborn and believed in things that he had faith in, even though he was not an expert in specific fields, like medical problems. There had led to many times when he was under the weather and refused to take the pills as the doctor told him. "I'll recover by the next morning after a night of good sleep," the farmer said to his wife firmly, no matter how hard his wife tried to convince him. Or when the little bud did not grow one inch even if she had plenty of water and was under exposure to enough sunlight, the farmer was unwilling to accept the advice of a florist—now who's the expert?

In addition, the farmer possessed the nastiest temper, quick to judge, irascibility was usual business as he never gave in to apologize when many occurrences were his fault, and he knew it. Fighting for his life at a young age, he struggled with hardships; several times farmer had to sleep in a trailer owned by his friend in college life. He once had several jobs, waking up at four to deliver newspapers only to make extra money for school fees.

All for a better life, the farmer had no choice but to be tough and later carried the habit of showing solemnity to others which he had no idea of doing it. Hence, it was patent that the farmer rarely took suggestions from his closest ones, let alone his wife. Being his spouse, the farmerette suffered many cold stares and emotional abuses whenever the farmer had a rough day. Sure, he could be one of the most generous people his wife has met so far, as he would try to show the softer side of him, especially being attentive to major events happening all around, in or out of the country. Her husband would lend a hand to his fellow farmers or donate the money to charities for those in need, children, or poverty, whoever struggled the life like he used to. The farmerette did not dare to mess with the bear at the end of the day, so extending the best mood of her husband was a must.

Back to the flower, the couple succeeded in building the greenhouse for her. The married couple nurtured the little bud with care and tenderness, hoping she grew up without harm, providing the best material they could think of fertilizer, lights for night-time, and soils with high mineral, to name a few.

One day, another bud raised from the moist soil happened next to the original bud. The farmer and his wife thought it was a miracle to have two buds magically grow out of nowhere but decided to take extra care of the younger one, making the later bud their priority. The farmer still went to see the flowers, watered them, providing them with the best fertilizer, but something was missing.

Little did the farmers understand. Since the couple had decided to grow the flowers, they were doing it all wrong. As it turned out, the two flowers should apply to different treatments. But one was needy in water, which needed extra care with temperature control and was less dependent on specific soil to grow; on the other hand, the younger bud was doing it all right even if she did not need extra care with the usual watering volume, well-draining type of soil and moderate temperature, not so high and not so low.

Eventually, the former bud was not in as good shape as the younger one, and the second bud bloomed to become a pretty daffodil, but the poor flower next to the yellow blossom could not bloom fruitfully, as she lacked high maintenance. The farmer was furious. He disbelieved that no matter how hard he cared for the two, the former bud grew poorly compared to the daffodil. "Why can't she bloom already!" the farmer screeched angrily, stomping inside his house without watering the poor flower. Perhaps, if he had not been so full of himself and taken the advice from the expert, he would have made things right by now. As the days went by, the farmer did not bother to sweet-cooed the flower; he only talked to the daffodil, even if the yellow blossom did not care less about what the man complimented.

Disappointed, the flower grew weaker without tentative care and could not manage to bloom like the daffodil after a few days. The flower no longer received the exciting mood of the farmers when they visited the greenhouse. The flower had become somehow a plain plant next to the daffodil, nothing special prudence got from the male farmer. She was like an ordinary plant next to the charming blossom, receiving the water merely because the farmer drenched both plants in concert, neither for her beautiful petals nor for the blooming condition; in other words, she got watered and considered living in the greenhouse, for she lived on his property.

The flower sometimes wept at night, thinking to herself if she did not live here in the greenhouse, getting tap water but rain droplets, or preferred growing in the wasteland full of moss than in the nutritious soil: What would her life become? Would she grow healthier instead of the state in current? And most importantly: What was she?

Days passed, and the flower tried not to get infected by the virus and was sure to show her colorful tentacles to attract insects. Then, she unfolded the petals on top of the bud by degree. It questioned if she was a different plant next to the neighbour daffodil. She believed she was a late bloomer and was ecstatic to show off her faded, pink pentagon petals to the farmer. However, the stoic face of the farmer did not match the delightful one. The farmer was content with the petals that had unfolded, but the plant..., seemed much more unattractive to the yellowish blossom when he noticed the moss underneath the flower; he was confused. There had two flowers, in disparate views, granting different spirits of loud and quiet, lively and reserved, in front and behind curtains: two individuals.

Undoubtedly, the farmer would prefer the daffodil for her bright characteristic. Soon, the little flower was not sure what she wanted anymore. At the very least, the farmer did not pluck her out; what a relief!

Alas, she could not figure out what was better, for she was also grateful for the effort the farmers wanted her to be, and maybe not in the best condition. She was a flower, after all.

There was a flower, once born on a wasteland next to a farmhouse, applying irregular rules of blooming. The flower waited, wanting the approval of the farmer like he used to hope for the little bud.

I was the flower—still sort of desperate to be approved, but this time, in my ways of beauty.

[muslimcharity]

What Are the Benefits of Giving Charity During Ramadan?

Ramadan is one of the most sacred months of the Islamic calendar. It comes to us as a mercy, and an opportunity to move closer to Allah (swt), to have our sins forgiven and to reap rewards and blessings. Ramadan is full of reward, and the reward of any good deed we perform is multiplied manifold. Charity is considered a beautiful, highly rewarded and important act all year round, and was hugely advocated by Prophet Muhammad (saw), who was extremely generous and advocated for those less fortunate. Giving charity all year is a highly rewarded act, but in Ramadan, it is even more sacred.

Anas narrated that:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked which fast was most virtuous after Ramadan? He said: “Sha’ban in honour of Ramadan“. He was then asked: “Which charity is best?” He (saw) said: “Charity in Ramadan.“

Due to the sacredness of Ramadan, many people choose to pay their Zakat in this month, or just before so it can be distributed during the holy month. This is in hopes of receiving even more rewards and blessings for doing so. Ramadan is also ended with an obligatory giving of charity called Zakat-al-Fitr, or Fitrana, which is a small, fixed donation of approximately £5. This must be given by, or on behalf of, each member of every household to the poor ahead of Eid prayers. Zakat-al-Fitr is a way of helping to bring people together, and to ensure that no one is left behind during the celebrations of Eid.

The meaning of Ramadan

In the holy Qur’an, Allah (swt) tells us that:

“O’ you who have Faith! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may gain taqwah.” [2:183]

Allah (swt) tells us that the core aim of Ramadan is to establish taqwah – God consciousness. In this way, we are encouraged to try to understand and know Allah (swt), to strengthen in our faith and to improve our relationship with Him (swt). One way to do so, is to understand and do those things that Allah loves, one of which is giving in charity.

You can donate by visiting our Ramadan Donation Appeal 2024 page.

Why charity is so important

In Ramadan, there are many ways to seek forgiveness and reap rewards including reading the holy Qur’an, performing additional prayers, making duaa, performing dhikr and volunteering in one’s local community. Giving in charity is a phenomenal way to connect with the ummah at large, and to make a huge difference in the lives of those most vulnerable. It helps us remember how connected our world is, and that we are all the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (saw).

While giving in charity itself is a hugely rewardable act, it is important to remember that it has a huge impact on those who receive it. Giving charity literally saves lives and can transform entire communities. This also means that beautiful reward lies both in the act of giving charity by giving from your own wealth to others, and in the impact you can create.

Allah (swt) tells us:

“And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all of humanity.” (5:32)

Providing clean water, food, shelter, education or livelihood opportunities to those in need goes so far in tackling poverty, and easing suffering, and that’s why our Ramadan Donation Appeal 2024 includes a whole host of life-changing projects you can get involved with.

Our Ramadan Donation Appeal 2024 

Read more at our blog What Are the Benefits of Giving Charity During Ramadan?

[captainmdhridoyhossain-blog]

[ad_1] The duo took time out of preparations for their world tour to thank people for their work to support the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, which carries out life-changing work in some of the world’s poorest places.  Back in February the couple took to the streets of Glasgow to launch the charity’s annual WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE appeal for some of the world’s poorest people, who continue to be hammered by hunger and climate change.   Ricky and Lorraine also put out an appeal to Largs and Millport News readers for help in the important cause. Each year generous Scots up and down the country give up a favourite treat such as coffee, chocolate, wine or crisps, and put the money they save into a SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund)WEE BOX. They then donate it to provide a hand-up to vulnerable communities worldwide, struggling to survive due to hunger, poverty and the climate emergency.  This year, the appeal raised an amazing £1,003,0117.  Lorraine said: “We are absolutely blown away once again by the generosity of the people of Scotland in their response to SCIAF’s WEE BOX appeal. In these incredibly hard times, people have once again dug deep and responded to people in dire need.”   Money raised from the appeal will support SCIAF’s work around the world. This year the appeal focused on the people of Zambia, in southern Africa, particularly around Kabwe, which is one of the most polluted towns in the world. To survive, most families grow their own food in small plots near their homes – it’s a perilous life, very much dictated by the weather. As their climate changes, life becomes more perilous still.    Ricky said the difference the appeal can make to lives should not be underestimated. He said: “When we travelled with SCIAF, it was heart-breaking to see how many families really struggle to grow the food they need or get the necessities of life we take for granted such as water, a dry home or some money.   “We would like to say a huge thank you to every single person who has donated. You will never know how much good you have done and what a difference you have made.”  Penelope Blackwell, SCIAF’s director of public engagement, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who so generously contributed to this year’s WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE appeal. We couldn’t have reached such a fantastic total without the fundraising efforts of people across Scotland, particularly those in schools and parishes.   “The focus of this year’s WEE BOX campaign was Zambia, where people face a daily struggle to find enough to feed their families. Once again, our supporters did not let them down. Up and down the country people gave what they could to help our sisters and brothers living in the world’s poorest places to lift themselves out of poverty. Money from this year’s appeal will support SCIAF’s work around the world to help people overcome their daily struggles, and the structures of injustice that keep them poor.    “The response has been amazing, and I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for reaching out in loving kindness.”    [ad_2] , 2023-09-02 05:10:00 , #Deacon #Blue #stars #Largs #residents #charity #support for more interesting Article Visit regularly : https://mycyberbase.com/

[srcharlesrizzo240]

Charles Rizzo_171

Charles Rizzo_171 Chuck?Rizzo,?Charles?Rizzo,?Chuck Rizzo Jr, Charles Rizzo Jr, Rizzo?Environmental Services, Fleet Management Expert https://smb.leaderpub.com/article/Charles-Rizzo-Gifts-The-Childrens-Charity-Over-dollar5000-to-Assist-in-Their-Efforts-to-Provide-Bikes-for-Children?storyId=64bfdadab49d540008d7e28e Helping Special Needs Children In another area close to his heart, Charles Rizzo Jr. also advocates for special needs children and their families. Drawing on his personal experience with a special needs child in his own family, Charles is able to truly understand how overwhelming each day can be for the child as well as the family. He is an active participant with Variety - an organization built around facilitating special needs children and those who are responsible for their care & growth. https://charlesrizzo170.blogspot.com/2023/08/charles-rizzo171_01310575453.html https://orientalrugspecialistsmissionviejo.blogspot.com/2023/08/auto-collision-repair-akron-oh.html https://autoelectricrepairvistaca.blogspot.com/2023/08/auto-electric-repair-vista-ca.html https://dumpsterrentalsyuma.blogspot.com/ https://persianrugrepairdelmar892.blogspot.com/ https://everlywell-covid-test-b4d2nye.tumblr.com/post/690434959799992320/5-best-whole-house-water-filt

[amicidomenicani]

Question Dear Father Angelo, My name is Robert and I wanted a clarification on the relationship between divine providence and one’s independence.  There are many people and some saints who, trusting our God Father, left everything to create great things.  I won’t get into details.  However, I wanted to ask if, considering how the average man of today is, could he do such things and, if he doesn’t, does it mean that he doesn’t trust in God’s providence?  Let me explain myself better.  I am fifty years old, I work earning a median salary, I have a family with two school aged children of 12 and 15.  My wife has a part-time job and we have a 10-year mortgage.  I try to live in the Lord, but I have an ordinary life.  We need the money to live, to pay our expenses, and whatever is left over, I try to set aside for a possible supplementary pension for the future, so that I will be independent and I will not become a burden on my kids’ shoulders once I am older.  Also, if it would be necessary, one day I could help them economically to buy a house, to start a family or a new business.  In light of this, there isn't much left to help the others.  Which is something that I would like to do in greater measure. The question is:  does trying to be prudent or to “set aside” mean not trusting divine providence? Trying to create something for the poor by giving everything up and telling to myself that by doing good deeds the money will come, but then fearing to go toward a failure, does this mean not trusting God?  For a person who became a saint and did great things, I wonder how many others actually lost everything (not in spirit, obviously) without being able to push an important project forward and being forced to give up.  Where is the right compromise? Thank you. Answer Dear Robert, Saint Thomas says that the Lord gave us the intelligence so that we could provide for ourselves and our loved ones.  The first charity must be done to those in our home.  It seems to me that the relationship you have with your assets is right. The Sacred Scripture says: “ If any man have not cared of his own especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1Tm, 5,8).   From here Saint Thomas concludes: “ Therefore charity regards those who are nearer to us before those who are better” (Summa Theologica, II-II, 26, 7 sed contra ). Each one of us is called to sanctity according to the needs of our own state.  You cannot live like a Capuchin friar, because you are married and have a family. It is right that you think about providing for your kids, to leave for them useful possession for the family they will constitute and for their own children as well.  So many times, one happens to be able to undertake certain studies or to be able to perfect oneself further thanks to assets left in heredity by the grandparents.  Also this one is a sign of affection and love. However, together with this, I encourage you to give a lot of alms and to widen your generosity.  Indeed, giving alms draw on you and your dearest ones many blessings from our Lord. I would like to show you some benefits.  The first:  giving alms benefits the atonement of our sins.  Through the Sacred Scriptures God says:  “As water quenches a flaming fire, so almsgiving atones for sins'' (Sir 3, 30).   In this regard, I would like to recall what Job used to do with his children: “ His sons used to take turns giving feasts, sending invitations to their three sisters to eat and drink with them.  And when each feast had run its course, Job would send for them and sanctify them, rising early and offering sacrifices for every one of them.  For Job said, “ It may be that my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”  Job did this habitually”  (Gb 1, 4-5).  The first alm you can give is the celebration of the Holy Mass for them, their future and their sanctific

ation. Furthermore, by giving alms you ingratiate yourself in front of the Lord:  Hear again to what God says about the value of giving alms:  “Whoever cares for the poor lends to the Lord” (Pr 19, 17) and “Those who give to the poor have no lack”  (Pr 28,27).   Therefore, although providing for your home like I said to you above, at the same time, insure for you and for you family the benevolence and the blessing of our Lord, Who gives back what has been given for Him always very widely. This episode regarding Cornelius can be read in the New Testament:  “ Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Cohort called Italica, devout and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly.  One afternoon about three o’clock, he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come in to him and say to him, “Cornelius.”  He looked intently at him and, seized with fear, said, “What is it, sir?”  He said to him, “Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God.  Now send some men to Joppa and sumon one Simon who is called Peter” (At 10, 1-5). Peter will go to Cornelius' home and here is the rest of the story:  “Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.  When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.  Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up.  I myself am also a human being.”  While he conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered together and said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean.  And that is why I came without objection when sent for.  May I ask, then, why you summoned me?”  Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, three o’ clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God”  (At 10, 24-31).          I wish for you the experience of Cornelius, so that you also, in the manner in                                              which God disposes, introduce an Angel to tell you “ your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered before God”.  I wish the same for your children who will take the example from you.  For this I bless you and I will remind the Lord of you. Father Angelo November 9, 2019| A priest answers - Moral theology - Theological virtues

[softaid-blog]

Giving is happiness; giving is blessings.

As we referred to in our title, we stand for peace and humanity. This is what stands behind MATW`s vision. Late Ali Banat; the founder of MATW has dreamt of helping all the deprived Muslims worldwide. Though he could not cease the project on his own, he left us for his unfinished project. We want equality, fairness, and peace all over the Muslim global. Since we need donations to assist prone people, we started looking for charities. Right now, we are withinside the US and anticipate a huge response from our wealthy Muslim brothers and sisters. Primarily, our vision is to make a global free from food and water crisis. That`s now not over however though. We want to make sure that every little one gets proper training and healthcare facilities. Sanitary tool is one of the main requirements in existence but many people are deprived of this facility. MATW will provide them with all the essential requirements for the prone areas. We hold our values of morality and transparency in terms of Islamic charity. All of our Muslim brothers are advocated to offer their zakat and sadaqah to our Muslim charity fund. It will decorate the global fitness of financial aspects. The blessings can be spread anywhere withinside the global specifically to those who need it the most.

[charlesprizzo]

Charles Rizzo_126

Charles Rizzo_126 Chuck Rizzo, Charles Rizzo, Rizzo Environmental Services, Fleet Management Expert https://smb.albertleatribune.com/article/Charles-Rizzo-Gifts-The-Childrens-Charity-Over-dollar5000-to-Assist-in-Their-Efforts-to-Provide-Bikes-for-Children?storyId=64bfdadab49d540008d7e28e Helping Special Needs Children In another area close to his heart, Charles Rizzo Jr. also advocates for special needs children and their families. Drawing on his personal experience with a special needs child in his own family, Charles is able to truly understand how overwhelming each day can be for the child as well as the family. He is an active participant with Variety - an organization built around facilitating special needs children and those who are responsible for their care & growth. https://charlesrizzo126.blogspot.com/2023/08/charles-rizzo126.html https://persianrugrepairbonita775.blogspot.com/ https://persianrugrepairbonita775.blogspot.com/2023/08/persian-rug-repair-bonita.html https://almadinadisposaloffice.blogspot.com/ https://almadinadisposaloffice.blogspot.com/2023/08/al-madina-disposal-office.html https://best-anti-wrinkle-cream-z6fgc8.tumblr.com/post/694243026734809088/make-water-from-air

[scarlettriot]

Along for the Ride PT 1

Pairing: KirishimaxF!Reader

Summary: A drunken mistake had you marking the little Plus One box to your snobby cousin's wedding. Kirishima told you not to worry, if you couldn't find a date, he'd go with you. When the wedding gets moved up, there's absolutely no time to find a date and you're now about to be traveling to America with Kirishima on a private jet no less, dreading having him meet your rude and impossibly arrogant family.

Contains: Kirishima and Reader both come from very well-off families. Plus-Sized Reader. Fluff. Hurt/Comfort.

Warnings: Kinda smutty for a minute. Minors DNI. Drunken Sex. TW: Manipulative Family Relationships. TW: Body Image Issues

A/N: This story has been rolling around in my head for a while now. I might rewrite this and repost. Or I might just post the whole thing soon. I dunno yet. It does get smuttier.

Word Count: 4,974

"What's up with Y/N?"

Eijiro stepped out of the locker room with a towel slung over his shoulder and made his way into the kitchenette where Mina was chugging a bottle of water before getting back to her patrol. His eyes were trained on their mutual friend out on the patio, pacing.

You had your phone pressed to your ear, the high neck of your hero costume unzipped to your collarbone and he noticed your gloves discarded on a chair.

"No clue." Mina shrugged. "She got back from patrol and she noticed a bunch of missed calls from her mom. She's been out there, flailing on the phone for the last fifteen minutes now."

The three of you had met in your second year at UA when you transferred into their class and were quickly accepted by their little squad of friends. You were a bit quiet at first but quickly found comfort in the group. Eijiro had grown especially close to you when you both interned with Fat Gum.

Late nights traveling on the train back to school, a few close calls while helping patrol, and days spent playing cards while you both healed up in the hospital left plenty of time for Eijiro to get to know you better than most. It was how he knew you had a pretty bad relationship with your family, why you hated returning home for the holidays almost as much as you hated any and all forms of tomatoes.

He considered going out there just to see if there was anything he could do but before he had the chance, you were sliding the glass door open. "Oh, good, you're back." He offered you a bottle of water for your throat that he assumed was sore after that argument. "I- um- can I borrow you for a second? Alone?"

Mina snorted a laugh. "If you guys wanna bang it out on the counter you can just say so. I gotta go to work anyways."

Eijiro threw the towel at her as she left the room leaving you two alone. "What's goin' on?"

You hoisted yourself up on the countertop while he leaned against the fridge. "You remember my cousin's wedding that's happening this winter?"

He nodded. He vividly remembered the both of you getting waste a few weeks ago when you were filling out the RSVP and accidentally marking 'plus one'. Then you ran around trying to find White Out but he'd told you if you didn't find a date or have a significant other by the time of the wedding, he'd just go with you.

You argued that your family was bat shit crazy, had more money than they could spend in their lifetime and because of that, they were among some of the rudest people you knew, and you didn't want Eijiro or anyone else around that.

The thing was, Eijiro already knew that and was still okay with going. He came from money too. A lot of it. His family was just more welcoming than yours, the wealth never really going to their heads. But, he reminded you that he'd ran into enough people like those in your family that he knew how to handle them. You finally agreed to let him accompany you, leaving the plus one box checked but the name line blank.

"Well, my cousin just found out that surprise, she's pregnant! And, obviously, she can't have a wedding while seven months along so they've decided to move the wedding up to this weekend."

He nearly choked on his own spit. "This weekend? As in four days from now?"

"Yup! Saturday at 4 in the evening. Oh! No one's supposed to know she's pregnant either. So, I'm just supposed to compliment her on how flattering her dress looks, how thin she is," Your hands strangled the water bottle between them, "And I have to find something flattering to my figure because my mother has seen me in my hero outfit and she's so glad I wear a mask because if anyone knew her daughter ran around looking like I do, well, it'd ruin her!"

You massaged your temples circling back to the actual point, "Anyways, I just wanted to bitch for a sec and let you know you're off the hook since four days is just a little short notice and I told her my plus one wouldn't be able to get the time off that fast."

He pushed off the fridge. "Well, wait, hang on! I'm not letting you go in alone to deal with them! Hell no! You need backup!" You looked almost taken aback by his abruptness, "Yeah. I can work this out. Is the wedding at the same place it was supposed to be or has it moved?"

"No, it's still that fancy lodge in California. I was planning on leaving Friday morning and then coming back either Sunday night or Monday morning since my mother insists I go to their brunch the following day. But, Eijiro, I already have this weekend off..."

"Denki owes me a favor or twelve. He's supposed to be off this weekend too, I'll just see if he can cover me."

"And if he can't?"

"Then..." He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, "Y/N, am I feeling warm to you? I think I might be starting a fever!"

You folded your arms, shaking your head, "Thought you said lying isn't manly."

"Technically, correct. But, what would be real unmanly is for me to let you deal with your family's bullshit all alone." You watched him closely, "To be honest, I'm sure we could just explain you had a family thing come up and asked me to come along for moral support. I don't really think anyone would think twice about it. Hell, you took a few days off to console me when my turtle died suddenly!"

"Eiji, you refused to eat."

"And you brought me my favorite dumplings! Same thing!"

You might have shaken your head at him but your arms opened wide. The telltale sign you wanted affection. He walked forward, consuming you in a tight hug. Your arms latched around his neck, face buried in the hollow of his throat. "You're the best."

"I just do what I can."

>>><<<

You should have canceled. Instead of Eijiro faking sick to get out of work, you should have faked it with your mother so you didn't have to go in the first place. You crumpled to the floor of your bedroom in pure frustration amidst the twenty or so outfits and dozen pairs of shoes you'd thrown out of your closet trying to find something that your mother would deem appropriate.

It wasn't your fault you had a fuller figure. You worked out, ate right, not to mention your job kept you very active, and yet your, hips, ass, and breasts were by no means subtle.

Your mother had also insisted on the dress being floor-length and modern, "Do try not wearing all black. It's a wedding, not a funeral. And, get your hair looking natural, please." And, just like that, 70% of your wardrobe was out the window!

"It's open!" You called from the floor when the doorbell rang.

"You really should lock this." Mina tutted, walking through the door with a bag full of takeout.

"I do. At night."

"Honey, it's 9 PM."

"Night like bedtime."

Mina just rolled her eyes and walked into your tiny kitchen. "I see the dress hunt is going well."

"I actually figured it out!" You got off the floor, careful not to step on a heel as you made your way to the pink haired woman, "I'm just gonna go in my birthday suit. I figured, my mother made my body technically therefore she can't disapprove of it. Because, you know, she's never done anything wrong in her life!"

Your best friend snorted out a laugh and passed you the take-out container stuffed full of stir fry. "you're a wonderful person, you know that?" You loved the fact Mina didn't even have to ask what you wanted.

"If you'd just move closer to work then you could pick it up yourself and I wouldn't have to bring it to you."

"Too expensive." You declared after a mouthful. "You pay almost twice as much as I do per month and I just don't see the point. I have damn near the same amount of space you do for half the cost!"

You adored your small one-bedroom apartment. It was perfect. Right above a bakery that you visited each morning after your run and a little balcony that provided you with the most stunning view of the sunset.

"You and Kiri, I swear." Mina just shook her head and curled up with her food on the loveseat. "I thought he'd end up with the biggest house out of us all the moment we started making that real Pro money. You've seen his parent's house. It's massive! You could get lost in that place!"

Eijiro's place was barely bigger than your own. He lived in the same condo he had since you'd graduated UA, claiming it was perfect for him in each and every way. But, you knew that he donated a sizable amount of his paycheck every month to charities, the same as you. With savings to spare, neither of you saw the point in hoarding it and therefore the small condo was all he could afford with what he actually kept.

"Just don't understand how a guy that big can live in such a tiny little space. At least with you, it's you know, physically feasible."

Eijiro's bedroom was barely large enough to fit the king-sized bed the man needed to sleep comfortably and even then, his feet were dangerously close to dangling off the bed. And, as if the man's ears were burning, your cell phone went off under a pile of discarded shoes.

Shark-E: Figured out your dress situation? If not, I'm just gonna pack like ten different ties and hope for the best.

You: Yeah! I totally did! I'm just gonna wear this birthday suit I got and call it a night.

You chuckled at your own joke all over again. Watching the grey ellipses appear and then vanish, appear and vanish again. After a third time, you took pity on the man.

You: Joking, Ei. I still don't have it figured out but Mina's over so, hopefully, she can help.

Shark-E: Gonna give me a damn heart attack! Seriously, I wouldn't put it past you just to see the look on your mom's face. Tell Mina hi and good luck to you. I vote the dress from the Hero Gala two years ago.

You: Hi from Mina. Can't. Too much boobs.

Shark-E: You take that back right now! There is NEVER such a thing as too much boobs!

You chuckled to yourself, putting your phone down, and then finished off the last of your delicious dinner, thinking about the dress Eijiro mentioned.

You wondered if maybe there was a way you could make the thing work but it was so very low cut. So much tape had been used to make sure no slips happened but damn was it worth it! The beaded bodice with the sparkling long sleeves, gods, how you loved that dress.

"I'm inclined to agree with our shark boy. You're busty, who gives a damn. You looked hot as hell in that dress."

"My mother, that's who. As much as I'd like to not give a flying fuck what she thinks, for some dumb reason, I do. On top of her telling me that the amount of cleavage I would show would be vastly inappropriate for a wedding, she'd also say the way it hugs my hips makes them look too fat."

Mina rolled her eyes. "She's such a piece of work." Pushing herself up, she held her arms out to you, wiggling little pink fingers for you to take. "Come on then. Let's get you sorted."

"What about that one you wore to the charity art thingy with Kyoka last winter? The one with the silver top."

"Silver is too close to white." You called out from within your closet.

"What! Not true!"

"You know that. I know that. Every person with two brain cells knows that, which is why most of my family does not know that."

"Fine..." She whined and started sifting through the opposite end of your closet. "Oh, what about this?" Mina waved about the blue and green plaid skirt that made up your uniform from your middle school days when you lived in America. "Please try this on. I'm begging!"

You were pretty sure it wouldn't even go over your thighs anymore.

"It's got a better chance of fitting you!"

Mina threw it at you anyway. Slipping off the sweats you wore, somehow, someway, you were able to tug it on AND get it zipped, barely. It no longer covered your ass but you still enjoyed the way it swished around when you wiggled your hips.

"You could be fulfilling so many people's fantasies right now." Mina mused.

You pulled the skirt off and sweats back on, throwing the former back at her. "Yeah, you can take it and go fulfill Hanta's fantasies if you like. Not like I've got anyone to impress." You pulled down a dress you bought on sale a year ago but Mina was quick to dismiss it.

Too puffy, she said and then held up one that was from Momo. "I needed to get it shortened and I don't have time for that now."

"Wait..." She hummed and dropped the Momo dress. "I know what it should be!"

Mina hurried through the closet, grumbling about not finding it. "Just tell me which dress and I can tell you where it's at."

"It's that one you got for grad night and then you got sick and couldn't go!"

"Mina, Mina I can't wear that! That's actual vintage, not like, made-to-look-vintage!"

"But it's so elegant and has that off-the-shoulder sleeve thing. The wedding is at a damn sky lodge! It'll look so pretty in the snow! Ah! Found it!"

She yanked up the long, elegant gown from the garment bag you'd never removed it from. There wasn't a single wrinkle in the burgundy fabric. It looked just as beautiful as the day you found it in that second-hand store, on a mannequin with gaudy stage jewels that you just had to buy so the look was complete.

You ran the back of your hand over the velvety fabric, soft to the touch. "It'll be too tight now. If I was the same size I was at graduation-"

"Bullshit!" Mina cut you off with a dismissive hand, "You've got hips now. We aren't 18 anymore! It's not like it's some clubbing dress. And I bet no one would say a damn thing about your figure if they knew how easily you could crush them with those thighs!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of your lips. Without quirks, you gave every single one of your classmates a run for their money in hand to hand. Most were fairly easy to beat. You could usually take down Eijiro in about five or six minutes and Katsuki in half the time. Funny enough, it was Ochaco that gave you the hardest time.

"I'll consider it. But help me find something else just in case."

>>><<<

It was another two hours before you finally agreed on an a-line, empire waist green and gold number that had been the bridesmaid's dresses for Tetsutetsu's wedding. Mina thought they were a crime the first time they had to wear them, she had no idea what you were thinking.

That's why the moment you were preoccupied with trying to find yet another dress for the Sunday brunch, Mina pulled out her phone.

You: DO NOT, under any circumstances, allow Y/N to wear the green dress. She's bringing two because she can't decide. Red is the winner!

Jaws: Aw, come on. If she likes it, let her wear whatever she's comfortable in. She'll be under enough stress already.

You: Kirishima, it's the dress from Tetsu's wedding. The one that looks sparkly baby food.

It took him a second to respond.

Jaws: Alright. Understood. I thought you guys looked good but damn, she hated that dress.

You: We all did.

Mina looked at the message chain again and couldn't help but asked, "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that you and Eiji are flying all the way to America, last minute, to attend a wedding together, even though you're not together?"

"We've flown to the states before."

"For work!" She sat up eagerly. "This is different, Y/N! This is a date and not just a, like, casual date but a wedding date!"

You poked your head out of the closet. "No, it isn't. This is a friend helping another friend who stupidly mismarked an RSVP." You corrected very plainly but Mina wasn't one to give up so easily.

She whined, dragging out your name, "You guys have been doing this thing for ages. Why do you have to be so stubborn about it all!"

"What's that supposed to mean!"

Mina started ticking off points on her fingers. "He was the first person you opened up to at UA. You saved his life when he was busy saving Katsuki's life second year. You spent all that time interning together, became sidekicks together. Went to America together for three whole months, ALONE, and you honestly expect me to think there's nothing between the two of you!"

The truth of it all was simple really; 17 year old you had a massive crush on Eijiro Kirishima. He was sweet, always listening to you, providing comfort when you needed it, and always encouraging you to push your limits. He was bright and honest, a little slow in the head from time to time but that made him all the more endearing.

He was also head over heels in love with Katsuki Bakugo.

It was why you never made a move. Never spoke a word of the feelings you harbored. You didn't dare to cross that line with him because you couldn't ever hold a candle to the explosive man.

In the three years Eijiro and Katsuki spent together, your brain finally started registering Eijiro as just a friend, nothing more, and certainly nothing less. You thought your heart had followed suit but it was becoming more and more apparent that wasn't the case. Because the night he showed up at your door, tears in his ruby eyes, every lock you put on your heart broke open.

The same way you couldn't hold a candle to Katsuki, Eijiro couldn't hold one to Izuku. You knew exactly what he was feeling even if you never intended to tell him. Too overcome with fear. If Katsuki came back... that'd be it. Eijiro would go back and you wouldn't even blame him!

Still, the redhead consumed a decent chunk of your heart though, you couldn't deny that after the three months you spent together in America, gathering intel on a smuggling ring, living in the same apartment. The groggy, 'good mornings' when his voice was still scratchy with sleep, hair falling in his eyes. The late nights bandaging wounds and killing cheap bottles of wine while watching terrible American reality shows.

It was those bottles of wine that did you in on your second to last night in America. Supplying you with courage and draining your sense of reason, allowing you to crawl onto his lap, into his arms. You could still remember the pressure of his lips on yours, those sharp teeth gently dragging along your lower lip.

Scared hands tracing the curve of your ass before taking handfuls to squeeze. The laugh that came from you was unlike anything you heard before, something so genuine that you couldn't reproduce.

How it felt when he lifted you up and took you to his bed, laying you down taking his time removing your clothes, and watching with awe as you pulled away his own. The way he looked over top of you, his hair a curtain of red around you just before you closed your eyes, gasping while he filled you.

You also remembered the guilt that crept into your head during the wee hours of the morning, the doubt that was louder than the snores coming from behind you.

It made you slip from under his massive arm, gather up your clothes from his floor, you tucked the blanket around him, and pressed a kiss to his temple before padding out of the room.

You told yourself you'd talk to him about it if he brought it up, but he never did. Not the next morning, or night, not on the plane ride back home, nor anytime since. It was a memory you'd hold close to your heart, one you wouldn't let slip away or share.

"There's nothing there, Mina. We're just good friends is all." You lied with a smile on your face, something that had become surprisingly easy to do.

If only you knew that Mina saw right through it. That Mina already knew the truth of it all.

>>><<<

It was nearly one in the morning when your phone rang. The goofy picture of Eijiro with face half painted at a festival a few years back never failed to make you grin.

"It's a little late." You answered by way of greeting.

"Don't pretend like you were anywhere close to sleeping, you little night owl."

Chuckling at the nickname that had followed you since high school, "What's up, Eiji?"

"I was going over flights. You said in the office that you wanted to leave on Friday?"

"Yeah. I have patrol tomorrow and I didn't find any flights after 6 PM so, Friday is the earliest."

He was quiet on the other line for a moment. "Yeah, you don't have patrol tomorrow, or work at all for that matter."

You sat up a bit straighter in bed. "Um, yes I do."

"No, you don't. I called Mina, asked her if you'd mind taking that shift for you and, since she knows what's happening, she agreed the extra day for travel would do you some good. So, she's covering you tomorrow then you're off work until next Wednesday. As for me, thanks to all that overtime I put in when Denki, Kyoka, and Hitoshi got married, the three of them are splitting up my days so I have until Wednesday too."

Eijiro sounded impossibly proud on the other line, you could almost see the smirk on his face. "You've got this all planned out, don't you?"

"And a bag nearly packed. Just need you to tell me what ties to bring."

"Gold, burgundy, and black."

"Thought your mom said no black for you?"

"She said no black for the wedding. She said nothing about black at the brunch!"

You couldn't wait to put on the tea-length dress that had been a favorite for years. Satin with a lacy top and, best of all, pockets.

He let out a rumbling laugh that fell off into comfortable silence as you laid back in your bed, lights still on, the room still a mess. You tapped the speaker icon and laid the phone on the pillow right beside your head, listing to the various sounds of Eijiro moving around.

A door creaking open, a hanger clattering against another, and a zipper. "And just like that, I'm all set."

"Don't forget your passport or hero license."

"I have one in my wallet and the other in my backpack."

You swiped up on your iPad, off Netflix, and going to google, lazily searching through flights. "So, did you find any good flights since you've clearly been looking?"

Another chuckle, "Eijiro, why are you laughing?" More stifled giggles had you sitting up in bed again. "Just tell me a site you were on. They're just flights, what's so funny?"

"There isn't a site."

"You said you were checking flights."

"And I was... on my family's jet."

"Eiji! No! No, no, no! That is supposed to be for their business or hero things! My stupid cousin's wedding is neither of those things!"

"Relax, Y/N. My family has multiple and they don't have any business trips planned right now anyways. I already cleared it with my mom. Seriously, I just mention your name and she's likely to let me have it for a whole year at least. Plus Todoroki's is back up in working order so the agency is covered too."

Damn, why'd he have to be so good at planning from time to time! You'd completely forgotten about the second jet his family had. Always opting for the larger one since the few missions they needed it for required them to bring fifty or so heroes along.

"Besides, if we fly private, we can land at an airstrip closer to the venue and won't need to drive four hours on top of a ten-hour flight."

"Alright, okay, thank you but, let me take care of the rental car, please. It's the least you can let me do."

"Deal. I just have one more question for ya."

"What's that?"

"Wanna leave tonight?"

You nearly dropped your damn iPad in shock. "Eijiro! What the fuck has gotten into you! It's the middle of the night!"

"I'm excited!" He boomed, "I haven't had a vacation in months!"

"I hate to break this to you, buddy, but this isn't going to be a vacation. You really shouldn't get your hopes up. This isn't going to be a good time with laughs and fun memories... my family, they just, they aren't those kinds of people."

"But we are." He stated matter-of-factly. "If they want to have sticks up their asses then let them! We'll have a good time on our own, laugh and make fun memories! So, what do you say, Y/N? I can be at your place in fifteen. I just gotta put shoes on and grab my keys..."

"Wait, hang on. Are you forgetting that we need someone to, oh, I dunno, FLY THE PLANE! Actually, we need two someone's, can't forget about a co-pilot!"

He hummed happily and you rubbed your temples. "You, you have a pilot and a co, don't you, Eiji?"

"Mhm! There is a company we use. Two can be at the hanger in an hour and every hour after that. I just have to make the call and get the flight plan approved which will be done before I even get to your house."

There was literally no reason to say no. You had mostly everything packed, nothing you needed to get from the store, all you had to do was put on pants and pack up your hygiene bag and you were ready too. Maybe getting there quicker and getting the whole thing over with would be better than staying home dwelling on everything.

"Better put your shoes on."

The glee in his voice, that was enough to make this whole thing worth it, "I'll see you soon."

>>><<<

Eijiro reached into the backseat and plopped a bag down on your lap the very moment you were buckled in. "Had to make a pit stop." He explained.

"It's after two in the morning, where'd you have to..."

"Just open the bag and don't complain."

You found it filled to the brim with all your favorite snacks.

"I'm sure the plane will have a bunch of snacks we can raid but I know for a fact they don't have these." He held up a pack of cookies and creme flavored pocky that had been his favorite for as long as you'd known him, quickly followed by your favorite flavor too. You also found a massive bag of gummy worms and jolly ranchers.

"So, what you're telling me is our teeth are going to rot by the time we land? Not that I'm complaining."

You ripped open the bag of ranchers knowing that was what he'd go for first and sure enough his hand dove inside just as he pulled away from the curb. You could hear his dangerously sharp teeth biting through the rock candy like it was nothing while you still rolled one around your mouth.

Eijiro asked you about the resort you'd be going to, wondering if you'd been there before or what other stuff you guys could do when you weren't dealing with your family. "I figured we could fly back Monday night or Tuesday morning, you know, just play it by ear in case there was anything else we wanted to do."

More than anything, you wished you could just leech a little bit of that excitement from him. The glimpses of his smile you caught as you drove under the street lights made your heart ache.

"What?" He asked with that wide smile of his. You'd been caught staring, red-handed.

"I, uh, I just don't know what to tell you."

You could see the subtle change of his grin, watch as it softened and his hand came to rest on your thigh. "Hey, it's gonna be fine! And if we run into them while out doing stuff, you can just avoid them or hide behind me!" At least hiding behind Eijiro is an easy thing to do, damn mountain of a man.

His thumb slowly brushed back and forth. "'S gonna be okay. I'll beat 'em up if they're assholes!"

You snickered at his Katsuki impression and let the drone of the radio fill the air around you both. Enjoying the silence the rest of the way to the hanger with Eijiro's hand atop your leg.