#one is a Mep chapter

[gailynovelry]

First day in a while that I’ve gotten genuine writer’s block! The brain is not focusing. Might be that I’ve got only about six chapters of Ember Warrior left, and that does kind of mean that only the chapters I was nervous about and putting off are left. Maybe I will have better luck after sleeping on it though!

[khensaptah]

Mystic Egyptian Polytheism Resource List

Because I wanted to do a little more digging into the philosophy elements explored in Mahmoud's book, I took the time tonight to pull together the recommended reading he listed toward the end of each chapter. The notes included are his own.

MEP discusses Pharaonic Egypt and Hellenistic Egypt, and thus some of these sources are relevant to Hellenic polytheists (hence me intruding in those tags)!

Note: extremely long text post under this read more.

What Are The Gods And The Myths?

ψ Jeremy Naydler’s Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It dives deep into how the ancients envisioned the gods and proposes how the various Egyptian cosmologies can be reconciled. ψ Jan Assmann’s Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom: Re, Amun and the Crisis of Polytheism focuses on New Kingdom theology by analyzing and comparing religious literature. Assmann fleshes out a kind of “monistic polytheism,” as well as a robust culture of personal piety that is reflected most prominently in the religious literature of this period. He shows how New Kingdom religious thought was an antecedent to concepts in Hermeticism and Neoplatonism. ψ Moustafa Gadalla’s Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are The One provides a modern Egyptian analysis of the gods, including reviews of the most significant deities. Although Gadalla is not an academic, his insights and contributions as a native Egyptian Muslim with sympathies towards the ancient religion are valuable.

How to Think like an Egyptian

ψ Jan Assmann’s The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It illuminates Egyptian theology by exploring their ideals, values, mentalities, belief systems, and aspirations from the Old Kingdom period to the Ptolemaic period. ψ Garth Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind identifies the Egyptian character of religion and wisdom in late antiquity and provides a cultural and historical context to the Hermetica, a collection of Greco-Egyptian religious texts. ψ Christian Bull’s The Tradition of Hermes Trismegistus: The Egyptian Priestly Figure as a Teacher of Hellenized Wisdom provides a rich assessment of the Egyptian religious landscape at the end of widespread polytheism in Egypt and how it came to interact with and be codified in Greek schools of thought and their writings.

How To Think Like A Neoplatonist

Radek Chlup’s Proclus: An Introduction is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It addresses the Neoplatonic system of Proclus but gives an excellent overview of Neoplatonism generally. It contains many valuable graphics and charts that help illustrate the main ideas within Neoplatonism. ψ John Opsopaus’ The Secret Texts of Hellenic Polytheism: A Practical Guide to the Restored Pagan Religion of George Gemistos Plethon succinctly addresses several concepts in Neoplatonism from the point of view of Gemistos Plethon, a crypto-polytheist who lived during the final years of the Byzantine Empire. It provides insight into the practical application of Neoplatonism to ritual and religion. ψ Algis Uzdavinys’ Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism draws connections between theological concepts and practices in Ancient Egypt to those represented in the writings and practices of the Neoplatonists.

What Is “Theurgy,” And How Do You Make A Prayer “Theurgical?”

ψ Jeffrey Kupperman’s Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It is a practical guide on theurgy, complete with straightforward explanations of theurgical concepts and contemplative exercises for practice. ψ Gregory Shaw’s Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus demonstrates how Iamblichus used religious ritual as the primary tool of the soul’s ascent towards God. He lays out how Iamblichus proposed using rites to achieve henosis. ψ Algis Uzdavinys’ Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity explores the various ways theurgy operated in the prime of its widespread usage. He focuses mainly on temple rites and how theurgy helped translate them into personal piety rituals.

What Is “Demiurgy,” And How Do I Do Devotional, “Demiurgical” Acts?

ψ Shannon Grimes’ Becoming Gold: Zosimos of Panopolis and the Alchemical Arts in Roman Egypt is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It constitutes an in-depth look at Zosimos—an Egyptian Hermetic priest, scribe, metallurgist, and alchemist. It explores alchemy (ancient chemistry and metallurgy) as material rites of the soul’s ascent. She shows how Zosimos believed that partaking in these practical arts produced divine realities and spiritual advancements. ψ Alison M. Robert’s Hathor’s Alchemy: The Ancient Egyptian Roots of the Hermetic Art delves deep temple inscriptions and corresponding religious literature from the Pharaonic period and demonstrates them as premises for alchemy. These texts “alchemize” the “body” of the temple, offering a model for the “alchemizing” of the self. ψ A.J. Arberry’s translation of Farid al-Din Attar’s Muslim Saints and Mystics: Episodes from the Tadhkirat al-Auliya contains a chapter on the Egyptian Sufi saint Dhul-Nun al-Misri (sometimes rendered as Dho‘l-Nun al-Mesri). He is regarded as an alchemist, thaumaturge, and master of Egyptian hieroglyphics. It contains apocryphal stories of his ascetic and mystic life as a way of “living demiurgically.” It is an insightful glimpse into how the Ancient Egyptian arts continued into new religious paradigms long after polytheism was no longer widespread in Egypt.

Further Reading

Contemporary Works Assmann, Jan. 1995. Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom: Re, Amun and the Crisis of Polytheism. Translated by Anthony Alcock. Kegan Paul International. Assmann, Jan. 2003. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs. Harvard University Press. Bull, Christian H. 2019. The Tradition of Hermes Trismegistus: The Egyptian Priestly Figure as a Teacher of Hellenized Wisdom. Brill. Chlup, Radek. 2012. Proclus: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. Escolano-Poveda, Marina. 2008. The Egyptian Priests of the Graeco-Roman Period. Brill. Fowden, Garth. 1986. The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind. Cambridge University Press. Freke, Tim, and Peter Gandy. 2008. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. Gadalla, Moustafa. 2001. Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are The One. Tehuti Research Foundation. Grimes, Shannon. 2019. Becoming Gold: Zosimos of Panopolis and the Alchemical Arts in Roman Egypt. Princeton University Press. Jackson, Howard. 2017. “A New Proposal for the Origin of the Hermetic God Poimandres.” Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism 17 (2): 193-212. Kupperman, Jeffrey. 2014. Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy. Avalonia. Mierzwicki, Tony. 2011. Graeco-Egyptian Magick: Everyday Empowerment. Llewellyn Publications. Naydler, Jeremy. 1996. Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred. Inner Traditions. Opsopaus, J. 2006. The Secret Texts of Hellenic Polytheism: A Practical Guide to the Restored Pagan Religion of George Gemistos Plethon. New York: Llewellyn Publications. Roberts, Alison M. 2019. Hathor’s Alchemy: The Ancient Egyptian Roots of the Hermetic Art. Northgate Publishers. Shaw, Gregory. 1995. Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus. 2nd ed. Angelico Press. Snape, Steven. 2014. The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. Uzdavinys, Algis. 1995. Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books. Uzdavinys, Algis. 2008. Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism. Lindisfarne Books. Wilkinson, Richard H. 2000. The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.

Ancient Sources in Translation Attar, Farid al-Din. 1966. Muslim Saints and Mystics: Episodes from the Tadhkirat alAuliya. Translated by A.J. Arberry. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Betz, Hans Dieter. 1992. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Copenhaver, Brian P. 1995. Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Guthrie, Kenneth. 1988. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library: An Anthology of Ancient Writings which Relate to Pythagoras and Pythagorean Philosophy. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press. Iamblichus. 1988. The Theology of Arithmetic. Translated by Robin Waterfield. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press. Iamblichus. 2003. Iamblichus: On the Mysteries. Translated by Clarke, E., Dillon, J. M., & Hershbell, J. P. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. Iamblichus. 2008. The Life of Pythagoras (Abridged). Translated by Thomas Taylor. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. Lichtheim, Miriam. 1973-1980. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volumes I-III. Berkeley: University of California Press. Litwa, M. David. 2018. Hermetica II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Majercik, Ruth. 1989. The Chaldean Oracles: Text, Translation, and Commentary. Leiden: Brill. Plato. 1997. Plato: Complete Works. Edited by John M. Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. Plotinus. 1984-1988. The Enneads. Volumes 1-7. Translated by A.H. Armstrong. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Van der Horst, Pieter Willem. 1984. The Fragments of Chaeremon, Egyptian Priest and Stoic Philosopher. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

[booksandabeer]

Raise Your Voice for Trans Rights - European Edition:

In chapter 17 of their brilliant fanfic Unpredictable Synchronicity, the wonderful @zenaidamacrouras1 invited readers to become a part of the story by taking political action on the central issue that the characters are working on--legislation against gender affirming care.

In this post, they have provided a step-by-step guide on how to contact your elected officials and how to write a letter to the editor of your local/national newspaper. While this was put together within an US-American context, the general structure & contents of the sample letter can be used almost 1:1 as a template to create your own message to any media outlet, organization, or individual legislator--even if you are in Europe instead of the US.

Now, the European media landscape is too diverse and the legislation on lgbtqia+ rights (and trans rights in particular) varies too greatly from one EU country to the next to be summed up in a single tumblr post.

What we do have, however, is a central parliamentary body that actually has the power to pass legislation to protect the safety, equality, and freedom of lbtqia+ people: The European Parliament. While it is far from perfect and its reach and enforcement power is limited, contacting your MEP to advocate for this cause is A Thing You Can Do. Every voice counts. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

So, if you are living in one of the 27 member states of the EU and you wish to become active in this fight, you can go here to find your respective MEPs. Not only can you search by country and political group/party affiliation, you can specifically find & target members that are on pertinent committees responsible for issues such as human rights, gender equality, and health care.

>> What if I don't actually know what the current situation in my country is?

Again, Europe is not a monolith. Laws, rights, and protections for trans people vary--sometimes widely--across member states. However, to get you started and to get a general overview, you can go to

Transgender Europe

Not only are they a great source for general information about current laws, discrimination, health & depathologization of trans people in the EU, they also provide a number of resources, such as campaign and advocacy materials, guides to political action, as well as information on EU legal aid.

They also put together an annual interactive map tracking the progression (and in some cases, unfortunately, the regression) of trans rights throughout Europe and Central Asia. Just click on the link below the picture and you can easily find out about the current state in your country:

Interactive Trans Rights Map

If you want to learn more about the general state of lgbtqia+ rights in Europe, I recommend you visit ILGA Europe (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association). They offer information and a whole host of resources on community organizing, advocacy strategies, and approaches on how to communciate concepts such as bodily integrity, inclusion, and gender equality to people who, up until now, have had only very little exposure to them in their day-to-day lives.

They also create & provide access to the Rainbow Map & Index, an annual benchmarking tool, ranking 49 countries in Europe on their equality laws and policies:

This is meant to be only a general overview and a starting point on how to become involved. Please feel free to add advice, resources and/or any other information to this post!

[mageofseven]

When Heat Cools: A MephistoMC Love Story

Chapter 8

Taglist: @astroseuss @fcxyviixen @jar-of-moondust @marvelous-maniac @ghost-mint @darkflowerav @missloserqueen

"I know you are going through a lot, my friend."

Mephisto shook his head.

"It's MC who is going through a lot; in comparison, I am simply along for the ride."

"Still, you are undoubtedly stressed."

The nobleman gave a small nod.

"However," Dia continued. "I would still appreciate it if you would answer a certain question of mine."

Just when Mephisto thought he feeling his worst, the prince's words made his body tense.

Somehow, he could just sense he wasn't going to like this question of his.

"What is it, my lord?"

Dia pursed his lips.

"Is...your leg getting worse or has MC simply helped you put less focus on your act?"

Mephisto freezed. He knows?? Has he truly made it that obvious? The nobleman knows he was stumbling earlier but surely that was not enough for his old friend to know his secret?

"This is not some new discovery for me, I assure you." The prince explained, knowing well what his friend must be thinking. "I...In truth, I've known since we were barely adolescents, back when you first received your cane. You always put so much effort into concealing your leg issue so I did my best to respect your feelings and hoped you would confide in me about it some day."

Mephisto was physically about thirteen when he had to start using his cane. Diavolo has literally known about his disability for hundreds of years and never spoke about a word about it simply because he could see how hard his friend was trying to hide it and wanted the other boy to confide in him about it instead of prying into what was obviously a sensitive issue.

That never happened though and here the two men are, hundreds of years later, finally addressing it.

The nobleman turned away from the prince.

"My lord, I'd rather not talk about this."

"You have always been so protective when it comes to others knowing about your leg's weakness." Dia frowned, worried. "What is it about your injury that that makes you so determined to hide it?"

Some would probably think it was a pride issue, but that couldn't be further from the truth. With the way Mephisto acts now of days, such a theory would be believable, but this has truly gone on since they were young, since before Mephisto adopted such an attitude.

Diavolo knew his old friend, knew that their must be an important reason why he did not want others knowing about his disability.

The nobleman's heart was pounding in his chest.

"Forgive me, but I have already said that I will not speak of it." He repeated.

This was a topic that no one could know, that Mephisto himself must take to his grave. Even in their closer days, he could not tell his friend about the incident and nothing has changed since then.

The prince released a sigh.

"I suppose some aspects of you still have not changed." He gave a sad smile. "Will you at least let me know if I or Barbatos can do anything to help?"

The nobleman shook his head.

"Nothing can help it, but I do appreciate the thought, my lord."

Dia stared at his old friend in worry. There really wasn't much in his life that the prince could help with, was there?

Eventually, MC was done with her medicinal bath and was ready to go home. The phantom cold was now gone, but the poor woman was now left mentally exhausted.

The tired human even fell asleep with her head in her boyfriend's lap on the way back to House of Lamentation. She slept hard and poor Mephisto couldn't wake her up.

Luckily, Beel had just come home from somewhere (Mep got so lucky it was a kind brother who showed up lol) and had the big guy take his sweet corazón inside to her room.

Of course, Beely did it without a fuss and was very gentle with the sleeping human.

...Okay, so one of the brothers is alright, he has decided. The Avatar of Gluttony has unknowingly passed a test even Mephisto didn't realize he made.

It only took two days after that for Diavolo's message hit Mephisto's parents and hit them hard. Whatever form it took, the son was unsure, but his parents knew it was his doing.

His mother slapped him across the face with enough force to make him stumble back.

"I raised you better than this!" His mother shrieked. "Do you even know what you've done? Do you have a single brain cell that thick head of yours?"

Mephisto steadied himself and avoided his mother's gaze. Yes, by doing this he betrayed his family, something that was he was taught to be incredibly taboo.

He did it to protect MC therefore he did not regret it--however, that didn't mean it didn't hurt to do so. His loyalty towards his family has always been a defining pillar of who this man was as a person; one he was willing to feel the pain of cracking it for the sake of his corazón and children though.

His father step between the two of them--not out of protection, but to take hold of the situation.

"Listen, we need to remedy this situation and quickly." The older man spoke coolly. "I need you to bring your human pet in to--"

"MC is coming no where near here." Mephisto raised his head and met his father's matching green eyes.

"You--"

The husband simply raised his hand towards his wife.

"Lamia, you wanted me to handle this so I'm handling it." He scolded her before looking back to his son. "Your prince has already made it very clear the lives of that human and her child are off limits; you have turned our threat idle."

"Then what to do you want with her?"

"For the time being? A conversation, one that you shall be present for too." The older man explained. "The rest will be explained then."

Mephisto went silent.

"I expect you both in this house tomorrow afternoon. I will have the butler give you the details in the morning."

And with that, his parents left him standing there, fists at his sides.

What the hell are they planning? And worse, what do they have planned if he doesn't comply?

[lordkingsmith]

Hewwo. What have you been working on?

A few things :) I’m a non/disney video editor along with writing and other things. But right now in the middle of writing one fanfic-going to soon be turned into a novel, my brain has snatched up an idea from a few months ago and expanded on it.

I am. Intensely proud of this video. MEPs are multiple editor pieces. My piece was a lot of fun and a personal challenge. So it was really funny when a fellow editor posted a sign up for a star person/human mep. That’s it that’s the theme. I got very excited.

So my brain of course, connected them. The character I chose for the star boy for this mep is now in my brain the son of the king and god in the video up here. Son via Magical Shenanigans, lol. I like the idea the god wished on the wishing stars and the next day-irate husband with a baby. I’ve written pieces of fic with those two and may very well turn it into a novel lol.

Currently the two have, in my mind, two children. One of them now being this new wishing star man

My brain says “their son born of a wish hasn’t been able to go near or so much as touch his lover for who knows how long and finally he can even admit he’s in love to this person” which is lovely and so dramatic.

Problem is what kind of curse would scare a god, lol. Who did this hapless human piss off, exactly.

And then on the other end I’m writing A Knight A Pretty As Hollyhock Blooms which is a fanfiction crossover of star wars and the tangled tv show. It’s also a retelling of Gawain and the green knight.

Here’s a little bit of that from the chapter I haven’t published yet :)

Luke’s eyes were drawn again to the scars around Varian’s mouth. Varian caught his eye and put a bandana around his neck back over his nose, hiding his lower face.

“You don’t need to hide that around me” he held his prosthetic hand up, and pulled the sleeve down to show off the gold veins and withered skin. “Magic’s weird, to quote a friend. Plus, I think I have you beat weird scarring wise.”

“It hurts.” Luke said dryly. “Hardly cool.” He tugged his arm away from Varian’s inspection before rolling his sleeve back up over his injured arm. “My father tried to kill me. My mom’s in a coma. Ben’s in amber, so’s Han. We don’t know where Han is, even. The Fett’s deny receiving him.” High likelihood they were lying, though the chance wasn’t zero he just hadn’t been delivered yet. “We had to place Lando Calrissian under house arrest-Landa Rosa and it’s royal family are completely and rightfully incensed. I left without a hand and my country and my sister in a very tense political situation.”

“Aw, poor baby” Varian clucked his tongue at him with very obviously fake sympathy. “You’ve had a very bad year. You could have put this off.”

“No” Luke said, voice clipped, remembering only a few months ago Varian had told the raccoon currently pulling the cart to ‘break him.’ Nor even was he going to forget who had put Han in Amber. “Things would have just kept going until I couldn’t ever come here. I’ve put it off long enough.” He continued eyeing Varian carefully. “Encased in amber until the knight came to kill me far from the tree with everything I love ruined.”

An easy shrug and a hand patted invitation to sit back on the cart bench. “Not wrong. But not everything’s your fault. The brotherhood have nothing to do with you, your highness.” A slight pause. “Neither does your father. If you were worried about that.”

“You sound so certain.”

“I’ve only got my own experience, but it never seems to touch those already experimenting with spells, alright? And Anakin Skywalker took to sorcery like he was born for it.”

“…how do I know this didn’t set him on the path?”

Varian shrugged. “Alright, that is a valid fear. The knight might be one of the creepiest things on this planet, and more of a storm variety of force of nature and better avoided.” He held up a finger. “But I’ll throw you a bone and be nice. Anakin was already talking to us long before you volunteered your life to the knight, alright?”

Thanks for the question! And for letting me ramble a little about my odd projects :)

[bradshawsbitch]

So in MEP, we’ve seen Mickey, Bradley, and Jake. Are the rest of the Dagger Squad going to make an appearance in the story later on? This is also including Halo, Omaha, Fritz, Yale, Harvard

Idk if this question has been asked by anyone else, but I hope the rest of the squad gets to make an appearance! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

And as a restaurant worker, I’m so glad this story exists because I can relate to this a lot, not only having past experiences in restaurant business and completing my culinary arts certificates at my community college!

omg mep… it has a nickname🥹 my baby

That is a great question! I think unfortunately I might have to say I don’t know/leaning towards maybe not? I can admit right off the bat I’ve never in my life succeeded in writing more than one chapter for a series, so this is so big for me already. And I already feel very out of my depth here, and not really writing like I normally would (less dialogue driven, more scenery and descriptions is what I usually write for my one-shots). So I think for now I’ll have to keep the challenge at this level with the characters I already have.

I’m not gonna say no outright, but I’ll see how this all pans out for me. I’m so nervous every time I post a chapter because I feel like the writing is not descriptive enough when I know it most likely is - does that make sense? Either way! I love the rest of the dagger squad but we’ll see if they’ll make an appearance in MEP (omg🥹🥰)

I’m really glad you feel that way. It’s almost therapeutic to write about how god awful this shit can be sometimes. As a server you’re sometimes treated as less than a human, but god when you have the right co-workers (who fetch you ice cream and yells at your guests for you) it can all feel so worth it🥹 you’re doing so great sweetie!! I’m proud of you!! Thank you so much for reading and sending these asks and comments to me they mean the world 🥹🥰🫶🏻

[frivoloustidbits]

A few thoughts/updates on my new comic

-Most of Our Town is Missing is probably going to be the official title

-It's ultimately meant to be a huge exercise in world-building. Kind of a way to info dump while still being entertaining

-Right now I have zero doubts that this is a great idea for the kind of thing I want to do. I've had several other ideas for comics since MEP but they always got too complicated and fizzled out long before I started. The great part about this story is I can actually work those characters and their half-finshed stories into this one.

-It's way more environment driven than character driven like MEP was. There will be way less reoccurring characters, but potentially more characters overall and more varied locations.

-I promised myself the chapters won't be nearly as long. MEP's 20-ish tabloid size pages per chapter is entirely too much. I'm aiming for about 10-15 letter sized pages per chapter. I'm also going to use the quick and dirty art style of One Step Beyond because the line art is always the most time consuming part. It's not my favorite style, but it's way faster.

-Because of this, the whole thing will be much more rapid-fire and visually oriented. Less dialog overall (or more dialogue in each panel) with more emphasis on visuals. MEP was drawn much like a story board, but I'd prefer MOOTIM to look and feel more like a true comic book.

-I've worked out the major plot points of the first few chapters. Now I just have to fill in the gaps.

-There's a 99% chance nothing will be released this year. I like to have a bunch of pages ready to go long before I start posting, so there's still a lot of work to be done before I have anything to show for it.

-I reserved a Tumblr url, but I it will just be for the development blog. I've come to the conclusion Tumblr is an awful place to post comic pages regardless of format, so it will likely just be posted on Comicfury, DA and Neocities.

-Because this comic is meant to be so all-encompassing, it will likely be the last major web comic I ever do. I'm 34 years old and I only see my life getting busier from here, so I don't know if I'll ever have enough time to do this sort of thing again. Granted, this comic may go on for quite a while if I can streamline the process enough, so it could very well last just as long as MEP did (6 years), possibly longer?

[starleska]

If you ever make a fanfic.

I will need it and read it for life.

anon, i'm about to make your day - i have indeed written a fanfic before!! greatest hits include 'the diamond cum' fic, and the 'Star puts their daddy issues on full display through the depraved behaviour of a man one hair away from being bald' fic 😉

ahahahaha no for real, i'm guessing this is about writing for Jack Horner?? because i'd love to!! honestly i have so many ideas and so much inspiration from chatting with you guys... i am just Super Swamped with art commissions, MEP parts and my real life work at the moment!! i take a long time to write fic (so sorry to those of you still waiting on the next Baldi chapter 😭) and want it to be Just Right.

... however. you may successfully bully me into it if you keep talking about how sexy the evil purple man is 😳

[myevilplantosavetheworld]

Working on re-edits for the final chapters of MEP. The last major thing I decided to fix was changing the design of the final Big Hurt in the moon base to a different, more intimidating robot. This one’s based on a coconut crab, which is the second-most intimidating crab I can think of.

[lmlaw2]

Fee Of Expenses Sample Clauses: 36k Samples

While the Mother’s $180/mo health insurance costs are added to the duty, it isn't deducted from her share, since she doesn’t actually pay any help to herself. By virtue of adding the $180 to the child help worksheet, Father’s assist obligation goes up by $82/mo, so he effectively pays forty section 7 expenses five.7% of Mother’s prices, and she or he pays the rest. In the case of an obligor who is in arrears in baby assist payments to the obligee, any internet income from extra employment must be used to pay the arrearages until the arrearages are paid in full.

Often, these amounts are set off, so that only one web cost is made. If you have experienced a change to your financial state of affairs because of COVID-19, you must contacted your MEP case officer immediately to rearrange for a fee plan and obtain further information. Banaszek Family Law assists clients requiring legal help throughout section 7 expenses this time. We can help you with negotiating a new baby assist order or agreement, or setting up an interim fee plan with MEP to assist you financially until the Courts reopen or your economic state of affairs changes. The Federal Child Support Guidelines make it very clear that children should profit from the revenue of each dad and mom.

In-kind or vendor funds which would normally be excluded as earnings however are converted in whole or partly to a direct cash payment under a federally approved demonstration project or waiver of provisions of Federal law shall be excluded from earnings. Reimbursements made within section 7 expenses the type of vendor funds are excluded on the same foundation as reimbursements paid directly to the household in accordance with paragraph of this section. Assistance offered under a program in a State by which no GA funds may be made on to the family within the form of cash.

The settlement went on to provide that these funds could be utilized off-the-top to the future post-secondary expenses and any unpaid expenses had been to be shared by the parties in proportion to their incomes. There are also situations the place major health care prices are incurred for a single event corresponding to orthodontics or major accidents. For financial causes, this will require the custodial mother or father to pay the provider for the quantity not covered by insurance coverage over numerous years.

You'll begin your qualification determination by checking whether your gross revenue is low sufficient for Chapter 7. Some states classify private tax debt and pupil loan obligations as enterprise debt, so particular person filers in these states may also be succesful of keep away from taking the means check. You'll qualify if your gross income is within your state's Chapter 7 chapter income limits.

[gailynovelry]

There are four(?) chapters left of Breathing Gods. Three of them are Crislie chapters.

[mageofseven]

When Heat Cools: A MephistoMC Love Story

Chapter 10

Taglist: @astroseuss @fcxyviixen @jar-of-moondust @marvelous-maniac @ghost-mint @darkflowerav @missloserqueen

TW: Child abuse? None actually takes place. It's more so a mother speaking her concerns about the potential of it happening to her kids because of the state of society, but I thought I would mention this just in case.

When MC woke up later, the first thing she sensed was smooth silk. Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly took in her environment.

The human was under soft, dark purple blankets and in a room with a similar purple theme.

She stared into space, waiting for the fog to leave her brain. Where was she exactly? What happened?

She...right. She came to meet Mephisto's parents. So this is...some where in his house? Maybe his room?

But...where was he? Where was Mephisto?

The woman turned to the edge of the bed, letting the silk sheets slide off her as she sat up and slowly rose to her feet.

She was still a bit tired, but otherwise felt fine; the human saw no point in staying bed when she would rather search for her boyfriend.

MC poked her head out the door and into the hall before stepping out. No one, not even a servant was around. It was a bit eerie to the woman, but supposed that was just how it went when you owned a mansion of this size.

The human...she really felt out of her element in this home. Without her boyfriend, she felt like nothing more than a trespasser in a home of...well, demons, but not the real kind; more like the kind most humans think demons are.

The human softly stepped down the hall, overly aware of how each step echoed down the big hall. Despite how she first compared this mansion to Diavolo's castle, it wasn't the nearly the same to her outside of their sizes. At Dia's, MC always felt so warm and comfortable there, like it was a second home to her.

This...this place felt as she was being--

"It's you!"

All of a sudden, a small force bumped into MC and pushed her into the wall, eliciting a yelp from the woman.

MC looked down and saw a small boy hugging onto her waist, pressing his cheek into her belly happily. He had reddish brown hair and dark eyes, looking to be about nine or so in appearance.

The boy pulled back up.

"You're my brother's pretty girl!" He smiled up at her before pouting. "You can't just randomly sleep like that though. You made Mepi upset."

How...was she supposed to respond to this? The woman felt like her brain was buffering in the moment.

"I...I'm sorry." She told the boy. "Can you tell me where your brother is--"

"Abbie!"

The two look up and find Mephisto speed walking towards them.

The little boy let go of her and waved frantically to his brother.

"Mepi! The pretty lady woke up~"

Mephisto sighed as he approached them.

"Her name is MC, Abbie."

"Oh ok." Abbie nodded. "MC's awake now~"

"I do have eyes, brother." He gave the small boy a soft smile before looking to MC in concern. "How are you feeling?"

"I...I dunno." She mumbled. "Tired, but not like sleepy tired? And a bit hungry?"

He nodded.

"The chef is almost finished with the food." He explained. "I promised you a meal earlier and I'm keeping my word no matter what."

Mephisto reached out and took his girlfriend's hand. Mimicking his big brother, Abbie reached out and took her other hand with a big smile, swinging their arms back and forth.

"Are we gonna take her to the dining room now?"

The older brother raised his eyebrows.

"I am taking to her to go eat. You, however, still have homework to finish before bed."

The little boy pouted, dark eyes staring up at Mep as he pressed his cheek to MC's arm.

Mephisto immediately faltered.

"I...well, you can walk with us to the dining room." The older brother gave in a bit. "However, I need time to talk with her alone, adult to adult."

"About baby things?"

Sure, why not?

"Yes, exactly." He smiled at his brother before looking back to MC. "Are you ready to go eat?"

MC nodded, feeling a bit more relaxed with them both at her side.

The human knew Mephisto had a little brother, but not much else. It wasn't even Mephisto who told her this; it was Diavolo. Despite putting on this act like he and his family were some kind of pride of the Devildom, the nobleman had been surprisingly tight-lipped about his family over the years.

The woman used to ask him about them back before they were dating and had quickly learned the confusing taboo nature of the topic. Now that she saw the two together...she had to admit, she had even more questions.

She knew his brother was younger, but this much younger? The age difference was so big that when you look at the two, you could almost believe Abbie could be his son and not his brother

Except even then, the two surprisingly don't even look too much a like. While Mephisto has his long, wavy purple hair and green eyes, Abbie has somewhat curly brown hair and dark eyes. The two barely looked related.

Still, it was still a sweet sight. MC could tell he cared dearly for his little brother.

With these thoughts, the three of them traveled through the big mansion to get to the dining room, Abbie skipping by her side the whole way there.

The woman smiled, watching the happy child be off in his own little world beside her. Unbeknownst to her, while she was watching Abbie, Mephisto was watching her with a soft, loving gaze.

Once the trio made it to the dining room, the nobleman let go of his girlfriend's hand to pull out her seat. Abbie immediately let go of her hand too, insisting that he wanted to help as well

And so MC had both big and little brother pull her seat out, guide her to her seat (this was mostly Abbie; sweet boy was just so excited), and then push her seat back up to the table a bit.

"Now with that done," Mep turned to his brother. "You should really head off before Mother catches you. And as far as I'm concerned, I did not catch you slacking on your Tibetan homework and this conversation never happened."

The child gave a big grin and in the dining room lighting, MC was able to see more clearly that the boy was missing a tooth, one of the vampire-like fangs he inherited from his mother. This made the boy's smile look both somewhat awkward and adorable at the same time.

Do demons have some sort of equivalent to the tooth fairy here, MC wondered? If not, would that be something she would want to introduce to her children when they are old enough to lose teeth?

As random as it might sound, it is only now occuring to her how with raising her kids in the Devildom that she will really need to put some thought in what aspects from her own culture she wants her kids to grow up with because otherwise, they really won't be exposed to them like she was without her actively introducing those aspects to them.

And yes, this realization came to her because of this adorable little boy and his missing tooth.

After a few more words between the brothers, the little boy runs off and Mephisto takes a seat next to his girlfriend just as some servants bring her food out and set it in front of her.

MC didn't even hesitate; the woman picked up her silverware and began eating. In truth, she hasn't eaten since breakfast so she was very hungry, but she wasn't about to let her boyfriend know that fact.

Mid bite, the human glanced over at the demon and found that he was staring at her, watching her eat the food he had his chef prepare for her.

The man blushed and looked away.

"Someone was staring." She teased him, just like she used to.

"I...I was doing no such thing."

MC released a small chuckle before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you for the food. Really."

The nobleman nodded, watching her take another bite as she looked away.

"So...we have to talk, right?"

The man purse his lips.

"You fainted the very moment you stepped in the same room as my parents." He reminded her. "Of course I would like to know why that happened."

MC laid her fork down, staring down at her plate with a heavy expression.

"Mi corazón?"

"When I first got here with Dorian," She began, avoiding his gaze. "I...he took my hand to help me out of the car. When I took it...I had a vision."

Mep's eyes wide before he took her hand in his.

"This is what caused your episode out in the car, isn't it?"

MC nodded.

"It...It was like the other visions though." She explained. "When I took Dorian's hand...it was...it was his past I saw."

Tears filled the human's eyes.

"I saw him at the bottom of some pit, being attacked by--"

Her boyfriend put a hand over her mouth.

"Mi corazón, please." The nobleman scanned the room, making sure no one was in hearing distance to the best of his ability before removing his hand and kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry, I--I know exactly what you are referring to and it's not something we can discuss openly in my home."

His girlfriend finally met his eyes, staring in disbelief.

"You know she--"

"I know my family all too well," He explained. "And that's all I'll say for now."

Still, the nobleman now understands why his girlfriend fainted. Seeing such a traumatic moment of the past and then having to walk into the room and discover that one of the people you came to meet was the abuser from that memory? That was a lot for anyone to take in.

MC turned away from him again.

How? How has that horrible woman gotten away with it, seemingly without even the slightest of punishments?

It was horrible. It was cruel. It was scary.

And if she was feeling so sick and overwhelmed like this over it, imagine how Dorian must feel? He works under that woman. He has to around the woman that did that to him day in, day out and who knows how long ago that truly was considering how long demons live?

As hungry as the expecting woman was, she was also now so sick, a deep nausea spreading through her stomach at the horrible realization going through her head.

"MC?" Mephisto called her name, noticing how the woman paled a bit.

"...I can't eat anymore."

He sighed. She barely touched her food.

The nobleman rose from his chair and guided her up from her own (and placing an anti-poison charm on her food just in case 'cause...well, this is his parents we're talking about so he's taking no chances with her unattended food) before leading her out of the room.

The couple went down the hall and through an oddly plain looking door (compared to the rest in the overly extravagant home) before carefully taking some steps down into an old, dusty room filled with old books, shelves, and boxes.

Honestly, the human doubted the servants even came down here often to clean, let alone her boyfriend's parents for any reasons.

"Why are we down here?"

"It's...a safer place to talk." Mep explained. "I used to hide down here as a child so I can vouch for it's privacy."

He led her over to the built-in bench by the window, which gave the couple a nice view of the Devildom's moons, but instead of having her sit next to him, the man had his girlfriend sit on his lap.

Mephisto held her close, his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry you had to see...Dorian in such a state; that was a long time ago."

"I don't care how long ago it was!" She argued. "Why--I just--how could she get away with something like that?"

"My mother brought our family back to it's former glory when she married into it and by doing so, she holds the true power, not my father." He explained. "There's...very little that can be done about it internally."

"Mephisto, she forced herself on him. Isn't there some sort of law about this stuff here?"

"Not back then." Her boyfriend shook his head. "Dorian is...he isn't a demon, not fully; his mother was a human, a witch who stayed in the Devildom long ago for her research. Hybrids never used to have the same rights as us, not until Lord Diavolo took over. Unfortunately, my mother's actions were completely legal at the time."

"That's..." MC wrapped an arm around her belly protectively.

That's not just how his family saw children between demons and humans; it was a societal view back then. Dorian was seen as a lesser person solely because of his human genetics, because of his human mother. Back then, that was enough for Mephisto's mother abuse towards Dorian and people like him to be seen as permissable.

What would the demons here think of her kids? MC has always thought of the Devildom as a safe place, but the truth of the matter was that she knew very little of the horrors that went on here that felt like just yesterday to those around here despite occuring long before she was born.

Even with new laws in place...has there been enough social change within demonic society? Will her children actually be safe here or will they be seen just as Dorian was (or is?) or worse for being such rare spiritual mix that they will actually be like the first generation of humanity (whatever that even means. This poor woman still doesn't fully understand what that means).

Mephisto noticed her protectively cover her belly with her arm and immediately lowered both his arms to her belly too.

"No one's going to harm them." He vowed, knowing exactly where her thoughts were going. "Especially how Dorian was harmed."

"But are there still people who would want to?" She stressed. "Are there still demons who would look at our children and believe they'd have some sickening right to do as they please with them?"

Mephisto closed his eyes and held her tighter as he took a deep breath. It was his job to comfort her, he knew this. However, this was just as upsetting of a topic for him as it was for her.

"Here in the capital city...there is very little to worry about in that regard." Her boyfriend promised, tone controlled as he tried not to think too much about all of this, about some demon actually looking down on his children in this way. "However, there is a reason Lord Diavolo doesn't permit any exchange students from leaving the city. Here, he has the most influence and even those who oppose his views must play by his rules. Out beyond the capital however...it becomes more difficult to enforce such laws."

Mephisto leaned in and gave his girlfriend a slow, deep kiss, as if he meant to communicate every ounce of his love and devotion to this woman through it.

"You have nothing to worry about." He swore to her when he broke the kiss. "You have me right here, always, along with my family name as a shield. You also have Diavolo and his own loud care for you. You even have the brothers who...despites my own opinions, are still somehow well-respected lords of this land."

Mephisto gave her belly a gentle rub and kissed her neck.

"Both you and our children are going to be the most heavily defended people in the three realms." He cracked a small smile at this thought. "No one is going so much as brush a finger tip against you or our children and if they would dare to try, they obviously wouldn't be the most intelligent of our kind to begin with."

I mean, who looks at a mother and her kids, surrounded by the literally prince of hell, a demon of darkness, and seven lords of hell and truly thinks 'I can take them'.

No one with a braincell, I assure you.

[julemmaes]

Pinky Promise - Chapter Four

A/N: I love them so much and if they don't kiss in the immediate future I'm gonna sue myself. This is some fluffy-whump shit I don’t even know, I tried to update earlier this time, I hope I didn’t fuck anything up and please please be nice if you don’t like the chapter cause today was hard - we found out my uncle is positive and my parents might be at risk (me as well) and it’s not good. Enjoy!:)

Fic masterlist

Word count: 4,779

Nesta sat on the armchair in Cassian's apartment and stared at the void, clutching her hands around her cup of tea.

She had been there for thirty minutes, joined by her boyfriend, and they had both said only a few words. She was terrified at the idea of having to force herself to listen to him and he, unaware of the battle that was raging inside her, seemed not to want to drop this crazy idea.

"I spoke with Feyre this morning," Nesta murmured. Cassian's head snapped up, a not too convinced smile flashed on his lips, inciting her to continue. "She told me I should listen to you."

The half smile turned into a proper one at her words, but he got serious when she gave him a dirty look, "Why?"

"She said that if you've gone so far as to call this insane mission of yours a dream, then it must be important." she held the cup even tighter between her fingers. Cassian followed the movement with his eyes, frowning. "She says I can't clip your wings. That it would do us more harm than the prospectus of you dying in combat, apparently." her sharp tone that of a woman who leaves no witnesses.

He stiffened in his seat, "Nes..."

"I'm not saying that she's right. I'm not going to give you my consent to do shit like that, not yet..." she pointed out, looking him straight in the eye, "But I want you to explain to me how it would work."

She saw the second hope ignited in his irises. The moment he knew that if he used the right words, if he pushed the right buttons, he would be able to make her give in. And Nesta wanted to shut herself down. She wanted to throw the cup against the wall and yell at him how stupid, stupid, stupid he had been to think such a thing.

She wanted to tear her hair out because the man in front of her was the only thing that hadn't brought her down in the last ten years and now he was slipping through her fingers, and she couldn't do anything to avoid it.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, pushing himself forward in the chair and resting his elbows on his knees. He wasn't smiling openly, but she could see that the conversation was making him happy.

She licked her lips and saw him swallow.

They hadn't kissed in about four days and Nesta was counting the minutes since their mouths had touched before they started fighting, wondering if it would be the last one every second that passed.

"I want to know everything." she stammered, "What should you do now, right now, to prepare to join the army?"

He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up, "I'll have to take a medical examination, of course, and do a physical screening." He began, "This will be held in MEPS, which stands for Military Entrance Processing Station," Nesta had a feeling that she would remain silent for much of the explanation, without interfering. Not because she didn't want to, but because she could better absorb the information and all the acronyms he would spill on her.

As if she had been in class and they were explaining yet another protocol.

"I'll have to go there to process into the army." he looked her in the eye, "Basically, I'm gonna spend a night in an hotel, chosen by them. You can come visit me with the others, but you'll have to leave at ten and-" he stopped, arching his eyebrows, "Do you want the details of what I'm gonna do or?

She stopped him, "Please, tell me everything."

Something in her voice must have moved him, because he looked at her carefully before he resumed, "Alright, I'm gonna get a call at four in the morning, I'll get breakfast there at the hotel cause they do that for you," he said as if it were something to be applauded.

She snorted, "I think that's the least."

She wasn't ready to thank an organization that would surely destroy her family just because it would give her boyfriend a free breakfast.

Cassian glared, "And then we're all there at MEPS at five."

The fact that Cassian already saw a "we" in the army made her skin crawl.

"They'll assign me to a liason and that person is gonna explain what the day will entail and what we should expect."

He took a deep breath, easing some of the tension in his shoulders. He did that so often, "Then, there's the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, that I'm gonna call ASVAB from now on. It is a mock test used to screen applicants to ensure that they mesure up to the high standards that are required."

And here it was, his recruiter voice. Nesta didn't think he would mention other propaganda videos, like the night before, but it seemed exactly like he was doing that while saying, "The main reason this test exists is because for Prythian Armed Forces it's important that they employ people who show strong levels of enthusiasm and skill." he winked at her and Nesta had to make an effort not to throw the cup at him, "You know, in order to maintain a great level of service and professionalism."

He puffed his cheeks, with thoughtful expression, tapping a finger on his lips, "There are nine subtests to this thing." And then he started counting on his fingers, "There are General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, World Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge, Electronics Information, Auto and Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension and Assembling Objects."

He stood up, took the phone at the center of the coffee table and passed it to her. She hesitantly picked it up and saw only a picture of a book, "There are plenty of sites and a specific book with sample questions I'll need to try out." he pointed the phone into her hands, "Just like a normal exam, same exact stuff."

He joked that he would need her to study, but she didn't change her expression, putting the phone on the coffee table and taking a sip of her tea.

"I'm gonna get a medical briefing and after that I have to get an exam with some physicians," he continued, "Once I'll be done with medical part-"

She interrupted him again, having to stop that dump of information that was being tossed at her, "And at this point you're not enlisted yet, are you?"

Cassian's smile turned soft, "No, baby, this is the moment they see if I'm suitable."

She nodded, "Got it."

He gave her the thumbs up, "Resuming, once I'm done with medical, I'll meet up with a counselor and that's the part where I negotiate a job. We'll talk about this later." he cracked his fingers, sighing, "With that being done, I'll go to the processing section, they'll do what they have to and at this point, I'll take the Oath of Enlistment, where I'd like you to be there."

He looked hopefully at her and Nesta closed her eyes, breathing through her nose.

Cassian stood up, approaching her. When she felt his hand on her leg, Nesta opened her eyes and saw him kneeling in front of her, his eyes glowing as he stared up at her.

"And then I'm gonna come home. To you." he whispered, stroking her thigh with his thumb, "And the first part will be done."

She moved her leg, fleeing his touch. She missed him too much and that hand, whether it was a strategy to soften her up, to make her lower her guard or simply because he missed touching her too, was messing with her brain.

Cassian swallowed noisily, clenching his hand in a fist and bringing it to his side. He stood up and sat down on the sofa, as close as possible to her armchair, "I'll return to the MEPS a second time, to begin my path on the army. A second medical inspection, a second oath and final processing and then I'll leave for BMT, which is Basic Military Training," he concluded.

Nesta looked across the room, toward the kitchen, where they had argued heavily just a few hours earlier. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, suddenly feeling weak.

His words appeared behind her eyelids, as clear as the sun.

We can always have children and pursue the careers we want.

He had seemed so sure of what he was saying.

We don't have to choose.

"Sooner or later we will have to..." she whispered.

Cassian pushed himself towards her, "Sorry I didn't hear that."

Nesta passed her hand over her face, "No, nothing," she sighed, "I was just thinking out loud."

He nodded, biting his upper lip.

"Is that why you've been training so hard?" she asked, remembering only then how much more he had actually started working out in the last few weeks. In the last few months.

Cassian responded positively and they continued talking for hours.

Nesta asked question after question: what would happen now, what would change in the immediate future in their lives, when was he supposed to leave Velaris - when was he supposed to leave here.

He explained to her what they were going to do. He would sign the contract for enlistment in a delayed entry so that he could leave in more than six months. So that they could plan everything calmly without the fear that he might be called to start Basic.

The departure date would have been decided together before he left for MEPS. He would apply for a career in the Transportation, Distribution & Logistics field as a Cargo Specialist.

Cassian had opened a web page on his phone and had her read what a job in that field involved.

"Cargo specialists ensure service members all over the world receive needed supplies and are themselves transferred safely and efficiently to their destinations. They are responsible for transferring or supervising the transfer of cargo to and from air, land, and water transport by manual and mechanical methods. They also plan and organize loading schedules." she read aloud.

Exactly what Declan was doing at that moment, he explained.

Cassian remained silent for a few minutes, allowing her time to assimilate any information he had given her. There was still so much to discuss that Nesta's head was bursting at the thought.

Before she could say anything about the fact that they were done for today, the door of the house opened and Azriel entered, with two vases so big that they covered his face, followed by a smiling Elain.

Cassian puffed and looked at her, whispering so that the others would not hear him, "I can't wait to have our own house," Nesta felt her heart implode, "so no one would ever come into the middle of our arguments to interrupt." she knew that his was a poor attempt to make her laugh, but she had completely turned her brain off.

She was used to talking about these things with him. Her heart hadn't hurt at the idea of the two of them just living together. Her whole body had hurt at the idea that in that house, there would only be her. No one else.

Even if they spent the next six months looking for the perfect house and found it, she would be alone.

Because Cassian would be overseas.

She turned to him, really looking at him and concentrating on the long black eyelashes that were fluttering fast.

She caught her breath, rising abruptly and Elain realized at that moment that she and Azriel were not alone. Both of them seemed more than surprised to find her in their living room, but, exchanging a quick glance, they decided not to say anything about it.

Azriel put the large vases on the floor, taking the smaller ones she was carrying out of Elain's hand, "Hello," greeted both of them and Cassian stood up in turn, turning to the newcomers and giving them a tight smile, "have you read the messages?" Azriel asked, taking off his coat and scarf that Elain had knitted for him.

Nesta smiled slightly.

It was Cassian who shook his head.

"Mor said that Manon arrived early. There was a misunderstanding with the time zones and they got confused with the days, but she's here anyway." Elain sounded excited, "Dinner at hers tonight."

"Fuck." Nesta murmured, running a hand over her face. She grunted in pain thinking of the headache she would have the next morning when she was due back at work. The week she spent at home on vacation had certainly made it easier for her to lay in bed without having to spend hours in the bookshop.

Cassian turned to her, slightly worried, "We don't have to go if you don't want to".

We.

Azriel looked closely at them and when he crossed Nesta's gaze, he sighed.

"We-" she began, "We?" she asked sarcastically, laughing in his face.

She was getting angry and had to try to control all the emotions roaring inside her.

After all the things he had decided without her, there was still an us. Apparently.

Cassian seemed to be in trouble, "I'm sorry," he whispered, "You don't have to come if you don't feel well." he corrected himself, "I'm sure Mor can arrange a meeting with just the three of you."

Nesta looked him in the face, clenching her jaw, "I'm going."

Elain let go an excited scream and went up to her, "I'm glad you're coming too."

They exchanged a quick hug and the older one almost cried.

She didn't realize how much the lack of physical contact weighed on her. And how more than half of that contact came from Cassian.

***

"Hey girls, come on in!" Mor greeted Nesta and Feyre with a bright smile on her lips.

As soon as they entered the house, they smelled the smell of baked pasta and both their mouths watered.

"Amren and Varian are in the kitchen with Manon and Rhys is wandering around the house somewhere, so," she told them, informing them on who was already there. Then she took one look at Nesta, "You're sure you and Cassian can stay in the same room without jumping at each other's throats?"

Feyre giggled next to them, shutting up immediately when Nesta looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

She turned to Mor, "He promised me he wouldn't bring up the army topic tonight and I promised him I wouldn't get mad about anything he said, so there shouldn't be any problems."

The blonde didn't seem so convinced, but then someone called her from the kitchen and her face lit up. She grabbed them both by the hand and dragged them into the other room, where a tall girl, with almost blinding white hair, was standing with a pan in her hand. When she saw them, she opened her eyes wide and flashed them a smile.

Feyre raised her hand in greeting and Nesta smiled tightly.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry," Mor approached Manon, taking the food and placing it in the center of the table.

"Baby, these are two of the three sisters, Nesta," she said, pointing to the eldest, who reached out to Manon to shake her hand, "and Feyre, the youngest of our group."

"Pleased to meet you," murmured Feyre, blushing under the inquisitive gaze of Manon.

The girl smirked, "The pleasure is all mine." then she turned to Mor, "Our Morrigan told me that you were all very beautiful, but I didn't think I'd join a group of models."

Amren, who hadn't taken her eyes off Nesta until then, snickered, "And we're the modest ones, just wait until Rhys and Cass are in the same room and we'll have a hard time breathing from how much space their egos will take up."

Feyre laughed, "You say that as if Azriel didn't know he was the most charming one in the group," then turned to Varian, "Nothing personal," she joked, sitting between Amren and Mor. The boy shook his head smiling, always with his silent manner.

"At least dear Az remains humble and does not go around proclaiming himself Miss Velaris," said Mor.

"It happened only once and I was drunk off my ass."

Rhysand entered the kitchen with his usual grin on his face, sitting next to Nesta.

He greeted the sisters with a quick smile, and she saw Feyre smiling back as if they hadn't yelled at each other five nights earlier.

She looked around, trying to figure out if she had missed something in the last few days or if she was really the only one who just couldn't let things go.

It was true, she wasn't going to cause Mor any trouble that night and she certainly wasn't going to spoil everyone's dinner by arguing with Cassian, but she wasn't going to pretend it was all okay either. Looking at each person at that table, however, it seemed that the fight that everyone had heard had never happened.

They were talking about the university and the jobs they had and Manon seemed more than calm and comfortable in that group. Feyre, strangely enough, was the one who was the most involved in the conversation and Nesta realized with no small apprehension that it must have been because Tamlin didn't let her make new friends so often.

Manon was a flower that had just bloomed in the burnt lawn that was her sister's life.

When the other three arrived, Azriel had one arm around Elain's shoulders and Cassian, behind them, had shiny eyes. Nesta knew very well that he was not crying or drunk. That was the face Cassian had when he was exhausted and only two days of deep sleep could fix that.

Manon and Mor had got up to make introductions and Nesta had burst out laughing when the newcomer had extended her hand to Az and said, "You must be Lucien. You and Elain are a splendid couple."

Elain laughed and shrugged Azriel off, "Oh, no. He is Azriel. Lucien's not coming tonight."

Mor had cast a long look at her girlfriend and Manon had apologized, smirking, as if she had done it on purpose.

Nesta knew very well that the blonde in their group often talked about the relationships-non-relations within their circle, so Manon must have known that no one in that house really believed that Elain loved Lucien. At least, no one in that house believed that Lucien was the right person for Elain.

There was a time when Nesta was convinced that he was going to propose to her. That sweet little Ellie would finally leave the nest and build her family elsewhere, but whenever she was asked questions about their relationship, she seemed indifferent. She cared about Lucien, she did, and it was obvious.

But maybe that wasn't enough anymore.

Azriel had introduced himself for who he really was and then rushed to the table, sitting next to her, red from head to toe. Nesta bent over to him, making a joke about what had just happened, and then whispered, "Thank you." Azriel raised a confused eyebrow. "For sitting here," she pointed to the chair, "I didn't want to have to spend the whole evening next to him."

He smiled at her, clutching her knee under the table and reassuring her that it was not a problem.

When they all sat back down to eat, Manon was looking at her and smiling at her in a reassuring way. Whatever Mor had told her, the white-haired girl knew more about them all than she let on.

Cassian didn't speak to her the whole time, too lost to have a chat with Varian and she was grateful that both of them were sitting on the same side of the table, because she didn't risk crossing his gaze, not once.

Also because she was sure that if he looked at her even for a moment, he would notice that something was wrong and that Nesta was not feeling well.

When Mor put the wine on the table, half of them refused the alcohol, finding a plausible excuse that they would all have to work the next day, but Nesta knew every person at that table like the back of her hand and she knew that Feyre had refused because she would have argued with Tamlin if she drank without him being there. Elain would bring up things that weren't supposed to go out in such a context and she and Cassian would start fighting, driven by the liquid courage in their glasses.

Halfway through the meal, Nesta got up to go to the bathroom and as soon as she shut the door behind her, she sighed closing her eyes.

Cassian was right when he told her that she should not come. Her headache was getting worse and she couldn't concentrate on anything that was being said.

She sat on the closed toilet and put her hands to her face.

She felt her fingertips tingling and her stomach hurt so much that she would not be surprised if she vomited all over the table when she got back.

She had to go home and sleep and not think about anything.

She heard the others burst out laughing and suppressed a groan of pain when her ears started ringing.

She was dying, she could feel it.

She came out of the bathroom staggering, almost as if she were high on drugs.

Leaning on the wall for support she managed to return to the kitchen and covered her eyes with one hand, sheltering herself from the light. She coughed to call Mor's attention and they all turned towards her.

Nesta sighed for the umpteenth time, "I'm really sorry but I don't feel so good and I'd rather go home," she stepped to the table, approaching Manon and offering her a tired smile, "It was nice to meet you, I hope you can come back soon and visit us."

She had no idea what she was saying, the ringing in her ears became louder and louder.

Cassian stood up and everyone's attention shifted to him, "Do you want me to give you a ride?" he was already slipping out of his seat.

Nesta shook her head, grimacing, "No, there's no need-"

"You're sick, you shouldn't drive in these conditions," said Amren, looking at her severely.

Feyre came to her aid, "If you want I can take you. I can go out with them tomorrow," she said, pointing to her friend and her visiting girlfriend. Mor nodded, looking at her pale face and looking more concerned than necessary.

"Nesta," whispered Cassian, "please."

The fact that no one was making fun of him for literally begging her to drive her home made her realize that others had also sensed the emotion in his voice.

She looked him in the eye and nodded slightly with her head.

She saw Cassian sag with relief and then he was gone to the other room, fetching their stuff for her. She arranged with the sisters how they would return home and Azriel reassured her that one way or another they would safely go home. This made her slightly agitated as Azriel wore that stupid sneer he had every time he exaggerated with wine. Elain told her that she would be driving, since both Az and Rhys did not seem to be properly sober, and Nesta calmed down. She was about to thank Mor again when she felt the weight of the jacket on her shoulders.

She turned and smiled gently at Cassian, who had a tired and worried look on his face and shifted his gaze over her cheeks as if he could find the illness on her skin and remove it only by willpower.

He put his arm around her shoulders when she got dressed and said goodbye to everyone one last time, while Nesta, tired of being angry and on the verge of another hysterical crisis, snuggled up against him, letting herself be dragged out of the apartment and into the car.

As soon as she sat down, she leaned her head against the backrest and closed her eyes, yawning.

"Let me," Cassian murmured to her. He looked at her hopefully and it took her a few seconds to realize that he was asking her if he could fasten her seatbelt. She nodded almost imperceptibly, swallowing when he smiled at her and stretched over her to reach the other side of the seat.

She breathed the air deeply and had to close her eyes tightly when his scent ran over her and tears made their way under her eyelids.

She missed him so much.

Cassian closed her door carefully and then went around the car, settling down behind the wheel.

Like the last time they had been in the car together, he was not putting the keys in the patch and she was getting nervous.

She didn't have the strength to argue at that moment and if Cassian had offered to accompany her and she had accepted without too much fuss, it meant that her body knew it too.

"What is it?" he asked her finally, starting the car.

Nesta looked at him from the side, with a lost look, "Everything hurts, I think I might have a fever".

Throwing her a look full of worry, he said, "Why don't you close your eyes for a while? I'll wake you up when we get to your house."

She nodded and leaned her forehead against the cold window.

It wasn't long before she fell asleep, lulled by the gentle humming of Cassian and the rocking movement of the car.

When she woke up, she was no longer in the seat of her boyfriend's Jeep, but someone was carrying her and her head fell right and left as she was being bounced up the stairs. She tried to open her eyes and recognized the stairwell of her building.

She had her head resting on his chest, one arm around her back and one under her legs to support her.

"Sssh," he murmured into her hair, "we are almost there."

She grunted in pain, whimpering and almost crying when Cassian had to put her down to get the keys and open the front door. Her feet touched the ground and she leaned completely against him, gasping against his chest.

She didn't even have the strength to touch him and her arms were dangling along her sides. It was as if her legs had become jelly, she couldn't stand on her own.

"Sweetheart," he called her and she moaned, "I know, I'm sorry," he rubbed his hands on her back, stroking her gently, "but you have to give me a moment to open the door. So I can take you inside and you can sleep."

Nesta couldn't see anything and if she tried to keep her eyes open, everything would spin, but she still heard the hint of panic in his voice and could picture the worry painted on his face. Clenching her teeth she pulled herself away from Cassian and backed against the wall, "Hurry up," she said through her teeth.

The door was opened in a second and then Cassian picked her up without her even noticing. He took her directly to her room and as soon as she touched the bed, she sighed, pressing her face against the pillow.

Cassian took off her shoes and pants, helping her slip into her pajamas and covering her legs with the comforter. When he tried to pull her up to sit down, Nesta twisted, her head pounding.

"I know everything hurts, but if I let you sleep in your bra, tomorrow your ribs will hurt even more," he explained to her, sitting on the mattress, "Lean on me and I'll take care of it, Nes," she laid down, her head turned to the other side.

She heard him sigh and then Cassian's arms wrapped around her chest. She leaned completely against him with her eyes closed as she cried silently. The pain had reached overwhelming levels.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, she heard him murmuring when she sobbed.

Once he had removed her shirt and bra and put the top of her pajamas on, he laid her gently on the bed and put the comforter on her so that she was not exposed to the cold.

She felt Cassian's lips on her forehead a second before sleep took over.

“I promise we’ll get through this, too.”

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[useless-catalanfacts]

9 Dec 2020. Raphael Tsavkko Garcia - Brazilian journalist and researcher.

How Spain, allegedly, came close to being invaded by Russia

The latest far-fetched accusation the Spanish state directed at the leaders of the Catalan independence movement could well be from a cheap spy novella.

Europe could have looked strikingly different today if Catalan politicians took Russia up on its alleged offer to help Catalonia achieve independence in 2017 – at least according to the Spanish authorities.

If only they said “da” and agreed to recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea as legitimate, a clandestine Russian group founded during the Gorbachev era would have sent 10,000 men to Barcelona to force the Spanish state into submission and, amid much chaos and bloodshed, declare former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont as the president of the independent Republic of Catalonia. The Kremlin, meanwhile, would have paid off all of Catalonia’s national debt and supported the new country in the international arena, leaving the European Union embarrassed and divided.

This is not the plot of a cheap spy novella, but the latest far-fetched accusation the Spanish state directed at the leaders of the Catalan independence movement to undermine the legitimacy of their struggle.

Of course, as we all know, Russia did not try to invade Spain to help Catalan pro-independence activists. In fact, it did not even recognise Catalonia as an independent state in the aftermath of the 2017 independence referendum. Moreover, the only “proof” of such an offer ever being made is a recording the Spanish police allegedly found on the confiscated phone of a Catalan politician. So far, the authorities provided no indication that the offer was ever considered by Puigdemont, nor did they provide any additional evidence that there had been an offer. 

However, the authorities pointed to these unsubstantiated claims as one of the reasons behind a massive police operation against the leaders of the Catalan independence movement, which resulted in the arrests of 21 senior Catalan politicians and activists on October 28. 

While the authorities accused the arrested individuals of a variety of crimes, from misuse of public funds and abuse of office to money laundering, the fact that they codenamed the operation “Volkhov” in reference to the World War II front where Spanish fascists fought alongside the Nazis against the Soviet Union clearly indicated that their primary aim was to add weight to their claims that Russia is tacitly supporting the Catalan independence movement. 

People not familiar with the Spanish state’s relentless harassment and persecution of Catalan activists and politicians may find it shocking that a police operation has been named after such a dark chapter in Spanish history, or that state authorities publicly accused an overwhelmingly peaceful political movement of considering unleashing a 10,000-strong Russian militia on Europe on such flimsy evidence. But the Spanish security forces have long been acting as if they are working not for a democratic European state but an erstwhile fascist dictatorship. And being spied on, unlawfully jailed, and accused of treason and terrorism merely for their political views, sadly, is a daily reality for Catalans fighting for independence. 

Since the 2017 independence referendum, the Spanish state has been working round the clock to intimidate and silence Catalan activists and elected officials. In 2019, the Spanish Supreme Court found nine high-profile Catalan politicians guilty of “sedition” for helping organise the independence referendum and sentenced them to 9-13 years in prison. Amnesty International deemed the verdict “an excessive and disproportionate restriction on the peaceful exercise of [the convicted politicians’] human rights” while the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions called for the immediate release of these political prisoners. However, turning a blind eye to these criticisms, the Spanish prosecutors not only refused to reconsider their position but demanded the “re-education in the Constitution” of Catalan political prisoners in order to allow them to leave prison for a few hours a day. 

Many activists and politicians, including Puigdemont, meanwhile, were forced to flee the country to avoid being detained. But pro-independence Catalans lucky enough to find an opportunity to leave the country before being arrested could not escape the Spanish state’s harassment and persecution either. The Spanish Secret service illegally spied on them across the borders of the EU, and the state used all avenues available to it to stop their political activities and secure their extradition back to Spain. 

Puigdemont, who is currently living in exile in Belgium, has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019. However, Spain is actively working to convince the European Parliament to lift his parliamentary immunity – which prevents Madrid from asking for his extradition. Another Catalan MEP, Toni Comín, is in the same situation. Former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, who became an MEP alongside Puigdemont last year, was unable to take his seat in the European Parliament in the first place, as he has been in provisional detention in Spain for the alleged crime of sedition for the last two years. 

Quim Torra, who became the president of the regional government of Catalonia in May 2018 following Puigdemont’s forceful removal from the office, was “disqualified” from the role in September for the unbelievable “crime” of refusing to remove banners in support of the independence movement and Catalan political prisoners from the facade of the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya – the historic building housing the offices of the regional government. 

It is not only prominent movement leaders whom the Spanish government, judiciary, and security forces are trying to intimidate and silence through politically motivated investigations and trumped-up charges. About 700 Catalan mayors are currently being investigated for taking part in the 2017 independence referendum. Many Catalan activists are facing charges for “crimes” like organising strikes and blocking roads. Several activists have been charged with “possessing explosives” – which turned out to be just fireworks. Even Catalonia’s most senior police chiefs faced charges of “sedition” for “not doing enough” to stop Catalan voters from taking part in the 2017 referendum – in the end, they were all acquitted. 

All these efforts failed to put an end to the Catalan desire for self-determination, so it would seem Spanish authorities have decided now to malign the independence movement with ridiculous accusations of collaborating with Russia to reach their political aims and to bring destruction and war to the EU. 

The Catalan leaders never hid the fact that they are willing and ready to talk to all nations, and influential political activists and journalists like Julian Assange, to increase support for their movement. They have also been open about their plans to create a Virtual Catalan Republic, a digital infrastructure not subject to Spanish control, as a way to broaden popular participation in regional politics and also make it more difficult for Spanish justice to intervene in their political activities. They are even trying to create a Catalan cryptocurrency and alternative means of digital payment to free themselves from the clutches of the Spanish banking system. These efforts are managed by the Consell per la República Catalana (Council for the Catalan Republic), a private organisation based in Belgium headed by Puigdemont. 

But none of these efforts and initiatives signals a desire on the part of the independence movement to go to war with the EU, let alone invite Russian troops to Europe. Moreover, the idea that Russia would risk a war with the EU and NATO to help liberate a nation that is nowhere near its own territory is as absurdly ridiculous as it is embarrassing. 

While the EU did nothing to stop Spain’s determined repression of Catalan political freedoms beyond issuing occasional empty statements, Madrid still failed to extinguish the flames of independence and freedom in Catalonia. As a result, the Spanish authorities now seem determined to stir Europe’s deep-rooted fears of Russian intervention to be allowed to increase the pressure they have long been putting on their Catalan citizens. Nevertheless, not even this newly invented “Russian connection” is going to be enough to make Catalans give up on their dream of independence. It may, however, help Hollywood screenwriters come up with the plot of their next action-filled spy thriller.

[eretzyisrael]

On a Spring day in 2018 during the March of Return riots, Palestinians at the Gaza border flew a swastika-emblazoned kite carrying a Molotov cocktail into Israel. From the black smoke of burning tires arose another swastika, only this time interposed between two Palestinian flags. (Was it mere coincidence that this occurred on Adolf Hitler’s birthday?) In this context of Palestinian “return,” the kite is a prolific symbol; for example, advertising for National Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) 2018 conference at UCLA featured an image of a bear flying a kite. That SJP adopted this imagery for the conference’s logo – as if it were somehow a child-like symbol of peaceful protest – demonstrates the organization’s willingness to gloss over the arson that Palestinian terrorists have employed with kites.

In any case, the genocidal imagery that accompanied the rioters in Gaza has a sordid history that many anti-Zionist activists conveniently forget — one that some Palestinians embrace entirely.

The Nazis murdered 6,000,000 Jews and sought to destroy every trace of Jewish life having ever existed, yet it’s a common practice for anti-Zionist critics to liken Israel to the Nazis’ genocidal evil. Libels of this sort are quite common on college campuses.

Last June, for instance, Florida State University (FSU) students discovered that the school’s Student Senate President Ahmad Daraldik had created a virulently antisemitic website to explain his (incorrect) argument that “the Holocaust never ended, it just moved to Palestine.” Unsurprisingly, the FSU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine’s (SJP) subsequent petition defending Daraldik completely ignores this appalling hatred.

Two years prior, renowned professor of law at Harvard University Alan Dershowitz visited the University of California — Berkeley’s campus to present what he described as his “liberal case for Israel.” Rather than engage in productive dialogue, the student newspaper published a cartoon that depicted Dershowitz stomping on a Palestinian child and propping up an Israeli soldier that had shot a young Palestinian. As Dershowitz pointed out, these sorts of blood libels and ritual murder accusations harken back to the Nazi propaganda tabloid Der Sturmer. To make matters worse, a poster with a swastika scrawled on Dershowitz’s face was displayed outside the law school.

In October 2018, a guest lecturer’s presentation at the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art and Design featured a slide with side-by-side photos of Adolf Hitler and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The words “guilty of genocide” were superimposed over both faces.

Ironically, anti-Zionists are correct that the spectre of Nazism indeed haunts the Middle East — only the purveyors of the ideology are assuredly not its Jewish inhabitants.

Antisemitism has always been a part of the Arab world, but after the rise of Nazi Germany, the hatred took on a new meaning to those enraged by the influx of Jewish refugees in then-Mandatory Palestine.

Chief among them was Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, a key founder of the Palestinian national movement and preeminent Islamic jurist who enthusiastically championed Nazism following Hitler’s rise. Relations between the mufti and the Third Reich’s highest-ranking officials went beyond moral support — rather, it was a sadistic partnership.

Reflecting on his time in Berlin as a consultant for Hitler, al-Husseini wrote in his memoirs, “I asked Hitler for an explicit undertaking to allow us to solve the Jewish problem in a manner befitting our national and racial aspirations and according to the scientific methods innovated by Germany in the handling of its Jews. The answer I got was: ‘The Jews are yours.’”

A photograph of Hitler and Husseini discussing the Final Solution is, generally speaking, the extent of people’s seemingly limited understanding of their collaboration. Almost without exception, peddlers of the Israel-Nazi comparisons fail to recognize, for example, the mufti’s complicity in (if not responsibility for) the deaths of an estimated 84,000 Jews, including 4,000 children. As the associate director of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) Alex Safian has documented, “The Mufti influenced the Germans to directly prevent the escape of Jews who otherwise might have survived the war, and he provoked his followers to violence in the Palestine Mandate.”

Sadly, the mufti’s complicity in the Holocaust left an indelible mark on his people, and his influence can still be found in many elements of contemporary Palestinian society more than 70 years since the liberation of the concentration camps and establishment of the modern state of Israel.

The “Nazi Scouts” organized by Husseini and inspired by the Hitler Youth are no longer, but indoctrinating children with antisemitic ideology remains in Palestinian classrooms. In a 2019 resolution, the United Nations — rarely an Israeli benefactor — condemned these practices and called on the Palestinian Authority to remove “any derogatory comments and images from school curricula and textbooks that perpetuate prejudices and hatred.”

Twelve years prior, Palestinian Media Watch director Itamar Marcus published findings that Palestinian textbooks, unsurprisingly, reject Israel’s right to exist and traffic in Holocaust denial. In 2001, German MEP Armin Laschet argued that the hateful content in Palestinian textbooks reminded him of the books published when his country was under Hitler’s reign.

That Hitler’s Mein Kampf was once a bestseller in the Palestinian-controlled territories is especially ironic, given that Holocaust denial is not uncommon in Palestinian media. In fact, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas argued in his 1984 PhD thesis that the Holocaust was grossly exaggerated – that the (entirely correct) assertion that six million Jews were murdered is a “fantastic lie.” In Abbas’ view, the Jews who were killed by the Nazis only perished because the Zionist movement supposedly incited the Nazis.

It wouldn’t be fair to charge the entire Palestinian people with the crime of the Holocaust. But it is important to reckon with the aforementioned historical and contemporary facts and to expose the absurdity, not to mention irony, of Israel-Nazi comparisons tossed around on college campuses.

To falsely equate Jews with their oppressors — all while ignoring actual examples of collaboration with Nazi Germany — is an abberation of justice.