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inviouswriting · 1 year

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Tenderness

This work is 18+ use caution when reading, prefer minors to not interact. You clicking on further is a read at your own risk.

Zhongli x fem!reader

You know my writing by now~ I like how this turned out specially towards the end~

Warnings and content below~

Includes - Breeding kink, fingering, oral, face-sitting/riding, aftercare, unprotected sex, vaginal sex, in front of a mirror sex, affectionate stuff, fluff and smut, masturbation on zhongli’s part, oral on reader receiving, a small bit of dacryphia with needed for emotion direction. consent discussed. All that wonderful stuff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning after the first time you spent your night with Zhongli, you wake up with a pleasant feeling in your chest, and a dull ache in your thighs. The warmth behind you and breathing tells you Zhongli is still there, with his arms wrapped around you. He is as close as he gets to you, keeping you comfortable and well protected. If you could see his face, you would know he’s smiling in his sleep.

You feel that one ache in your stomach and know you need to get up and leave the warmth of the bed and arms. Before you do, you turn over in Zhongli’s arms to see his face. The sight to you is a dishelved former archon, hair loose from its band, arms black and gold. You touch his face, and it is enough for those amber eyes to open and regard you with love in them. You wonder if he had been awake for a while just basking in the morning with you silently.

“Morning, my beloved.” His voice is lower a whisper and raspy from just waking up. You are in awe of how gorgeous he is and your face pinks up at remembering how he was over you the night before. That he had found pleasure in someone like you.

“What are you thinking about, that has you all red in the face?” The lower of his eyes, he knows, and you shrink down to avoid his eyes. One hand slips up to get you to look at him.

“Just... how we were last night.” You admit to him and see the twitch in the corner of his lips up. He recalls the same memory but from his perspective in how you thrashed beneath him or buried your face in the pillows to scream into them as he took you from behind. The soreness in your shoulder from when he bit it in the middle of your passion together.

“I’ll make us something to eat, while you freshen yourself up.” You’re tugged closer to Zhongli, and you squirm in his grasp when he kisses you fully pressing you down into the bed that you feel your face heated up and when Zhongli pulls back from you, you see that gleam in his eyes that was there when you ended up in that bed together.

Zhongli gets up from the bed, placing the blanket back over you to let you hide under the covers from his gaze while he stumbles out unbothered by his own nudity. You are getting a good view of his back, thin lines decorate it from where you scratched his skin, and him with his hands up trying his hair back into its long ponytail. He sets about dressing himself in a loose robe, giving you a smirk at catching you staring at him. You shrink down more till you hear him leave the room.

It is when you are alone is when you sit up in bed and really feel it. You feel the sensation in your legs, the tenderness of your folds from when he was inside of you, the stretch was intense, and you had cried into his shoulder when he first penetrated you. You shyly uncover yourself and get out of the bed to slowly make your way to the washroom to clean yourself up. It’s there you notice the bite on your shoulder while washing your hands and other marks that litter your body. Subtle teeth marks on the insides of your thighs that make you blush, the finger indents on your waist from when he grabbed and rutted into you rougher, along with the tinge of red that still lingers from when he smacked your rear.

The next thing you notice is the bit of cum between your thighs, it makes you freeze at the sight of it. You worry for a second about the idea of what it could lead to with him, you also take pride that you made a former archon lose himself so much that he came from you.

“Does it bother you?” You jump onto the sink hearing Zhongli’s voice behind you, and he’s leaning against the doorframe watching you as you inspect your body, of all the things he had done, he is satisfied with the state he left you in, he laid his claim on and within you clearly. The light unsteady limp is clear, and he knew you would be sore.

“I just didn’t expect you to... inside.” You admit and he closes the distance to hug you from behind. Zhongli nuzzles into the side of your face, and you see him regard you in the mirror, eyes gently glowing under the faint light.

“I can prepare tea to prevent anything if the idea of children is still uncertain. I got carried away in the moment of it all.” You feel ice run down your back, and you actually look to him that he moves his head back to avoid hitting yours with his face.

“N-no! That isn’t what I mean, and I hope I didn’t give the wrong impression. I didn’t expect you inside, but I also... really like it.” He smiles at you confessing this and presses his face against your neck. The robe he is wearing is still loose, and you feel him tug it open then wrap you in it and his arms.

“I’m glad then, that the idea delights you, after all... I would not choose just anyone. We are planning that stage of our lives together.” His hands smooth down to your abdomen resting over leading his fingers down to touch along your skin leading to your folds. Zhongli’s fingers are delicate as he touches the skin starting at your folds gently parting them.

“You are getting a bit cold to be wandering around nude. Will you indulge me, and I will please you again?” He places nibbling kisses along your neck; you feel your shoulders tense up at the idea of being intimate again, but the way he entices you with his nibbling along your neck and how his fingers slip further along.

“Y-you want me again?” It came out as a gasp and your eyes fall onto your own in your reflection, you can see how his own eyes are closed. Zhongli tapers each kiss with gentle pecks, a glimpse of gold towards your own eyes tells you so much with how much they are lit with lust and love.

“I want you again, I want you more than you ever know. To feel you writhe underneath me, to pant and scream my name. To see how you take my seed, see if we are fortunate or... keep having to do this till we are. There were so many times during our beginnings where I desired you like this.” You feel heat against your ear as Zhongli gently takes the edge between his teeth to nip at it.

He turns you in his hold to properly kiss you, you part your lips into it as he guides you backwards till you feel the edge of the counter behind your back. You yelp from the cold against your skin, barely feeling the way Zhongli slips his hands to push your hips closer to his own. You can feel him getting aroused, face flushing more from that than the kiss or the amber eyes boring into your own eyes.

Zhongli tilts your head back to deepen the kiss, letting his emotion out into it and you feel swept up in a whirlwind of intensity. When you part from the kiss you don’t realize you were sitting on the edge of the counter and a very eager former archon kneeling in front of you. He presses kisses along your chest stopping to tease both nipples with squeezes and his mouth sucking on both. Till he is where he wants to be with your legs draped over his shoulders and relying on him for support.

“A-are you sure? I mean... I still have that leaking...” Gold eyes regard you reverently as Zhongli coaxes your legs apart to gain access to your core. Fingers are delicate as they tug open your folds a happy hum emits from him seeing how wet you are just from his kiss and toying with your breasts.

“A good spouse won’t care about that when they aim to please their loved one. Besides... most of it is going to be spilled out in a few.” You look at him perplexed by his words until you feel his fingers slip along your pussy teasing your clit and rubbing through to lubricate his fingers well with your juices. He has you squirming for him with the teasing he does on your clit and pushing closer to him.

“You’re still a little tender here, I’ll be gentle.” He notes the way you squirm when his fingers brush a side of your vulva that took the brunt of his thrusts. He gingerly places a kiss along them as his fingers slowly slip inside. He hears you hiss in response to his fingers but gently pushes them deeper his thumb takes up teasing your clit while his fingers are slowly thrusted in and out.

It is too much for you from the sensation of your folds sore, and you almost ask him to stop if it was not for one spot his fingers brush. It makes your body relax and you are overcome by a sensation rushing through your body like lightning. You snap your attention to Zhongli who eyes you closely seeing that wild expression wash over your face. He repeats the motion that made you do that, and your heels dig into his back to push him closer to you.

“I take you like this spot. Then I wonder how well you’ll take to this.” With his free hand he keeps your folds apart as he presses his tongue to the small nub where his thumb had been rubbing. You feel his fingers prod that one spot that makes you see white fire; your hands go into his hair to tug Zhongli closer forgetting all about the soreness you were feeling. Replaced with the pleasure you need more of.

Zhongli turns his hand so the pads of his fingers inside of you, facing them up to curl better into that spot. He begins to thrust his hand to you while his mouth tends to your clit, licking it and sucking on it till you push close that Zhongli supports you more than the counter you’re on. In a swift motion, the former archon tugs you with him and gets you to straddle his face, it feels awkward for you to be doing this.

You feel wet heat against your pussy again, and Zhongli guiding your hips into a rhythm with his fingers returning inside of you thrusting a lot more freely and his mouth busy with that nub of nerves. You keep the rhythm he wants and miss him slipping the hand at your hip down to stroke himself, to keep rhythm with the fingers inside you.

“Zhongli!” You manage out, your hips moving on their own; the heat coiling in your belly, and his fingers speeding up prodding that one spot again. Your voice rings out in the empty room amongst the soft grunts you hear from him as he grips himself tighter to mirror the sensation of you clamping down on him. You hear his moans and finally see that he’s pleasing himself while doing this with you. It makes your face flush in realization that you have driven him to masturbate to your moans and screams of pleasure. That he finds such pleasure in this to do such an act underneath you.

“Rex Lapis...” You test his name; he freezes in all of his ministrations hearing his former name. You wonder if it was something you should not have used with the way he gets you to move off his face so he can see you. Instead, you see fire in those amber eyes regarding you for using his name.

“My dear, dear love. Why that name?” He asks, his trance broken as he raises his hand from himself to press a thumb to your mouth. You obediently lick the edge of his thumb, and he hooks it to press on your tongue.

“I was wanting to use your name... and you looked so pleased, I thought you would like it.” He genuinely smiles at you and sits up to collect you in his arms getting you to sit in his lap. You feel him extremely hard and twitching just underneath your thigh and carefully grind against him.

“My love, I love you using my name, I want you to use Morax though, it’ll be easier when I’m inside. Ahh... keep doing that...” He situates you so you’re grinding your folds along his cock, and you bite your lip feeling how hard he is between them brushing against your opening coating him in your juices. He had pulled his fingers from you in favor of teasing your clit as you rub against him.

The feeling of him throbbing along with hearing him moan against your ear he is feeling it as much as you are. You take the initiative with raising your hips, looking him in his eyes as you slide your own hand down to guide him into yourself. The look in Zhongli’s eyes as you do this, he is a bit surprised but more warmth as you are giving him the consent he needs to continue. His hands on your waist guide you down comfortably, hearing you whimper a little to adjust again to him.

“My love, shhhh. I know... I know. You will adapt with time and let me know if it is too much.” He hugs you to himself when you are fully seated on him, his hands rubbing your back and shoulder as you feel tender from the stretch. Almost too much but you desire it, need him a lot deeper.

“It feels okay, just really want you inside.” You admit to him; Zhongli tilts your head up to his to place loving kisses on your lips. The feel of his fingers rubbing enough to make you rock against him, making him sink deeper on his cock. You yelp into the kiss for him to swallow your moan in a fuller kiss, sinking his tongue into your mouth. Your hands going to his shoulders from under his arms to scratch as your senses are overwhelmed.

Zhongli guides your hips against his as you keep his kiss moaning into it when he begins to thrust up into you. You grasp the skin at his back to dig your nails into it or tug at the tail that brushes your fingers. You are jolted up when he bucks up and breaks the kiss to bite onto his shoulder muffling your own cries into it as he begins to set a rhythm with you.

You begin to match his pace he is a lot more comfortable with you this round than the previous night. You feel different as he tugs you gently by your hair to look him in his eyes as he has you grind on him. He hears you let out a louder moan when he hits that one spot his fingers prodded earlier. You wrap your legs around his waist pulling yourself to each of his thrusts.

“Hold on my beloved... I’m going to cum at this rate. Not yet... not yet...” He slips a hand down to squeeze himself to keep from doing so. He stills you even gets you to lift off him while he looks at you with a pained expression wanting to respect your unease for him cumming inside you.

Instead of what you thought in him stopping, he gets you up and moves you to the mirror where he pins you against the surface. Your breath fans and fogs against the glass as Zhongli moves behind you; the robe he’s wearing slips down to hang on his elbows adding a regal look to him and pushes back into you. You yelp from the push in, and the angle has you at but keeps you, so you are pushed against your reflection. You are lost to pleasure while Zhongli has a sight all to himself of you bliss out moaning and trying to scratch the mirror as you push back to his thrusts into you. You feel him throb inside because of what he’s witnessing.

Zhongli slips his hands down your back till he finds the marks he had left in your skin from before. You can’t help but lose yourself to complete pleasure, your toes curling on the floor, hands slipping down the glass in front of you, and you lift your head to look at Zhongli through it,

The sight behind you is almost feral from the former archon. Watching you becoming undone, and wild all by his hands did something to him. Seeing you look at him through the reflection added another piece to it all, the needy pleading look in your eyes to go harder, to be as rough as he was the night before.

Zhongli places a hand at the back of your neck and gets you to look at yourself in the mirror as he presses his face into the crook of your neck mouthing kisses into it as he pins you against the surface. Your cheek pressing against your reflection’s and him raising your other leg in his free hand to keep himself unobstructed in thrusting in from tip almost out to pushing in full till you scream in pleasure.

“You are beautiful like this, taking me so well, even being as sore as you are. That look in your eye, you want as much as I do, to keep going till you are certain of the outcome. To know you will leave here carrying.” You suck on his fingers when he puts them into your mouth, you moan out around them when he thrusts hard, and you feel hot from his words against your ear.

“I feel it, are you going to cum? If you’re going to cum, let go already. I want to feel you dripping.” His words do something to you, and Zhongli takes the fingers in your mouth to rub vigorously on the nub to further you along to your orgasm pending. You catch sight of yourself with Zhongli’s eyes meeting yours in the mirror, he is busy darkening the mark on your shoulder in a moment of passion to make you his alone.

“Morax!” You manage out and the thrust into you was a lot harder, you even feel a twitch of him inside at hearing his name called. You do it again, moaning out his name till it is a chant off your lips and a growl in your ear tells you he is enjoying it. The combined pleasure of his fingers and thrusts finally sends you over the edge. Zhongli lifts his gaze to watch your face twist up in pure bliss, mouth open in an O, calling his name and tensed up on him. He groans out in your ear matching your zeal feeling you clench on him and buries himself deep till you can feel him almost reach your womb to fill it with his seed.

You feel your head tilted to meet him in a kiss as he slows till his hips are flush against you, your legs threaten to give out wobbling from the relief washing through you. Zhongli holds you to himself as he lowers you both down to sit on the floor with him again. He simply hugs you in his arms as he gently pulls out of you hearing you hiss from the tender soreness in your thighs again.

Zhongli wraps you with the robe and begins peppering you with love and kisses. You laugh into his affection as he hums happily into your neck and you soak up all the attention, he is giving you. You return the kisses on your lips, and laugh when he nuzzles into your face till, he nibbles on the edge of your ear with a playful growl.

You feel safe in his arms and loved more when he clasps your hands between his, he brings your hands to his lips to kiss over each fingertip and over the back of your hands. You open your hands to let him kiss your palms, and you lean in to kiss his fingers and hands the same. Showering him in the same affection that warms his heart that he looks away because of what swells in his heart.

Without much thought he tugs you down with him to lay on the floor, turning you to face him so you can explore each other's skin. Your hands smooth over his chest marveling at the color difference in his arms and torso. He takes his time in touching you softly treasuring you in this special moment where you are basking together, calming down from the high and gathering your strength to move.

“What do you hope for... if...” You break the silence with a question. Zhongli understands the direction, and his hands slide down to rest over your abdomen touching gently over the skin.

“I’d hope for one that is healthy and happy.” He tugs you into his arms and you feel lulled into comfort just pressed against him. You press your face into his chest while he rests his chin on top of your head. You wouldn’t believe he is the former archon if it weren’t for him telling you, or seeing his arms as he touched you in such tenderness that you trust everything, he tells you.

Zhongli kisses the top of your head as you take one of his hands to study the gold of them. He cups your face when you let him, and you both lay like this till the floor becomes uncomfortable. To shower together where he takes care of you, massaging any soreness in your body, and washing you thoroughly. You return this to him, and he melts into your hands going through his hair. You both relax together and dry off sitting in his lap as he brushes your hair, and he lets you work through his.

“How about a meal with me now? I’m certain you are hungry from all the energy we used.” He looks over his shoulder and you bite your own lip at the amber stare he gives you. You blush and look away this time at the effect he has on you. He knows too well but instead of luring you into another romp, he takes mercy on you.

“You’ll need the energy for later.” You snap your head up to look at him, understanding what he means. He just smiles warmly at you, his eyes betraying that gentleness with a primal and heated stare.

#Zhongli #Zhongli x female reader #zhongli smut #genshin zhongli #Genshin impact zhongli #Invi's writings

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keithsandwich · 7 months

Text

Memory

Mature

Pairing: Keith x MC (Emma)

Word Count: ~730

Warnings: Marking, Suggestive Content, Lingerie.

Note: Written for the Kinktober event Visions of Temptation 2023, hosted by @xxsycamore.

Day 2 - Biting/Marking

Thank you so much @nightghoul381 for proofreading ♡

Dainty hands rolled up the sheer, delicate fabric of the stockings up her thighs. It partially covered the purplish marks he had left on her skin last night. Keith let out a little disappointed sigh.

It wasn't that he didn't understand him. Emma was simply irresistible, making it hard to contain his most visceral desires, too. Her sweet scent lured his mind to endless fields of sinful thoughts, and the slightest touch of her skin felt like paradise. Something he had never even dreamed of having to himself, and now that he had experienced it, his body desperately craved it.

Emma rendered him famished with a hunger befitting a lifetime of starvation. It was a herculean task not to devour her whole.

Keith fought this urge with everything he had, however. For her love was his precious paradise flower, more fragile than those silk stockings she was so gently putting on, and he feared the violent raptures of his needs could tear it apart.

He didn't want to hurt her, but this worry didn't reach him. He was so careless with her…

Emma turned over, her surprise at seeing him standing there while she dressed only lasting a fraction of a second. Her beautiful lips curled up with a most sincere smile. Careless, too, as if the marks on her skin didn't bother her at all. Each little casual step she took towards him contradicted his fears.

She wasn't hurt.

She wasn't scared of him.

She didn't mind what happened last night.

Keith shuddered for many reasons when Emma's feet arched up so her arms could envelope him in her warmth. She had only a rosy lingerie on, and her uncovered skin pressed against his body. His eyes darted away. His hands hovered over her, not quite touching. There was an overwhelming longing to pull her even closer, to kiss her lips and take her to bed again so he could love her, over and over. But there was also an overwhelming guilt for his actions. And the ever present fright of repeating them himself.

"What's wrong?" Emma sought his stare with worried eyes. The same hands that softly handled the stockings now touched his face with infinite tenderness.

It was hard to resist, but it was harder not to look back at her and open up his heart to the woman he loved. "I'm sorry, I-" Keith quietly brushed his fingers against a mark on the crook of her neck, under the shadow of her hair, but still showing on a closer inspection. "He wasn't gentle with you last night…"

"Ah, this?" Emma covered that portion of her skin with her hand. Her cheeks were now red and her smile was wider than before. Keith realized that she wasn't hiding the mark, but feeling it.

"I like it, actually," admitting out loud made her giggle bashfully. "It makes me feel… Desired."

His brows furrowed with confusion. How come something so inconsiderate makes her feel like this? "Do you want me to show you?" She offered, as if sensing his conflicted thoughts, and Keith couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Emma kissed him, her hands burying into his hair and slowly losing their softness. As the kiss deepened, so did the passion with which she pulled him against her, and reacting in the same intensity became irresistible. Tongues waltzed together to the sultry sound of their moans. Keith pressed her waist so tightly she gasped. Their eyes met. She licked her lips and placed moist pecks on his neck. His mind was lost in that dreamy estate, of perfect flowers blooming just for them.

Keith was so inebriated in lust it didn't hurt at all when her small mouth suckled on his skin. He held his breath, the warm and tingling sensation sending shivers down his spine.

By the time he gathered himself to open his eyes, Emma was attentively looking at that spot on his neck that was between her lips until seconds ago, her eyes shining somewhat proud of her doing.

"See? This moment will be in your skin now for a while. Hope you'll remember it whenever you see it…"

She lovingly caressed the mark she left on him with her thumb. Keith chuckled softly. She was right.

The memory of the love they shared that morning would linger, and the silk stockings remained intact even during their passionate lovemaking.

#visions of temptation 2023 #keith howell #ikepri #ikemen prince #keith x mc #keith x emma #mdni #fanfic

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spritehouse · 7 months

Text

i know those eyes (who are you to me?)

a ralvez wip i've had in my docs for too long

⚠️Content Warnings: implied/referenced (but not explicitly written) sex, drug use/addiction, alcohol/alcohol abuse, mutually unhealthy relationships

au where spencer and luke meet during s2 and are in a "relationship" while they're both struggling. fast forward to s13, spencer doesn't remember it, but luke does

“Hey. Luke Alvez.”

He’s stumbling out of clubs, leaving behind masses of sweaty bodies pulsing in time with his hammering heart, tripping into alleyways–

“Oh, hi. Doctor Spencer Reid.”

–his pupils pinpricks like the stars in the haze-obscured skies, the constellations recreated in the crook of his elbows—Orion, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia–

“Ah, no handshaking, right? Your reputation precedes you.”

–and then him.

“So does yours–”

He’s a blur—a twisting, changing form of tall, dark hair, deep eyes, and warmth—with no name, only a memory behind walls of water, reflected and refracted, reshaped in every stolen snapshot of time.

“–it says here that you caught our next fugitive–”

Luke hides his surprise well—years in the army, then the FBI, and a lifetime of holding his breath, where one wrong move threatened his life taught him that—but decades of training can’t stop how his face twitches, lips twisting, eyebrows tightening when he meets familiar eyes, but the gaze couldn’t be more different.

“What’s your name?”

It was late—night like watercolors, hours blending and the atmosphere’s colors bleeding together into some scene of chaotic calm, the alcohol in his system watering down the portrait they created, muting their colors—when they met.

“Does it matter?”

Luke was admittedly drunk, though nowhere near the extent of his company—long and lanky limbs fumbling after him, laughing as he tripped over his feet; the smell of alcohol, smoke, and a light layer of antiseptic coating them as they combined, paintings of destruction folding into each other, creating a symphony of self-loathing—supposedly celebrating a successful case, but his friends had never been subtle about introducing Luke to women they thought were his type.

“No.”

He woke up to an empty bed and morning light streaming through an uncovered window, bathing the half-asleep and hungover man in the same shade of gold he spent the night admiring, pausing to take an uncharacteristic second to get his bearings—Luke seldom sleeps past the sunrise, falling to alert awakeness after a night of fitful rest, the routine only breaking after drinking—before sitting up, listening to muffled swearing drifting through his apartment.

“Hey, you good?”

Muted hazel—irises floating in hardened amber, preserving the unnamed man in Luke’s bathroom and his misery—blinked at him, eyes wide and face flushed red, hands shaking, white-knuckled, clutching a small parcel to his chest.

“Yeah. Yeah, sorry I– I was going to leave before you woke up–”

Luke knows the signs–

“It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting you to wake up before me. I’m an early riser.”

–the shaking and sweating, tripping over words, and unfocused gaze.

“Coffee?”

He knows withdrawal.

“You don’t have to–”

Almost too well.

“It’s fine; do whatever you need, man.”

“Luke?”

The older agent blinks, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, pulling Luke out of his thoughts and making eye contact with JJ, her face twisted with concern.

“Is everything okay?”

His gaze flickers around the room, frowning as he makes eye contact with the blonde when he realizes they’re alone, the familiar man—Doctor Spencer Reid—gone.

“Yeah, sorry, it’s been a long few weeks.” He speaks absently, brain finally processing the rest of the conversation, the phone call, and the discrepancies as he watches the genius’ familiar figure cross the bullpen through the meeting room’s windows.

“Don’t worry; I know Spence has ‘an effect,’” JJ smirks, following his gaze to her best friend before looking Luke up and down. “He also has a type.”

Her smug smile morphs into a knowing grin as she collects her files, giving the lost-looking agent a playful pat on the shoulder before walking out.

“Do you need help?”

His hands were always cold in the morning, quivering, body wracked with shakes while Luke made them coffee and pretended everything was okay, that they hadn’t fallen into a routine—scheduled self-destruction—a structure Luke’s life lacked until a nameless addict waltzed into his life.

“You don’t have to–”

The brunette sniffs, unfocused, blood-shot eyes watching the veteran take the syringe from his trembling hands, offering his arm as Luke sits beside him.

“It’s okay.”

The older man assured him, gently disinfecting the crook of his elbow, taking deep breaths as he went through the motions he had watched his company perform countless times, finding a blue vein sticking out, stark against deathly pale and pallid skin.

“Good?”

The relief is almost instant, watching the younger brunette’s body melt into euphoria, limply letting Luke drop the syringe into the red sharps container that moved into his apartment with three vials and a box of needles and syringes, followed by clothes and coffee mugs, books, and CDs, but the drugs came first; they always did.

“I’ll make us some breakfast.”

Leaving the man on his couch, Luke can almost pretend this is normal.

He sets his phone on the counter, humming to his morning playlist as he puts on another pot of coffee and starts making sandwiches, the only food Luke had been able to coax into his “boyfriend”—he doesn’t know the man’s name or what he does during the day, but he knows his nightmares and his body, how the young brunette clings to him and murmurs half-coherent “I love you”s as they fall asleep—and pretends.

He gives the man a name—a different one in every false memory, hoping one feels right—and imagines spending their days together, kissing, cuddling, whatever couples do instead of watching the hallow man on his couch and in his bed wither away.

I’m helping him, Luke tells himself; he’s keeping him safe, monitoring him, making sure he doesn’t become another faceless statistic, a body on the streets, overdosing outside of clubs in the cold.

Savior complex, another voice whispers as he assembles their plates—one sandwich dry, just two pieces of bread and cheese because the man throws up anything else—echoing over repeating self-assurances that he’s doing the right thing.

One of the voices is correct.

Luke isn’t sure which one.

#criminal minds #spencer reid #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #angst #luke alvez fanfiction #luke alvez #ralvez #ralvez fanfiction #shortmc

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rainbowhouseplant · 2 months

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YOUR TURN >:O - Name the most important people to this character. All of them. Family and close friends and lovers. - If your character could change one thing about their life, what would it be and why? And, conversely, if they could only save one thing from their life, what would it be? - Someone is hiding something from your character. How do they uncover what it is? for both of them.... my beloved boys....

Questions Here

Name the most important people to this character. All of them. Family and close friends and lovers.

Tiernan-- Skugge. That's it. Not a single person more in the entire world matters to him, or probably ever will. That man is his entire world and without him he'd... ..... let's not find out, shall we?

Zvonimir--This man is the embodiment of golden retriever/eternal tourist energy you think there is a person who isn't important to him?

Uh clearly the entire current adventuring party is important AF and one day he's gonna get to sit and talk with them, one day!!!!!!!, his ex...(?) if you haven't seen someone in nearly twenty years but also never officially broke up What Are You boyfriend, and i guess his mum would also be Very Important People in his life.

(yes his dad was around I am just incapable of writing about more than one parent because that's Unrealistic To Me) Unfortunately because that sort-of-ex-boyfriend was also employed by the household, there was a weird sort of power imbalance there that he really doesn't want to think about. (he's already thought about it. a lot. and will be damned if he repeats That Mistake even though at the time he was young, sheltered, and Didn't Know Better.)

If your character could change one thing about their life, what would it be and why? And, conversely, if they could only save one thing from their life, what would it be? Tiernan-- Ideally, they'd be back home in their cozy little hut, it wouldn't be the second winter in a row, and the event that shattered one of Skugge's horns wouldn't have happened...

but actually change the past? he's got a headache just thinking about that. why would he do that??? to what end would that serve???

( and he's too dumb to think of A Singular Event to "keep" if he was going to participate in this memory exchange. ) Zvonimir-- Nothing. You need to make mistakes to learn from them. What about the events that gave him his scars? Nope. He wouldn't change those stories, either. You need to make mistakes to learn from them.

He wouldn't change anything, and he'd keep everything. Someone is hiding something from your character. How do they uncover what it is? Tiernan-- This is entirely contingent on him wanting said information that this person is hiding. If its something boring like, they wanna fuck him he'd really rather not know thank you very much. If it's, you know, information that's gonna enable him to never have to get on another boat in his entire life???? He's going to Go To The Top first, forget the peons and peasants-- if you can wrap the most powerful one around your words first, that'd going to be how you get the information you want/need.

He's also stupid, so he's going to ask things point-blank. Nuance? Never heard of her. Zvonimir--If it's not anything that's going to put anyone into danger, he simply isn't going to pursue it. People have a right to keep parts of their own stories secret, though he might ask if someone is uncomfortable or some such leading question as that-- it's up to the secondary party whether or not they want to divulge at that prodding or not. and if it's more like, reconnaissance style information, then, go to the little people first, they're going to let more slip in stories and slurs than those who were taught from a young age to keep their tongue in check to uphold appearances.

#ask games #that was.... eye opeing almost #zvonimir (the pacifist)#and idfk whatever tiernans tag is gonna be... angry gay? xD

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halcyon-writings · 2 years

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Hello! I saw your post regarding Dislyte requests. Is so, would you accept Leon x reader? Where reader is drawn to him and tries to become friends, but because he’s distant he doesn’t really care. But then, reader has a breakdown from a mission due to whatever reason and Leon notices going from there 👀

i see gloomy sniper man and go, he's so babygirl

nav.

note: mentions of illusions/hallucinations, leon being leon which i hope isn't ooc bc i haven't rly written for him before, i didn't describe it as a breakdown exactly, but just thought i'd mention it just in case. maybe hurt/comfort (also does anyone still write for dislyte or did i work on the stuff in my inbox too late dksvjsk)

You find Leon cleaning his rifle in the same spot, taking it apart and putting it back together with practiced ease.

His eyes only look up at you for a moment, humming in greeting, hands still occupied. Usually you’d be lucky enough for him to look at you, much less even greet you in his unique Leon way.

“How are your injuries?” You nearly jump out of your skin.

“Pardon?”

“How are your injuries?” He repeats.

Your eyes trail to your hands, mostly uncovered now, the worst you had to deal with now was bruising, and the occasional sore spot here and there.

An unfortunate incident was the official description. Miramon experiments going wrong and surrounding personnel under what could be described as mass hysteria. You were one of the lucky ones, or unlucky maybe, to be lost within your own head, madness shrouding you in comparison to the others that had dealt with much worse injuries in comparison.

What you don’t know is that the sniper was the one to find you, his normal lackadaisical expression gone as he hovered over your form.

The fight was short, laughably so.

But it burned into his memory, your eyes manic as your words were garbled between whispers and shrieks of hysteria. According to Anseidora, when he threatens probes for answers on your condition, the researcher simply says the now dead miramon had the sort of power to force its victims to relieve a memory or see things in order to control people.

In short moments of clarity, what you saw, over and over again, was how you had gotten your powers as an esper. A hush hush thing, only those with the clearance had access to any file that may have existed, enough that it was rumored that Sander himself was just one of two.

Leon normally would have left well enough alone after you were subdued. But an uncomfortable feeling stirred in his chest as you fell. His gaze had lingered on your prone form as you were taken away to be treated. But he had to find out more. Not for his own conscious, of course, but rather to satisfy the growing questions at the back of his mind.

After all, why should he have a need to soothe his conscious? Despite your attempts at cordiality, his own nature left much to be desired and often times downright he could have been ignoring any attempts at interaction past assignments and other missions that you both were assigned under.

(A lie if there ever was one, but it wasn't like he was going to admit that.)

He is giving you just the slightest look of impatience, where his eyebrows furrow just enough to lean away from cool indifference.

"My injuries are fine..." You manage, tugging at your sleeves, your eyes leaving his first.

"I see."

There is a pregnant pause, and you take that as that. Turning to leave the sniper to his devices once more, before a throat clearing stops you.

"It would do no good for you to remain unsupervised while you remain in recovery." This time it's the red haired man's turn to avoid your gaze. You hum in acknowledgement.

"I suppose, though that would best be found in the medical wing, would it not?"

A fair point, he must have realized, as he began to pack his rifle in its case, "Then I shall accompany you there."

You don't hide your surprise this time. An eyebrow arching slightly in question, but it is left unanswered. You supposed you could let him have his way this time.

#first dislyte fic be gentle jdgksjkgs #dislyte x reader #dislyte imagines #leon dislyte x reader #dislyte leon x reader #dislyte imagine #mine

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meimi-haneoka · 5 months

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I honestly have so many feelings after reading the latest chapter. The characters have all grown so much, and they've really been showing their maturity and growth in handling situations (cough Kaito finally came to his senses) Especially Sakura, who I've grown up with in a way too! From the original series till now, finding it really lovely how she can be genuinely happy for Akiho and Kaito, and their decision to travel (comparing to how she reacted when both Eriol and Syaoran were moving away at the end of the salira card arc) and Kaito. Dear Kaito. He finally came to his senses and apologised. Really glad there was no translation errors for the apology, or I would have been MAD. Haha. Anyway, thank you again for the translation post! After reading it and the latest chapter I had a couple questions.

1. What's the price yukito paid? I dont recall it ever being discussed. He mentioned that it was a secret to Sakura and that's that.

2. In chap 42, (parents day) when Syaoran and Kaito fought, Kaito mentioned something about the future that was divined coming to pass. Did we ever get an explanation for that line?

I think overall they tied up the story so well. It's a very sweet ending for them, but definitely a little sad that they decided to travel (though I understand their reasons) I hope that the extra chaper(?) They show us snippets their new life :)

Side note: I was looking back at the clear cards, and realized that the "dreaming card" is actually named "yumemi" as you mentioned in one of your translation posts. And the MCF eventually turned out to be Lillie!! A powerful yumemi. I like how they added this little detail to uncover!!

Hiii, so glad to receive your ask!!! I'm glad to see you've read the final chapter and were quite satisfied with it! I also really enjoyed observing Sakura's growth along the way, it was amazing. When you're in the middle of it, it feels like she's stuck, she's manipulated by everyone (not only Kaito) because everyone is hiding things from her, but most importantly, she doesn't look like she's really trusting her magic capabilities in the beginning and she's quite "lukewarm" about all of it.

And that was exactly the point.

I will have the opportunity to explore this better in one of my posts because I feel like it's a very important matter that needs to be addressed, but I can already say here that the gradual shift from "maybe it's better to not use the key at all" to "I have dreams, I have strange feelings but it's surely all in my head" to "I will try to follow Syaoran's advice and listen to my intuition more" to "I believe in my power and I will decide what to do now" was really amazing to witness. I feel like it's possible to see it more clearly if you re-read the story all at once. Also, Akiho and Kaito's story was absolutely *pivotal* to her emotional growth too, because someone like her, grown up in the blessing of a loving family and surrounded by kind people, touched for the first time what it means to grow up NOT having those things. Her empathy was the absolute protagonist, in this arc, which made her befriend Akiho almost immediately, as if she could feel that the girl needed friendship desperately. But it's also what made her understand the situation and try all of her best efforts to bring Kaito back for her and make both of them happy. She did also a good job at being more assertive with her loved ones, deciding what to do by herself.

Let's go answering to your questions!

1- Hahaha, EVERYONE is asking about that! No, it wasn't revealed! Either they want to keep this as a fun secret forever, or.....it'll be revealed somewhere else! To be honest, I don't even know if Yukito still got that pact with the Tsukimine Shrine. They absolutely remember about it, but since Kaito had undone that with the rewriting of the world (and Sakura gave her friends only their memories back, she couldn't do much about the discrepancies arised - see Akiho's room) my suspicion is that he's back being his normal self, with no actual contract and no price paid.

2- Not exactly, I think this is one of those things we have to infer by ourselves. Also keep in mind that, if I don't recall incorrectly, that phrasing was from the ENG translation. What I understood from the JP is that Yelan simply had a divination about Sakura, and you know how abstract and vague divinations can be....I choose to believe she only saw that Sakura would be distressed/unhappy by a loss of control over her powers (which is indeed the primary reason why Syaoran did what he did, along with Eriol, he didn't know anything about Kaito coming) and not something more specific. Yeah, I have the same feelings as you, about the YunaAki side of the finale! I really, really hope to see them again somewhere else....And I want to see their new life in the extra chapter, yes!! T_T

Yep, well noted! 😉 the Dreaming Card *really* represented Lilie and not Akiho like Sakura had guessed, the "Yumemi" Japanese name sets it in stone! 😉😆

#reply #clear card arc #card captor sakura #ccs spoilers

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katapunberbicara · 8 months

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Accustomed with hard truths

I really appreciate honest people and like being told about truths, but sometimes I do feel uneasy when hearing hard truths about me. It’s happened recently when my friend come to me and say something that might sound spicy in my ear. I was in hurry to complete my task and nearly skipped lunch, he came and said, “you know what? Whether you postpone your lunch or not, your task wouldn’t be finished until right before the deadline.”

Probably I was way too sensitive due to hormonal issue arising when in hungry or due to the work-pressure, I felt so upset inside being told like that. Didn’t he see that I was so busy that I nearly skipped lunch? If he wouldn’t help, at least, he should say something nicer. But, indeed I knew that his statement wasn’t fully wrong. Moreover, I have unhealthy behaviour that when in pressure, I would postpone to eat. Even though a moment later I tried to think in more positive way, but my first response was negative to against him, who said this kind of hard truth that sounded harsh to me at that time.

At the other day, sometimes he would tease me again with these hard truths I would face for years at office. However, thanks to all those hard truths, the first time he reminded me that my duty wouldn’t finish before met the deadline, I then take a pause from work and started eating my meal which was nearly cold. Then I was able to deeply think about these upcoming tasks that I wasn’t paying attention to. At least, now I become more anticipated about what would be coming. And now I really appreciate him for his sharpness and intention to remind in a time often we avoid the confrontation.

Those are several hard truths on my example. Eventhough those examples are simple, but it is hard truths due to my first response that is difficult to accept the truths behind his statement. But, what I want to highlight is, truth sometimes is hard to tell and hard to accept. Even so, you must bear the weight of the truth is. There is one story about the hard truth that I most like. The story about Prophet Yakub and Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon them.

One day, little Yusuf came to his father to tell him about his dream. He dreamt of moon and stars that were prostrating towards him. Prophet Yakup truly knew that it wasn’t only a dream, but the sign that his son, had been chosen by God Almighty. But, being the chosen one also means there are trials that would come along.

Rather than hid the truths, instead he explained the hard truths to a young Yusuf. He was at a such young age had known that he would go through difficult times of his life. But he should go through that to level up himself. It was one of the memory from his childhood to adulthood that he had treasured. A warm message, yet hard truth that strengthened him during ups and downs throughout his life.

Meanwhile most of us would hide the truths from our beloved one, in a reason to protect them from the truths in secrecy. So they could live a life like fantasy, rather than feel the pain from the reality. Until now, I don’t know what action is better because sometimes not knowing anything is a blessing. But sometimes when you are not knowing anything you would feel something is missing. That statement itself has shown how heavy the truth is, hence it needs a wide heart to accept. And hence, I want to say to my gentle heart which is easy to break, be accustomed with hard truths. There is always a reason why the truths uncover to you. And always tell the truth, and be aware of the weight you must carry.

Central Jakarta, 24th August 2023 | ©Hairatunnisa

#thoughts #contemplation

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ethosiab · 1 year

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Writeblr/Artblr reintro :D

I go by Phoenix or Calcifer, and i use he/she and fi/fire. I'm queer, a minor, and neurodivergent.

A lot of the stuff on here is just oc stuff about my WIPs, and i occasionally post fanart. My main interests are splatoon, undertale/deltarune, TF2, critical role, spiritfarer, the locked tomb series, and hermitcraft/the life series.

When i say writeblr and artblr, i mean i post about my ocs and WIPs and post art, and occasionally ill post a snippet of some writing if im feeling really adventurous.

My main is @cornbread-girlboy, and I follow from there so if you see that in your notifs then its me lol. I also keep a blog for art and writing resources @kiocreative, if that interests you.

dni: bigots, nsfw blogs, harry potter fans

Here's a link to my OC masterpost where I'll link the introductions to each character.

My projects:

Legacy of Evil: In a world where you're born with a power passed down from another through your soul, those with predecessors deemed morally corrupt are shunned and live on the outskirts of society. Jaylyn Ignatius, a teenager who sometimes goes by the name Iggy, is one of 5 special children put through a training program to 'correct' them and make them strong fighters. LoE follows him as he finally escapes this program and navigates his way through a changed city, meeting friends, searching for his parents, and hiding from the government organisation that hates his fucking guts. It's got magyk! It's got changelings! It's got a really weird floating city! It's got arson! It's got a definitely-not-weird-not-immortal-cat!

Déjà Vu: A video game in which 2% of the population is cursed with mutations—odd things about them that make them capable of inhuman acts. Powers. Society views these people as dangerous and in need of being controlled, so when a new school opens up with the supposed goal of aiding students with mutations, and giving them opportunities for their futures, many shun it, but many students are enrolled too, either by parents who want to get rid of their children via boarding school, or by well-meaning parents. You play as Epic, a 15 year old student at this school who woke up on the 14th of March with little memory of who they are and what their mutation is. After finding yourself in detention because you didn't make it to class, you meet Marcus, Mikey, and Marcie. With your newfound friends, you slowly uncover secrets about the school, and a hidden plot. It's got time loops! It's got 4th wall breaking game mechanics! It's about the way you'd do absolutely anything for your friends! It's about perfectionism and burnout!

I Dream of the Distance: Ridley Callis is an 11 year old with 6 siblings who feels a disconnect from every single one. Their obsession with stories and fairytales started with their father, whom was the light in their dark. When he disappears under mysterious circumstances and leaves them lonely, Ridley takes their stories and daydreams and sets out into the world to hunt down their dad. ...Not without attracting the attention of their older brother, Farren, of course, who wanted to come along to keep them safe. Along the way, they find magic, a magician, and find out things about themselves that were perhaps left best uncovered. I'm not going to lie this was an escapist fantasy story inspired by minecraft.

#writeblr intro #artblr intro #writeblr #artblr #blog intro #oc #praying that the links in here work

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maebird-melody · 2 years

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Authors were revealed earlier this week for the @solavellanhellexchange. I love the gift I received and I had great fun writing for this exchange as well!

This was my first time participating in a fic exchange event, and the people involved made it a truly great experience. I also may have gotten carried away with how much I wrote.

the road seems too wild for mixing it with blues

To the rest of the world, for once, he is not Solas, not Fen'Harel, not the Dread Wolf; she is not Lady Lavellan, not the Inquisitor. They are visitors engaged in discovery, and the world will indulge them for just this little while.

-:-:-

Solas walks the earth on a new path, with Lavellan at his side. There is no death on this journey--only life, and limitless pot

Thank you so much @dreadfutures for the wonderful gift!

Now, like I mentioned, I got a bit carried away with the pieces I wrote.

Ea Aron Arlathan

My gift for @midorimaddie

However brief their time together might be, Solas is determined to make the most of it. With the memory of Arlathan still on his mind and his desire to be with Aerwynn growing stronger every day, he decides to take a most dangerous course of action - reenacting the courtship rituals of the Elvhen people.

Uthenera - Fen’Harel Ver Na

My gift for everyone

"I lay in dark and dreaming sleep while countless wars and ages past."

This song blends the Lost Elf Theme and the Thedas Love Theme, and also introduces a new theme of my own devising which can be heard in the opening bars of the piece. This is a programmatic piece, which means that each part of the song represents an unfolding story. For program notes, see the end of this page.

You can also watch the sheet music playback here.

A Wonder

Written for Exalted_Dawn

"It was unlike Alora to shirk her duties. It seemed much more likely to him that she had simply wandered off somewhere, none the wiser to the pressing concerns which had arisen in her absence. And while he didn’t doubt his own capability in finding Alora quickly, he knew someone who would be able to locate her even faster. Someone Varric would never think to ask."

Everyone's looking for the Inquisitor, but no one knows where to find her. When Varric asks Solas to help find her, he asks another friend for help. He'll need to offer some encouragement before Alora is ready to leave her hiding place.

A New Haven

Written for @rosella-writes

"Unlike the blade—a brutish, simple implement worked from a single strip of metal—the hilt was delicate work, crafted from myriad metals coaxed together through careful attention, convinced by skilled hands that they were all one."

Virelan finds solace in smithing. But either fortunately or unfortunately, her time does not go entirely uninterrupted. Perhaps her visitor can help her finish what she started.

Vhenas Eth

Written for @lyriumpotion

Inquisitor Dalla has a secret place she likes to go to escape the pressures of the Inquisition. Only those she trusts are invited in.

To the Thaig

Written for @bluewren

Taliesen has heard news of a long-abandoned thaig that was recently discovered in the Deep Roads. In the hopes of uncovering some useful tools or forgotten technology, she and her companions set out to investigate.

The Wolf Maiden

Written for @alondradina

Solas has been invited to his grandmother's house, but she lives in the woods and as everyone knows, dangerous wolves roam these woods.

#I had so much fun writing all of these #I will probably uh #tone it down #for later releases #solavellan hell exchange #solavellan hell #dragon age #dragon age dragon age inquisition #solas #inquisitor #solas dragon age #gift exchange #fanfiction #fan music #maybe next time I'll actually make fanart

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dollycas · 1 month

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#FlashbackFriday featuring Figure Eight: A Northern Lakes Mystery (John Cabrelli Northern Lakes Mysteries) by Jeff Nania #Review / #Giveaway

On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I was not able to review when they were first released that have been screaming at me from my To-Be-Read bookshelf. Figure Eight: A Northern Lakes Mystery (John Cabrelli Northern Lakes Mysteries) Traditional Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Wisconsin Publisher ‏ : ‎ Feet Wet Writing (September 23, 2019) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 246 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1736337300 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1736337301 Paperback ‏ : ‎ 274 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1960681060 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1960681065 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Y9CC3BM A shattered career. A crooked lawyer. An unsolved murder. Seeking peace in the Northwoods is fraught with danger. Every night John Cabrelli relives the tragic events that ended his career. While struggling to find himself again, John inherits his uncle's cabin and returns to the lake where he spent much of his youth. Little does John know that danger waits for him when he uncovers suspicious circumstances of his uncle's death. Few people will talk about it as John unravels a mystery that could forever change the landscape. Dollycas's Thoughts John Cabrelli was a "full-fledged crime fighter" for the Madison, Wisconsin Police Department until a split-second decision ruins his career and changes his life. He was a broken man. After being holed up in what had become a "toxic waste dump" of a house for two months his friends broke in for an intervention. They helped bring back some order to his life but his life needed focus. Then he receives a letter informing him that his uncle had passed away and he was named as the sole heir. He hadn't seen his uncle for quite some time but he has so many great memories of his summers spent in the Northwoods at his uncle's cabin and the lake growing up. Maybe it will be the perfect place to find the clarity he seeks. Upon arrival, he realizes the place has changed, and not for the better. He also learns his uncle's death may not have been an accident. He needs to find the truth not knowing at first the danger he is putting his own life in and what the truth will mean to everyone around him. _____ Mr. Nania takes an unusual route to introduce readers to his main character John Cabrelli. The story has John relaying his recent life to a reporter from a hospital bed. At first, this felt awkward but it worked. It was an interesting twist to the entire story. John was a seasoned by-the-book cop until that one call, one error, one deadly mistake, which shook him to his core. It was easy to get invested in his life. It was also easy to understand him going back into full cop mode to get to the truth about his uncle's death. It's just who he is. Through his recollections, we meet several characters who all seem to be hiding something. They are well crafted and those that I hope will appear in book 2 and beyond have a lot of room for development. There is one character that I unexpectedly enjoyed. Nurse B. Holterman. With my history and hospital stays I know every small town hospital has a Nurse B. Holterman. As John noted, she is tough, sometimes more like a jailer than a caregiver, older and more old-school, but she will do anything to protect her patients and be sure they receive proper care. They are the nurse you want in your corner but you probably don't appreciate them until you are checking out to go home. Mr. Nania's background shows in the tangled-up mystery he has encased his characters in. There are new clues around every turn and John doesn't know who he can trust. He thinks well on his feet which is important when he finds himself in dicey situations, but he gives as good as he gets most of the time. John does get some information from his friends back in Madison which helps bring all the pieces together. That sets up a dangerous, deadly, and shocking showdown. I enjoyed how Mr. Nania details the beauty of the Northwoods in Wisconsin. The included current hot-topic environmental issues that face areas like where the story takes place give the story relevance. Trying to protect the land, water, and wildlife is always a concern. I had purchased the Northern Lakes Mystery Series for my husband who loved them. He told me I had to read them. So now I have read Figure Eight and have Spider Lake moving up on my To-Be-Read stack. I have to give him credit, he was right. I am glad he pushed me to read this book. Figure Eight is a compelling fast-paced story by a writer who writes about what he knows. His law enforcement background as well as his work as a conservationist gives him the knowledge that makes him a credible source to mix real-life happenings with his intriguing mysteries. I am very interested to see how the series continues. *The book does contain explicit language. Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent About the Author Jeff Nania is a former law enforcement officer, writer, conservationist, and biofuel creator. He is the best-selling author of three fiction books, the award-winning Figure Eight (2019), Spider Lake (2020), and Bough Cutter (2021) in his Northern Lakes Mystery series published by Little Creek Press. His narrative non-fiction writing has appeared in Wisconsin Outdoor News, Double Gun Journal, The Outlook, and other publications. Jeff was born and raised in Wisconsin. His family settled in Madison's storied Greenbush neighborhood. His father often loaded Jeff, his brothers, and a couple of dogs into an old jeep station wagon and set out for outdoor adventures. These experiences were foundational for developing a sense of community, a passion for outdoor traditions, and a love of our natural resources. Jeff has been recognized locally, statewide, and nationally. Outdoor Life Magazine named him as one of the nation's 25 most influential conservationists, and he received the National Wetlands Award for his wetland restoration work. The Wisconsin Senate commended Jeff with a Joint Resolution for his work with wetlands, education, and as a non-partisan advisor on natural resources. Now a full-time novelist, Jeff spends as much time as possible exploring outdoor Wisconsin with his friends and family. Website - Facebook - X - Instagram I am giving away 1 Kindle Copy of Figure Eight! The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries. Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries. If you share the giveaway on Threads, X, or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The Contest Will End April 5, at 11:59 PM CST The Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For Entry Form *Amazon Purchase Read the full article

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 1 year

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14th January >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, First Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading Hebrews 4:12-16 Let us be confident in approaching the throne of grace.

The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts like any double-edged sword but more finely: it can slip through the place where the soul is divided from the spirit, or joints from the marrow; it can judge the secret emotions and thoughts. No created thing can hide from him; everything is uncovered and open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves. Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 18(19):8-10,15

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul. The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, it gives wisdom to the simple.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The precepts of the Lord are right, they gladden the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, it gives light to the eyes.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

The fear of the Lord is holy, abiding for ever. The decrees of the Lord are truth and all of them just.

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

May the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart, win favour in your sight, O Lord, my rescuer, my rock!

R/ Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life.

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 118:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia! Bend my heart to your will, O Lord, and teach me your law. Alleluia!

Or: Luke 4:17

Alleluia, alleluia! The Lord has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives. Alleluia!

Gospel Mark 2:13-17 Your light must shine in the sight of men.

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

----------------------------------------

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

Either:

First Reading Genesis 3:9-15,20 The mother of all those who live.

After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle, all wild beasts. You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust every day of your life. I will make you enemies of each other: you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike its heel.’

The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

OR: --------

First reading Genesis 12:1-7 All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you

The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, for the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name so famous that it will be used as a blessing.

‘I will bless those who bless you: I will curse those who slight you. All the tribes of the earth shall bless themselves by you.’

So Abram went as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed and the people they had acquired in Haran. They set off for the land of Canaan, and arrived there. Abram passed through the land as far as Shechem’s holy place, the Oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘It is to your descendants that I will give this land.’ So Abram built there an altar for the Lord who had appeared to him.

OR: --------

First reading 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16 The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House

Once David had settled into his house and the Lord had given him rest from all the enemies surrounding him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘Look, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.’ Nathan said to the king, ‘Go and do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.’ But that very night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

OR: --------

First reading 1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2 They brought in the ark of God and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it

David gathered all Israel together to bring the ark of God up to the place he had prepared for it. David called together the sons of Aaron and the sons of Levi. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of the Lord. David then told the heads of the Levites to assign duties for their kinsmen as cantors, with their various instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to play joyful tunes. They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered holocausts before God, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.

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First reading Proverbs 8:22-31 Before the earth came into being, Wisdom was born

The Wisdom of God cries aloud:

The Lord created me when his purpose first unfolded, before the oldest of his works. From everlasting I was firmly set, from the beginning, before earth came into being. The deep was not, when I was born, there were no springs to gush with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I came to birth; before he made the earth, the countryside, or the first grains of the world’s dust. When he fixed the heavens firm, I was there, when he drew a ring on the surface of the deep, when he thickened the clouds above, when he fixed fast the springs of the deep, when he assigned the sea its boundaries – and the waters will not invade the shore – when he laid down the foundations of the earth, I was by his side, a master craftsman, delighting him day after day, ever at play in his presence, at play everywhere in his world, delighting to be with the sons of men.

OR: --------

First reading Ecclesiasticus 24:1-4,8-12,18-21 From eternity, in the beginning, God created wisdom

Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people she glories in herself. She opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself in the presence of the Mighty One: ‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and I covered the earth like a mist. I had my tent in the heights, and my throne in a pillar of cloud. Then the creator of all things instructed me, and he who created me fixed a place for my tent. He said, “Pitch your tent in Jacob, make Israel your inheritance.” From eternity, in the beginning, he created me, and for eternity I shall remain. I ministered before him in the holy tabernacle, and thus was I established on Zion. In the beloved city he has given me rest, and in Jerusalem I wield my authority. I have taken root in a privileged people, in the Lord’s property, in his inheritance. Approach me, you who desire me, and take your fill of my fruits, for memories of me are sweeter than honey, inheriting me is sweeter than the honeycomb. They who eat me will hunger for more, they who drink me will thirst for more. Whoever listens to me will never have to blush, whoever acts as I dictate will never sin.’

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First reading Isaiah 7:10-14,8:10 The maiden is with child

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’ Then Isaiah said:

‘Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’

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First reading Isaiah 9:1-6 A Son is given to us

The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their gladness greater, you have made their joy increase; they rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at harvest time, as men are happy when they are dividing the spoils.

For the yoke that was weighing on him, the bar across his shoulders, the rod of his oppressor, these you break as on the day of Midian.

For all the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood, is burnt, and consumed by fire.

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.

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First reading Isaiah 61:9-11 I exult for joy in the Lord

Their race will be famous throughout the nations, their descendants throughout the peoples. All who see them will admit that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.

‘I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.

‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.’

OR: --------

First reading Micah 5:1-4 He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.

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First reading Zechariah 2:14-17 'I am coming', says the Lord

Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the middle of you – it is the Lord who speaks. Many nations will join the Lord, on that day; they will become his people. But he will remain among you, and you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. But the Lord will hold Judah as his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his very own. Let all mankind be silent before the Lord! For he is awaking and is coming from his holy dwelling.

EITHER: --------

Responsorial Psalm 1 Samuel 2:1,4-8

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

My heart exults in the Lord. I find my strength in my God; my mouth laughs at my enemies as I rejoice in your saving help.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

The bows of the mighty are broken, but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with plenty must labour for bread, but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has children now but the fruitful wife bears no more.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

It is the Lord who gives life and death, he brings men to the grave and back; it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches. He brings men low and raises them on high.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

He lifts up the lowly from the dust, from the dungheap he raises the poor to set him in the company of princes to give him a glorious throne. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, on them he has set the world.

My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

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Responsorial Psalm Judith 13:18a-19

You are the highest honour of our race!

May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High, beyond all women on earth; and may the Lord God be blessed, the Creator of heaven and earth.

You are the highest honour of our race!

The trust you have shown shall not pass from the memories of men, but shall ever remind them of the power of God.

You are the highest honour of our race!

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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 44(45):11-12,14-17

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words: forget your own people and your father’s house. So will the king desire your beauty: He is your lord, pay homage to him.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour, her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold. She is led to the king with her maiden companions.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

They are escorted amid gladness and joy; they pass within the palace of the king. Sons shall be yours in place of your fathers: you will make them princes over all the earth.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words.

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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 112(113):1-7

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! May the name of the Lord be blessed both now and for evermore!

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

From the rising of the sun to its setting praised be the name of the Lord! High above all nations is the Lord, above the heavens his glory.

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

Who is like the Lord, our God, who has risen on high to his throne yet stoops from the heights to look down, to look down upon heaven and earth? From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from the dungheap he raises the poor

May the name of the Lord be blessed for evermore! or Alleluia!

OR: --------

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-55