#i gift you water to quench your thirst

[crimsoncadaver]

Hey! Hey body! What the fuck! Idk if you know this, but you're not supposed to be in pain lying down when you've barely moved all day! God fucking dammit!

[back2bluesidex]

Gin and Tonic - JJK Ft. Kim Mingyu (18+)

Pairing: Jungkook X Fem Reader X Kim Mingyu

Theme: Pwp, SMUT

Wordcount: 2.2k+

Summary: If Jungkook is pungent as Gin then you need Mingyu as Tonic water to soothe your throat.

Warnings: Explicit sex, filthy sex, threesome, oral male receiving, reverse cowgirl position, she takes both of them at the same time, protected sex and unproduced sex both (wrap it up), creampie, cum eating.

Minors are not allowed in this blog!!

A/N: This is written as a birthday gift for my bestie @phenomenalgirl9. belated happy birthday girl. Hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I am not a carat and I don't even know the names of seventeen members properly. I have written this just because my bestie is a carat army and I wanted to write something to quench her thirst. hehe. so, please don't mind if Mingyu's character here is vague. I don't know him well to write him properly.

Masterlist | Patreon

“W-what do you mean?” you can’t help but shutter. 

The initial shock hasn’t died down yet but you can see another wave approaching you just when your dear boyfriend opens his mouth, “I mean, this. Is. your. Birthday gift.” he gestures towards the other man sitting right beside him. 

You want to scoff. He spoke those words with extra intervals between them as if it would start making sense in that way. If Jungkook thought so then he was wrong. 

Because nothing makes sense anymore. 

You dare risk a glance at his best friend, the other man, Kim Mingyu - aka the epitome of beauty and puppy energy. 

He smiles innocently at you, even though the proposal is anything but innocent and your stomach winds up in knots. 

“But jungkook… this… how- I mean-” you try to speak again but your state makes it tough to form a coherent sentence or a thought for that matter. 

Jungkook stands up from his side of the couch and walks towards where you are sitting. Mingyu stays silent for the entire time as if he needs approval in order to start speaking. 

Propling down beside you, Jungkook reasons, “Why not, Y/N? Remember you once told me how you want to be in charge for once?” 

Your eyes go wide. Jungkook is really talking about your bedroom practices right when his best friend is sitting there, looking like a three-course meal. 

“Yeah but how does that have anything to do with him?” you whisper. Honestly, you are not that frank with Mingyu. You have seen him only a handful of times since you and Jungkook got together. 

Jungkook chuckles, “Baby, you already know that being dominant is like my second nature. I can’t let you be in charge even if I try. So, I am giving you a chance to dominate the most submissive man I know” he points towards Mingyu again, who still stays silent, “as a birthday gift.” 

You wish Mingyu would say something. Something like this is not a good idea. But that guy- does he even know how to talk? 

“But baby-” 

“Oh come on, Y/N. You low-key love the idea. I have caught you throwing glances at me several times before. And I would be lying if I said the image of you riding me didn’t cross my mind.” Mingyu finally opens his mouth and now you wish he would have stayed silent. 

You don’t dare look at him, you divert your eyes towards your boyfriend, almost expecting Jungkook to be mad at Mingyu’s confession but when you look at him.. You find him smirking. 

Jungkook stands again and this time he stands towering your figure. Mingyu follows his suit. 

“We will take good care of you baby. Just trust us.” Jungkook speaks looking down on you. You can see his eyes hazy with lust already. 

“I will be good, I promise, Y/N.” this time it’s Mingyu. You finally take a good look at him, he is wearing a beige hoodie with a pair of dark denim - he looks like a Greek god descending to earth just to make your one wish come true.  

Your boyfriend on the other hand has chosen to go all black. A black t-shirt with a black zip-up, a black beanie and equally black jeans. He knows you drool when he dresses like that. Hence, the choice of his outfit is intentional. 

This might be a one-time opportunity- I mean- two of the most attractive guys you have ever seen are ready to pleasure you on your birthday, what else would you even want? 

You should say yes. 

So you nod a yes, even though your insides are already burning with anticipation and you feel like you will faint from the sheer excitement that is filling every nuke of your body. 

“Good girl.” Jungkook praises, poking his lip ring with his tongue. He then dives down and picks you up bridal style like a sack of rice, “let’s go then.” 

Jungkook crosses the distance from your living room to your bedroom with only five big strides, Mingyu follows him closely. 

He sits you on the bed and retires himself to sit on the armchair placed at a corner. 

“Y/N baby, he is all yours to play with.” Jungkook speaks in an authoritative tone. His voice sends goosebumps all the way from your head to toes. 

“Hey, Y/N. loosen up, yeah? I know you are nervous but it will be fun. I will do whatever you ask me to do okay?” Mingyu sits on his knees to match your eye level. He probably sensed your nervousness. 

His voice is really soothing, soft. Unlike Jungkook, his tone is not at all demanding, kind of pleading if you add. So you nod a yes. 

“So for starters, tell me what do you want me to call you?” He smiles sweetly. Your heart melts a little and you set yourself at ease. 

“Call me by my name only.” you reply. 

“Okay.” he takes your hand and places a kiss on the back of your hand. Your skin is now ablaze. 

“Can I kiss you here?” he places his index finger on your collarbone. You utter a yes. 

Mingyu moves forward and places the next kiss on your collarbone. His kisses start small but soon turn into huge, open-mouthed, wet kisses. 

Your hands wander around his shoulders, then to his chest, to his hair and you feel impatient already. You need to see him. You need to see him naked. 

“Undress yourself, Gyu.” you order him softly. 

“Whatever you say, Y/N.” Dang, did your name always sound so good rolling out from Mingyu’s pretty tongue? 

Mingyu stands up and starts undressing himself by taking off his hoodie. Soon he is standing only on his briefs. 

You are so distracted by the guy that you completely forgot your boyfriend is basically sitting right there enjoying the show. 

You ogle at Mingyu, who opens his mouth to place his demand this time, “Y/N… can I undress you? Hm?” 

That’s when you realize that you are still completely dressed. You nod nervously. You have never been naked in front of two males at the same time. 

But you don’t get the chance to feel much because Mingyu works fast. Within a few seconds you are sitting only with your panties on. Panties that Jungkook got you as a gift. 

“So pretty” Mingyu mumbles. His left hand comes to touch your tits but you swat it away. 

With a weird flare of confidence within yourself you say, “did I say you could touch me?” 

Mingyu visibly jolts at your sudden change of persona, “n-no. I am sorry.” 

“Good that you apologized. Now go and sit up against the bed.” you point at the space where you want your boyfriend’s best friend. 

Jungkook is amused to say the least. As much as he likes you as his babygirl only, he needs to admit that you are quite hot while trying to be in charge. He has already started getting hard but when he sees you straddling Mingyu’s lap and placing your core right on his crotch, his cock twiches inside his pants. 

Mingyu groans, which is understandable. 

You feel Mingyu’s erection poking at your entrance through the layers of clothing and you start getting wet at once. The pretty groan that Mingyu lets out doesn’t help at all. 

Once you are seated properly, you start rolling your hips against him. Your hands wind around his neck, fingers get lost in his dark hair. 

Fuck! This feels so good already! Why did you even think of declining the offer? 

“Can I suck your tits, Y/N?” Mingyu asks cutely. 

You sigh, “you can.” and he takes a nipple inside his mouth. 

His tongue rolls your nipples inside his mouth for a few seconds and then he starts suckling on the bud like a hungry beast. His sucks are so powerful that you start seeing stars. As a result, you grind on his length harder than ever. 

Mingyu can’t help but moan and moan. He is a little messy by the way his drool is dropping down the mound of your breast and landing on your stomach, but you are loving it much more than you thought you would. 

His strong hands hold you by your waist, pressing you down on himself. 

“Y/N, I- ump- I want to be inside you.” Mingyu speaks with a mouth full of your tits. You are pretty sure you have bruises all over your chest by now. 

However, Mingyu’s confession somehow catches you off-guard. He really wants to fuck you? As in fuck you for real? Will things be normal between you and him after everything or between him and Jungkook- oh fuck- Jungkook. 

You twist your neck by 90 degrees to catch your boyfriend sitting at the corner of the room. But the scene that welcomes you - heightens your hornyness tenfold. 

Jungkook has gotten rid of his pants and he has his shaft on his hand. He is semi-hard and massaging himself to uncover his cock’s full potential. 

The sight has you choking on your own spit and wits, too bad that Minguy is now thrusting up while biting down on the skin of your throat. 

Jungkook’s eyes meet yours and you can’t help but feel an invincible urge of sucking him while Mingyu is inside you. 

“I- I want to suck you, daddy.” you murmur. But Jungkook hears it anyway. 

“You want me suck me while my best friend fucks you, huh? You dirty little whore.” Jungkook chuckles while standing up from his seat. 

He comes to stand before you and Mingyu in no time. 

“Gyu, wrap yourself up.” Jungkook hands him a packet of condoms. Mingyu accepts it with a nod. His face is all messy with his own spit. His underwear sports a large wet spot due to pre-cum. 

You chuckle at the sight, “you really want to fuck me, don’t you?” 

“Y-yes.” he nods eagerly. 

You help him in getting rid of his briefs and putting the condom in. then you dismount yourself from his lap only to sit facing Jungkook. 

As you slide down on Mingyu’s cock in reverse cowgirl position, your mouth falls open with the length and girth that welcomes you. 

The stretch is delicious. 

Once you sink in, you take Jungkook’s length in your hand, and rub the pre-cum on his tip. 

Spitting on your hands, you lubricate Jungkook’s giant cock and place the tip on your tongue. 

Just when you take Jungkook fully inside your mouth, your hips roll back on Mingyu’s length. The rhythm that you set yourself in seems to work perfectly. You don’t miss a beat in riding Mingyu and sucking jungkook off at the same time. Both men are a mess by the time you feel your legs giving up. 

Both of them are groaning, moaning, head thrown back. Hair clinging to their forehead with sweat. 

You are not doing much better. Both of your two primary holes being penetrated at the same time is as overwhelming as it is rewarding. All while Mingyu’s fingers draw vigorous figure eights on your clit. 

You jump on Mingyu’s cock one last time and gag on Jungkook’s cock as your orgasm hits you like a loaded truck. 

You fall on Jungkook's chest and you can feel Mingyu grabbing you by your waist.

You are almost relieved, almost because within a moment, Jungkook is grabbing you and laying you down on the bed. 

“Now it’s my turn” he says as he pushes the tip of his cock inside your wrecked hole. 

Mingyu is sitting right above your head with his shaft in his hand, he throws the condom away and starts massaging himself. 

You are well aware that none of them has hit their orgasm yet. So you take the charge again. 

You grab the base of Mingyu’s cock and direct it to your mouth but the pace Jungkook has taken up already makes it tough to suck the other man properly. 

You still do your best. 

Mingyu chants your name again and again. You see his eyes rolling back by your own rolled eyes. He is on his fours and you swear this is one of the best sights you have ever seen. 

On the other hand, Jungkook pinches your clit pounding inside you raw. Your walls clench him promising another mind-numbing orgasm. 

“Hold it. Hold it for a few seconds.” he says as his own rhythm starts to break. You know he is close too. 

Inside your mouth Mingyu’s cock twitches. 

“Let go.” Jungkook says and you let yourself go. 

You squirt, spitting your juices all over Jungkook’s shirt and face, Jungkook spills inside you. As if on cue, Mingyu spills inside your mouth. 

You lie there like a mass of torn limbs for how long you don’t even know as the both men try to catch their breath. 

—

“By the way, how do you know that Mingyu is submissive ?” You question. The picture of Mingyu on all fours with his cock inside your mouth while Jungkook fucks you dumb is still plaguing your mind. 

Jungkook doesn’t say anything but he smirks. 

Fuck. Did they? 

The question renders your throat dry. 

Permanent Taglist:

@phenomenalgirl9 @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @chimchimmarie @coffeedepressionsoup @meowstake @vonvi-blog @nochuel @chimmisbae @i-have-no-life-charlie @mikrokookiex @jjk174 @lallataegi @savageyoongi @jwnghyuns @parapiop7 @futuristicenemychaos

[yourinnerdemon]

quench the Bruce Wayne x reader thirst... I need that man like I need water

BRUCE WAYNE/BATMAN HEADCANONS

𝔄/𝔑: I hope yall remember I write for other fandoms too. anyway I love this old man.

𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤'𝔰: Bruce wayne/Batman x Gn!reader

𝔚𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: none might be ooc but istg all my fics are.

•oh where do I begin anon…

•Princess treatment all the way (but that was expected). Even if its just lending you a hand to help you out of his car, buying you stuff you looked at for 2 seconds and just generally pampering you.

•You go to gallas with him all of the time, he says he looks better when a beautiful person like you is standing next to him. Its just a way to show you off and brag about how stunning you look. He will buy you jewellery just for the occasion, maybe even a suit/dress if you don’t have any that fit the event.

•with that all said he probably won’t spend as much time as he would like with you considering he’s got the biggest company in Gotham to run, but he will try to get you to just be in the same room as him. Just enjoying your company while he does his own work.

•Considering he is THE Batman he probably won’t be next to you most nights but at the morning? He is trying to make-up for the lost time with you, attempting to seem nonchalant while inside he feels guilty. He wants to spend more time with his significant other, but he just can’t. No matter how understanding you are he will just feel guiltier and guiltier as time goes on, because of this he makes sure that special events like your birthday, anniversary and holidays are spent with him. He will clear his calendar for that day so he can really just enjoy the day with you, no matter how important the meeting is he will spend the day with you.

•Just imagine him with a vigilante lover… THE THOUGTS BRO.

•He would totally share supplies with you, no doubt. He wants to make sure you’re as safe as you can be without him being there,  he doesn’t want to interfere with your fight and potentially make it worse so he will give you all the gadgets and gizmos you could ever need.

•he will talk to you in the morning about your or his patrol and if anything interesting happened. Its his own special way of connecting to you and getting to know what happened on your side of Gotham.

•Your shared mentality about justice just deepens your bond. It makes him consider new sides and more views while still keeping his view on justice and vengeance.

•He would celebrate successful missions with you. It could just be sharing drinks on the balcony, or just joking around and giggling with you. You anchor him but still let his softer side show.

•He would gift you a new suit with a few Batman references on it, even if its just small he knows it there. And it just brings a smile on his face to know that its there, knowing that even if your vigilante identities you still have a piece of him on you.

•he’s just so whipped to be with you, literal heart eyes. You kissed him? Blushing, You hugged him? Blushing you literally went out of your way to try to talk to him during the day? Blushing. Even if he presents himself as a confident man his knees still buckle when you give him affection. Knowing that you go out of your way to show him your love just shows him that you’re loyal, not that he thinks your unloyal it just warms his heart to know that you really care about your relationship with him

ℜ𝔢𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔰 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔠𝔦𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔡!

[astra-ravana]

Hunter's Curse Enchantment

See everything as it truly is and enhance all your senses, including your sixth sense or intuition.

Needed:

• Blood (or red water)

• A candle

• A large mirror

• Any container

• A ring or other piece of jewelry

• A lighter or matches

• A private place with a quiet atmosphere

Instructions:

At night go to a safe place and light your candle. Pour the blood/water into the container with the jeweled item inside. Be sure you can see your reflection in the mirror.

Now, hum softly for three minutes, while holding the container and gazing into the mirror. When finished, speak these words, "God of the Hunt and Bringer of Beasts, look at thy offering for you to feast. If thou is willing, then blow this candle and make it dim." (relight the candle if needed)

Continue, "May thou feast on this liquid to quench your thirst, but I have just one request of you first... Bless this ring with your gifts!"

[takami-takami]

A Dog Unfed.

includes— hawks x reader. angst. hurt/comfort.

warnings— animal abuse analogy. discussion of drugs and cravings. be warned and avoid this if you need. sorry for spoiling the subtext lol, but it needs a tw. though, i encourage you to apply this however you feel it apply.

perhaps we all have a dog.

Did you ever tell him?

The fullest extent of it all, the thorny vines that adorn your past— more bondage than decoration, a dragging weight against your throat and up your nasal cavity. A growth, an infestation, a plague on your subconscious.

It is a dog you unwittingly adopted— a drooling rottweiler that smacks its jaws and begs and paws at your thighs, pleading to you each night: "I'm hungry, I'm hungry, I'm hungry. Please feed me, I'm hungry."

Everyone who has ever seen your dog has mistaken you for it.

Everyone who has seen your dog has peered down their pudgy little noses, muttered "mutt", spit it and clinked their heels away; or perhaps they simply looked on in sneers of smiling horror, down past their clutching pearls.

"This is you? By god, my goodness! An animal, an animal!"

You used to hate your dog.

You used to lock it in chains outside, let its fleshy paws burn and blister against the cement in the heat of the blaring sun. You grew tired of feeding it, of crushing up its kibble, of leaving it out to dry then quenching its bottomless thirst.

Now you just sit with it.

You sit by its side with your knees to your chest, listening to the cicadas chirp their prayers. Some days, you even let your back burn against the molten floor, a grounding heat while you lie down flat; but every day, every position, your eyes always remain locked on it.

You stare as it rests on its side, fusing to the glistening cement. You listen to its keening whines and dying breaths with a familiar pity and an unbearable disgust.

You blink, unfeeling again now.

You're sure it will never die, no matter how many hours it spends dying.

You never wanted to show Keigo your dog; even though a part of you is screaming and begging to present it to him. A gift from your innards, dirty in the palms of your blistering hands.

Keigo is just like everyone else, you assume. He is kind, he is gentle, he is an angel among men and he is the exact same as everyone else.

You've come to realize a person's good qualities— openmindedness, kindness, empathy— mean nothing in the face of what one is taught. No one is immune to propaganda, and there is no shortage of that nowadays against people with dogs.

The part that makes you doubt your assumptions is this: Keigo has honey in his eyes. Flicks of gold specks dust along the amber of his irises, a sticky kind of love swimming in them that drips down to his lopsided and infuriatingly safe smile.

You could never fathom his nose upturned, as he has been on the ground too many times to do that to another; nor could you picture a sneer from a mouth as sweet as his, honeysuckle and gentle, bright yellow.

So one night, you allow it to spill, hoping for him to soak up your blue one last time.

It's not uncommon for you to spend the dim of your nights at Keigo's home— his real home, the one the commission has never barged themselves in, the one he keeps hidden from every soul in this world but one.

It is uncommon for him to listen to the water of his shower run for several hours.

If you had feathers as sharply perceptive as his, you'd detect the nervous pacing of his leather boots against the carpet of his bedroom floor, even through the sheetrock that separates the two of you. The patter of the showerhead is far too consistent for his liking, very little movement being detected at all and his mind is bouncing off countless possibilities while sticking to none.

Those worries overflow from the cup of his bleating heart, bleeding when he turns sharply toward the bathoom door, resolute.

With a barely audible thud, his forehead traps golden strands between it and the wooden door it rests against.

He doesn't ask you if you're okay. Keigo never bothers with questions he already knows the answer to.

"Baby, open the door. Please," he begs. "I promise, it's okay— just need to be with you. Please."

The song of your sobs muffled through the door causes his feathers to sting an unbearable itch.

How his heart is just as red as those wings. It begins to drip, the string connecting him to you pulled too far for him to take. It— he needs to be with you right now.

A palm slides up the plane, resting firm by his cheek. The air of his breath hits the wood, fogging back against his lips.

"Please, let me in?"

His hopes blossom in the heavy pause that follows.

"...The door's unlocked," you answer.

Keigo knows. He could have pried it open in a heartbeat with a single feather even if it was locked, but trust and respect are precious commodities. They are irreplaceable, yet entirely and easily breakable.

Slowly, the knob creaks open, the careful movement still startling your spine stiff. The heels of your feet gently propel you backwards, firmer against the icy wall at the furthermost corner of the shower. The expanse is wide enough to accomodate fierce wings, wide enough to swallow your comparitively puny body in its open jaws.

Curled in on yourself, soaked, and trembling; this is what Keigo sees when he enters the room. This is what he sees when he dashes over, mumbling words you don't quite catch— some are familiar. "Dove", "sweetheart", "oh, my baby."

Down, he kneels by your side under the pour of the synthetic rain. The fabric of his shirt clings to his skin now, hair soaked just like yours; a wet dog all the same.

And with your tears plopping down against the flat tile, scratched knees held to your chest, you allow it to spill.

It spills through the hiccups, it spills through the wet of your cheeks; and above all, it finally spills through your confession, nose upturned to look up at his shaky gaze.

"Oh, angel..."

You can hear the palpable crack of his beating heart in that voice; but even if you didn't, the rustle of scarlet feathers that puff out in protection give his wounds away.

Keigo busies himself with a racing thought: how could he not notice the signs? He knew there were secrets nestled in the cavity of your ribcage, tandrils of some sort of ivy even he couldn't quite recognize.

You have a weight. Shackles chaining you to be left out in the midday sun.

He could tell. It's not the same as his— it's another flavor, another disease, another beast of its own— but in the most abstract of ways, Keigo could see it: you're just like him.

"Why didn't you tell me," he rasps, cupping your cheeks with shaky palms. They tap and squish like they're searching for signs— distress, hurt, anything.

You smile a mimicry of his, pulled from your most precious memories, and silently beg for that wobbly smile back; but it does not come. Instead, his eyes begin to shine, glassy and wet.

You've never seen him cry before.

You've never felt as desperate for his yellow as you do now, but you have felt this pathetic and small, once. You have felt like an animal, desperate to be domesticated— a synonym for loved.

"Y-You don't need to worry! I'm good, I'm still clean, see? See?"

As if that's the only thing that matters, you tip your chin towards him to offer your pupils as proof.

Such a gesture may shatter hearts, and Keigo is but a man. Despite it all, he is but a man.

He declines the offer, your words more than enough for him— his body opts to tackle you in an embrace instead, clutching your skull close to his hammering chest.

With each wide-eyed blink, the droplets resting on your lashes flick onto his chest. The soaked strands of your hair cling to him, both bodies drenched now by the roaring downpour above.

Water cascades in heaps onto the floor below. It never stops.

With your cheek pressed against his sternum, his scent invades your senses. He smells like cedarwood cologne and thickets of the forest, a warm signature. It matches his labored breaths: sturdy and weighty and masculine.

"I thought you wouldn't see me as a person anymore," you confess.

He hushes your worries as your eyes flutter shut, kissing the crown of your head with unwavering pride.

"Dove... You're my person."

Keigo thumbs away your tears and pulls back to offer you a wobbly smile.

You offer your own in return— a real one, too, this time.

---

The greatest advice you've ever been told was "don't start".

The words felt feeble at the time, like a joke passed down through unproductive seminars in high school out the mouths of stuffy men in suits, men who spoke of the boogeyman and jumped out behind chairs.

It meant nothing at the time.

It means everything now.

It helps you explain a little better to people who've never had a dog.

The words "don't start" are a language they do not speak; and yet, it helps to say it to their mirrored face, to imagine the breadth of your world could be pressed compact into those two tidy little words.

Talking to yourself helps you pretend you're understood.

Even though it is not necessary to be understood before you can be loved:

Don't start.

[aphroditesmoon]

last night i cried my eyes out and the loss of tears and water made me thirsty for some jace angst, can u belive it? so can we have idk some plot were the reader gets hurt so badly or something and jace just freaks out? like so much angst but also with a lot of fluff at the end maybe idk i'm desperate and obssese please

out of touch

jacaerys velaryon x reader

warnings: nsfw, gore, angst and fluff in the end.

a/n: hello sweet anon, I moved u up my request list for this, hope this quenches your thirst(⁠´⁠∩⁠｡⁠•⁠ ⁠ᵕ⁠ ⁠•⁠｡⁠∩⁠`⁠)

°°°

It has been made clear from the start of your betrothal two years ago, that your worth was not of a pawn to be played around in the games of war of thrones.

Your mother inherited the far east kingdom after your father's death. Men has not tried to ally themselves with your kingdom in your father's reign. The fear they have againts the Demon killer, bigger than the demons themselves that lurks around the woods of your forests.

But as he meets his death mysteriously, the hostile and violent dies and leaves his throne to your mother, the queen, with you next in line.

The alliance between your kingdom and the Targaryen's was one most powerful. There has been many bonds made between powerful lords and royalties. But not one where both holds power to a throne and royal ancestry.

You moved to Kingslanding without question, it was your duty to your kingdom and people. And you thank the gods for the kind man you have the luck to call a husband.

It was still new to you, the people, the culture and land, but Jace has made it sure that you would always have subtle reminders of your home and his comfort by your side.

And as is marriage is new to you, waking up to him by your side felt jarring, you soon learn to soften at his touch and as he is patient with yours.

But once you do however touch, all sense of reality disappears, and he is a mad man in need of your love in his lungs. an impossible wish, but he would try anyways, with his head between your thighs and his tongue deep in your cunt, fucking you through your third release.

Gripping his hair with your back arched, you orgasm in a whimpering moaning mess, his name a chant, a prayer.

He releases his tight hold on your thighs and climbs up to hover above you.

Your mouths meet in a passionate kiss, making you taste yourself in his tongue.

He pulls away first, breathy, laying next to you and pulling you to his chest.

Breaking out of the moment's peace, you look up at him and he smiles with his eyes before placing a kiss on your forehead.

"I wish you would not leave me at all."

He smiles and boops your nose. "You say that now, but you'll tire of me soon enough, wife."

You grin and jokingly hit him. "Never."

He would be flying back to House Stark for negotiations as the war lurks around the corner.

You had requested to leave back to your kingdom to reside with your mother queen while the war happens. But Jace had denied it, unable to have you far from him and his protection even when he's forced to battle.

You could've argued againts him over it and won, but you didn't, knowing his intentions were all for your own good and safety.

As you wait for news for news from him, you start residing in your estate palace for solitude.

It was a gift by your husband for you third and twentieth name day, a beautiful palace built with the colors of your own kingdom and a garden to your liking.

That night, you contemplated going back to the palace and sleeping in your own bed but changed your mind, not wanting to meet guards and maesters with worried smiles and no news from your husband.

Though it seemed sleep would not find you like it usually did in the comfort of your estate.

As you toss and turn on the bed you hear rustles outside you room and halt your movements to a stop.

"Aesther?" You call out gently for your handmaiden, immediately regretting it. Because she did not respond behind your closed doors.

You slowly rise from your bed and tiptoe to the window, peeking outside.

You curse silently as the view of your guard laying flat on their backs fill your vision.

Before you could think of a plan, your door barges open and a scream tore out your throat as a man lunges towards you and grabs you by your hair.

Your stomp his foot as he drags you out the door and he yelps and pulls your head back further.

"Our lord wants you alive, but he won't mind a few lost parts." He seethes in your face. "Where are you from? who sent you?" You demanded he before slices through your face with a knife, eliciting a scream from you before he releases your hair and shoves you towards two men with their face covered, gripping your arms and taking you to down to a small dungeon you didn't even knew existed in the building.

Your eyes roam the two other hostages, recognizing your maid Aesther and another servant girl.

You look at your captor in question.

He smiles and makes a vile joke, "For when we get bored of you."

The hands that holds you pushes you in before slamming the gate closed.

Your hand touches the skin that drips blood from your cheek as you hiss at the sting.

"There's a bucket for you to piss." One of them speaks before heading out.

Your handmaiden fusses over you from the other other cell as you wave her off.

Whoever these people were, they aren't here for you, not really, you were just a hostage.

You waste the night planning flawed plans of escape, the odds were terrible and you were doomed.

Hours into tiring sleep, you were shaken awake by one of the men. They didn't wait for you to stand to drag you.

You hear the worried shouting of Aesther calling after you.

"Worry not my dear," was all you manage to get to her before you were out the dungeon rooms.

They've sat you in front of the very man who scarred your face.

Though this time he seems less vengeful.

"Princess." He greets mockingly.

"You said you have a lord, yet you do most his bidding. Is he a cowards or are you a liar?" You snapped.

His grin disappears and he grips your face harshly. "Watch your mouth or what you will be is dead." he sneers at you.

Tired and in pain, you laugh dryly at his face. "I can't die, I'm the cost of your fortune. Your life is in my hands." The words did it's job and provoked him to punch you.

You look back at him unbothered as he regains his composure.

"A letter, has been sent to the Queen of your capture. And to your husband, no replies yet, he must not care much about you." He attempt.

"That's because it's barely been half a day you arsewit." You scoff at him.

You expect another outburst but he only smiles at you. "More time for me ruin your worth princess."

°°°

A day in a half. A day in a half is how long it took for the letter to reach Jacaerys.

His mother must've known of this, and yet he knows there would be no way Daemon would allow her or anyone to waste their armies and soldier for her yet.

And while they are scheming for another plan, she is still a hostage and her life, her honor, and her safety are all at the highest risk.

"I need to go back, I need to know she's alright."

"She's not." Cregan Stark speaks, earning the prince's glare.

"They are holding her hostage for your mother's surrender. So either she dies or Your mother dies if she surrenders-"

"And what do you suggest we do Lord Stark?" He snaps, cutting him off.

The lord eyes Jace carefully before speaking.

"They'd be expecting a rescue attempt from your mother's guards. But not from us."

Silence laced the air as Jace takes in his suggestion.

"And what would you want in return, as a good man as you are, we're all looking out for our own houses are we not?" Cregan Starks nod slowly before speaking again.

"You'll always have the oaths and loyalty to our house my friend, no doubt. But sometimes I wonder if we have yours."

He waits for him to continue.

"I would like to suggest a proposal. Between my brother, and your cousin, the lady Baela Targaryen." Jacaerys breaths heavy sigh.

"What you are suggesting Cregan, is not my place to approve or-"

"No it is not, my prince, but we both know your stepfather is as impulsive as a burning fire. All I ask is your promise to advise and ensure your mother of my proposal when she receives it. I am asking for your support to bind out two houses, in exchange for my a rescue troop for your wife."

The reminder of his wife's situation wakes him out of his doubts.

"Is that all you want?" He asks for confirmation. Cregan nods. "You are a brother to me Jace, you have my word that I will ensure your woman's safety. All I ask is for your loyalty to me, as mine is to you."

Jace nods and waits no more. "Then you shall send in your letter for her."

°°°

Four days feels like a lifetime when you're reliving the same day.

Come the third day, you had attempted to escape yourself, failing to hope for your mother in law's rescue, you manage to gouge out one of their eyes before you were slammed back inside.

Your captors then, have decided to starve you, and not before slitting your handmaidens throat, and leaving her to rot in her caged walls in front of you to watch.

You mourned her for hours, and when you've thought the tears have finished, her dead corpse watching you proves it wrong.

The lack of food and water combined with the crying had started to Inflict an insane headache along with hallucinations.

From moving walls and spinning rooms to the walking corpse of Aesther, your body relents and you fall in the longest slumber your body has known.

Not so long as you expected of course, when you were shook awake in hazy state.

The unfamiliar face shaking you speaks words u can't hear.

"Huh?"

"Said...wh-.."

You frown at him then hiss at the burning sensation of the scar on your face.

He appears to give up in communicating and moves to sling you on his shoulder and you groan out.

" 'm gonna throw up-" You slurred and the man's voice finally clears up in your ears.

"Wait until we're out and you can throw up at any of your chosen captors I assure you",

You let out a short choked laugh. "Feels like a reward",

His hold on you tightens and you flinch as he finally reach out and pushes a sword into a man moving towards you. "fucking hell."

He shushes you and shoves his sword in a man's eye before rushing out of the entrance.

He lowers you onto what seemed like a really big horse and you drop your head about to fall asleep again.

You hear the annoying man who refuses to stop waking you up, shake you again, calling your name repeated.

"Don't pass out on me now love, we can't afford a concussion-" His words cuts off as your mind shuts off with your eyes.

It was then, before your eyes closes from the day, that you realized it was your husband talking to you.

°°°

"I want to smash my head on a mirror and sacrifice my toes to a demon." Was the first thing you said accompanied with a whine as your head pounds like it's been beaten.

The comforting voice of Jace responds your eyes open to meet his. "That can be arranged, I'm sure."

When you smile at him, his own grin drops and he pulls you closed to him, inhaling your the scent of your hair and kissing the top of your head.

You can feel how strong his heart is beating, and the grip of his arms around you confirms your suspicion.

"I am safe Jacaerys.", You speak as gently as you can.

He scoffs and you hear his voice break as he speaks; "You weren't. You never are, not in the midst of this war, and I couldn't protect you, I knew the risk and I risked you-"

You jolt up from his hold and shushes him as your hands cup his face, your foreheads meeting.

"Do not blame yourself for what you couldn't have known my prince. None of this was your fault. You want to be mad at someone, then be mad at the captors, or be mad at me for being stupid enough for staying somewhere with barely any protection." You scold him sternly with love.

He shakes his head and his shoulders relax. "Not you. I could never blame you." He whispers. You kiss both his eyebrows before his lips. "Then do not blame yourself either."

He sighs deeply and nods. His hands move to trace over your face, the dried up scar wrapped by a bandage the bruise by your. His frown returns but his anger calms still.

"I've killed all except one. He shall be interrogated and I shall find the root of this mess." He voices out factually.

You agree and go back to lay on his chest as he moves to lie down on the bed.

"I'd bet I look as shit as how I feel." He pinches you lightly at your waist as you squirm away from him with a hoarse laugh.

"Never. You will always be my beautiful angel."

You wanted to tease him of the irony of his nickname to where you were born, attempting to distract him, but the same wave of tire hits you again.

You feel him sit up to unwrap the bandage by your cheeks, wiping the rest of dried blood and wrap a new cloth over it.

"Can I sleep again now or will you force me to keep my eyes open still." You tease, getting a smile out of him as he kisses your forehead.

"My sweet wife, always the lighthearted. Yes, yes of course, please rest. I will be right here.

His hand squeezes yours and tell him before falling into sleep, "I am not too easy to break my heart, do not worry too much for me."

He shakes his head at your insistence and closes the small lamp by your bedside, getting under the covers and pulling you into his arms. "No, no you're not."

[di-42]

This is an older one, so I won't add it to the collection but it does fit this week's prompt for ineffable prompt-a-thon wanting, so I'll reblog it. @ineffablyruined

The Call

How would it be to heed the call?

Would it feel better? Worse than the fall?

How would it be to reach for your neck?

Breathing in sharply? Feeding the yearn?

How would it be to heed the call?

Let my guard slide? Knock down the wall?

How would it be to reach for your hair?

Gasping for air? Quenching the thirst?

What would it be like to taste the light?

Burning in water? Watching you drop?

What would it be like to make you forget?

Coming undone under my spell?

What would it be like to sip the darkness?

Drowning in fire? Drinking the venom?

What would it be like to finally yield?

Unleashing the want? Bathing in sin?

What would it take to undress your desire?

To offer redemption? To welcome you in?

What would it take to break your defence?

To make you a host for forbidden dreams?

What would it take to drive you insane?

To uncover your eyes? To unmask your game?

What would it take to make you worship me?

Like a demonic whisper, a heavenly gift?

What would you feel like if I stepped closer?

If I held down your tremble...

What would you feel like if I didn't run?

If I backed to the wall...

What would you do if I kissed you over and over?

What would you do if I ran my hand up your back?

How would it be to heed the call?

How would it feel to follow the pull?

 Lying down together

Losing control

Slow and then faster

Gently, then rougher

Falling to pieces

Falling. Apart.

What would it be like to die at your hands?

How would it feel like to die on your lips?

Crying out your name

Crying, overwhelmed

How would it be to rest on your chest?

Eyelids quite heavy, Breath slowing down.

What would it feel like my chin on your head?

Holding you close, sweat turning cold.

How would it feel...?

What would it be like...?

 

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe one day.

Part of my Ineffable Chords series on Ao3.

[calmcoldevening]

♡ Slashers as drinks ♡

Michael Myers — Water

• Firstly, it is good for the body (Michael can also be useful, yes)

• Secondly, if you replace many harmful drinks with water, your life will become much better. Well, if you spend more time with Michael, your life will get a little better (hey, he will kill all the people who somehow offend you, he will save your life from "bad drinks")

• Water is so delicious when you don't drink for several hours in a row. Seriously. Especially after some training. And so you come home after a long day, and you are greeted by this miracle (yeah, very friendly, especially with his emotionality) and you spend the whole evening together. Cute.

• Just, if you love Michael (I do), drink more water. And you will support Michael, and your body will thank you :)

Jason Voorhees — Morse

• It's sweet.

• It's delicious.

• This is useful, especially if it is at home.

• Well, just look at this adorable bun, it's impossible not to love it! It is so sweet and refreshing, like a delicious fruit drink made from fresh summer berries! It's like I'm back at camp again.

Bubba Sawyer — Cocoa with marshmallow

• Brighten up any of your cold evening with his warm, pleasant company.

• You, him and a warm blanket on the sofa in front of the fireplace, what could be better?

• This man has the most tremulous and loving hugs. His big plush body is literally created for pleasant, gentle hugs. And take another ginger cookie for both of you, and it will be the best evening of your lives.

• Cocoa will help you relax after a long chase after victims and dragging a heavy chainsaw. Bubba's tense body begs for such a pleasant rest.

Thomas Hewitt — Hot chocolate

• Like hot chocolate, it is very sweet and pleasant. Warms the throat and soul and all that.

• God, have you seen this divine man? I'm ready to kiss it all, it's the sweetest chocolate in the world.

• Lyude-Mae, thank you for raising such an incredible boy.

• Chocolate improves brain function and increases dopamine levels in the brain, isn't that a sign? In addition, the touch of another person produces dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, which lift the mood and increase resistance to stress. Hugs?

Stu Matcher/Billy Loomis — Vodka

• Can I not comment on this..?

Vincent Sinclair — Milkshake (your favorite flavor)

• Oh, yes.

• Milkshake is especially good in the heat. A little cream, your favorite ice cream and some fresh berries (you can do without them) and voila, it turns out such a yummy.

• You can freeze and get ice cream. Multifunctional boy.

• If you start drinking, the cocktail ends in an instant, and then you want more and more... This boy is addictive.

• But he's so sweet...

Bo Sinclair — Pomegranate juice

• I just don't like pomegranate juice. But it's useful. Bo, what's the use of you? (Sorry if you like him)

Lester Sinclair — Mineral water

• Simple and tasteful.

• Lester is really like a mineral water. In a difficult moment, he will always offer his friendly shoulder so that you can lean on or cry.

• The best thing you'll find with a hangover...

• Quenches thirst better than sweet soda.

• If you add syrup to it, you will get a sweet fruit lemonade. This boy will help in all cases of life.

Pyramid head - Green tea

• Many people don't like it (for example, my dad), but if you try this divine drink, you won't be able to drink something else.

• Pyra is truly a gift to the universe!

• Improves well-being, skin condition, accelerates metabolism, improves mood and the name system... I can go on for a long time.

• Delicious both hot and cold (But the Pyramid head one is always hot as Hell...)

• This man is addictive.

John Kramer — Lemonade

• Simple and tasteful.

• You won't find a better alternative for the holidays.

• It's delicious. It's beautiful. This is always relevant. Eternal classics.

• With what other drink do you get to know the essence of this life?

• Chilled lemonade with ice cubes and mint...

Amanda Young — Red wine

• Oh, this baby is the best.

• Improves sleep. Any time spent with this goddess is fine, but sleep is especially good. Next to Amanda, you will only have sweet, pleasant dreams! Maybe even smut... I assure you, sleeping with her is a pleasure.

• Useful for pressure. If Amanda is around, your heart starts beating wildly in a chaotic dance, and the blood rises to your pale cheeks until this moment. Now you don't look so tired, right?

• Hugs and kisses with this gorgeous woman are like Paradise, so it's quite possible to say that she herself tastes like good wine.

Mark Hoffman — Black coffee

• He took my heart.

• No sugar is needed to taste this man.

• At first it seems bitter and nasty, but... Hey, pour me another cup, please?

• It's fucking addictive, and after a while you just won't be able to drink coffee with sugar.

• Where to sign to sell your soul to the Devil? I just want to drink this coffee forever (and have Hoffman forever, ahem)

• As black as his soul.

• Bitter, but delicious in its own way and damn sweet.

• For connoisseurs of true art and something truly beautiful.

Brahms Heelshire — Milk

• Baby Brahmsey.

• Helps you fall asleep. This man will ask for a bedtime story and a kiss before going to bed... And then he will throw you on the bed and ask you to fall asleep with him.

• You know, it's good for the throat if you're sick.

• Milk reminds of childhood ...

• Sometimes milk is nasty and Brahms too. If your mood is more towards tea than coffee, drink tea. Brahms will get mad and calm down. And after that there will be time for hugs.

Hannibal Lecter — Cognac

• This man is good.

• After his appearance in my life, I decided to connect my life with psychology and helping others (and after Kramer's appearance, of course).

• Always good. Especially if you are some kind of boss or a serious person, you should have cognac. In the movies, it looks like a success.

• This man understands exquisite things and looks so great all the time... Really cognac, there is no other way.

• Will support you on a lonely night and cheer you up when you meet some of your friend.

Will Graham — Black tea with milk/cream

• This is... Cute?

• My cousin had a grandmother, she always made me such tea. It evokes a feeling of nostalgia and comfort, as if I am back in childhood.

• This is the most comfortable character for me! So warm, sweet, sweet and pleasant ...

• It's unusual, especially if you try it for the first time, but it's delicious, I assure you.

• A combination of classic harsh tea and something soft and kind from childhood, Will is really the best.

• I want to get to know Will by sight. I want to hug him. I want to be him, okay?

[aquagirl1978]

Rescue Me - Jin Grandet x Reader (Ikemen Prince)

A/N: Part of the Late Summer Rendezvous hosted by @xxsycamore - this is a gift for my dear friend @randonauticrap, I hope this little bit of Jin brightens your day!

Pairing: Jin Grandet x Reader

Prompt: sexy life guard

Tags: NSFW; Minors- DNI

The summer rays were warm on your face as you relaxed in your chair; the sun, high in the sky, shined down on you as you read your book and sipped iced tea. Digging your toes in the sand, you turned the page, anxious to see whether love would bloom between the heroine and her love interest.

A group of small children ran by, laughing and shouting, causing you to put down your book for a moment. Oh, to be young again. Your gaze followed them down the beach, your eyes lingering on the tall lifeguard tower.

Seated atop the tower like an eagle perched in his nest, dressed in red swim trunks and dark sunglasses, was a man. A very handsome man with broad shoulders and sculpted abs. You watched as he blew a whistle and called to some people to not swim so far out.

Oh, how you wished he would blow that whistle and call out to you.

You’d come running to him, your body wet from swimming in the ocean. Pressing your palms on his bare chest, you’d watch with lidded eyes as drops of water, glistening in the sunshine, trickled down his chest. He’d tease you for getting him wet like that, and maybe, if you were lucky, he’d grab you by the wrist and take you somewhere more private.

You glanced further down the beach and saw an outcropping of rocks. “We can stay hidden there,” he would say, as he held your wrist firmly in his large hand, his thumb pressing on your pulsepoint, as you panted, trying to keep up with his long strides in the sand. 

Peals of laughter broke your fantasy, your eyes quickly finding the source of the sound. A flock of teenage girls had surrounded the lifeguard’s tower and were loudly chatting with him. The lifeguard was friendly in his responses, his eyes, however, were locked on the ocean. 

Picking up your beverage, you took a long sip, the cool liquid refreshing on your tongue, however, doing nothing to temper the heat growing inside. Biting your lip, your mind wandered once more, allowing those long, strong swimmer’s arms to wrap around your shoulders.

“You should be punished for distracting me while I’m working.” His tone was serious, but the way he looked at you – garnet eyes aglow with wicked mischief – told a different story. Holding his gaze, you remained silent, waiting for your punishment. 

He dipped his head towards yours, capturing your lips in a fiery kiss. Your wet body pressed against his as the tip of his tongue probed open your lips, seeking entrance into your mouth. Moaning softly, your tongues met, twisting and twirling, as he hands began to wander down your back. 

His fingers would easily pull down the straps of your bathing, allowing your breasts to spill from the tight fabric. You could feel the smile in his kiss as he cupped one breast in his hand, his thumb massaging your nipple. The roar of the ocean grew louder, masking your moans, as the water splashed around your ankles.

Tearing your eyes away from the lifeguard's tower, you reached for your book, desperately needing a distraction. You focused your eyes on the words on the pages, following the escapades of Mitch and CJ and friends. Of all the books you owned, why did you pick the one book you owned about lifeguards?

You picked up your glass, now only half-full, although you would need enough iced tea to fill an Olympic-sized pool to quench your thirst this afternoon. 

The whistle blew once more; your head turned to find the lifeguard flying off his post, running straight into the water. The water slowed his movements as a small crowd stopped to watch as the lifeguard scooped the young boy in his arms, swiftly returning to the beach. He brought the boy to his tower, where he offered him a dry towel and a brightly colored lollipop. A frantic couple came running; reuniting with their son, they thanked the lifeguard profusely for saving their son's life. 

"Just doing my job," you heard the lifeguard say before popping a blue lollipop into his mouth. This one here truly was the complete package – strong, handsome, kind, and a hero. 

He was also soaking wet, head to toe. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing his damp bangs free from his face, his breathing only slightly heavier after his heroics. 

The book fell from your hands and into your lap; there would be time to finish the story later.

"This is good," he'd say, stopping when the water reached just below his shoulders. Scooping you in his arms, your bodies free of your bathing suits, he pulled you close, your legs wrapping around his waist. Your body shivered with excitement as he plunged a finger inside you, quickly adding a second. Tilting your head back, the water helped keep your body afloat as he continued to finger you.

His name was but a whisper on your lips as he entered you, your hands slippery as your nails tried to dig into his back. Was it the water? The position, maybe? Or perhaps the thrill of making love at the beach? Either way, your senses were heightened, enhancing your pleasure. 

It wasn't long before your bodies melted into one, the state of your bliss euphoric yet ephemeral.

The skies turned a shade of cotton candy pink as the sun started to set; the lifeguard blew his whistle one more time, marking the end of his shift. You watched him leave wistfully as you packed your bag. It would be dinner soon, time to head home. 

With your bag slung over your shoulders, you made your way to the parking lot. It wasn't hard to find your car as most had already left for the day.

After tossing your bag into the trunk, you slid into the front seat next to a handsome, familiar face, a long, white tee shirt covering some of his red swim trunks. 

"Hey, babe," Jin said, greeting you with a kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go home?"

Tagging: @redheadkittys @alixennial @rhodolitesroseforclavis @kissmetwicekissmedeadly @chaosangel767 @queengiuliettafirstlady @queen-dahlia @ikehoe @ikemen-writer @talfollowingstuff @kpop-and-otome @kisara-16 @altairring @lucyw260 @lordsisterxotome @umi-adxhira @bellerose-arcana @yarnnerdally @crypticbibliophile @tele86 @nightfoxqueen @melodiousramblings @wendolrea @aceuuuu @randonauticrap @aria-chikage @nightghoul381 @itsjudesfault @maries-gallery @xbalayage

[ddostoyevskyy]

❝𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍❞

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕: The Hell of Mirrors, 𝐈!

Edogawa Ranpo

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒... officially f!reader for now on, fluffy with a pinch of angst chapter, heheheheheheheheheheheheheh

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄... haven’t updated for a while */cutely gives you this chapter.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒... 3.823k

SERIES MASTERLIST

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐄, 𝐈, 𝐈𝐈, 𝐈𝐈𝐈, 𝐈𝐕, 𝐕

Why would a man become crazy if he entered a glass globe lined with a mirror? What in the name of the devil had he seen there?

“I have already processed your request of Gifted Business Permit from Gifted Special Operations Division, Mister Fukuzawa. We just have to wait for confirmation and other formal details and you can work as a public servant as an ability user, from then.” Chief Taneda exclaimed, his eyes averting meticulously from Fukuzawa and the two children seated besides him; both a young boy and girl whose had her head gently laying on his shoulder, her eyes blindfolded. He had recognized the silent girl eversince they’ve arrived. The young boy, however, has been staring at him with such emerald, determined eyes, wearing a piece of glasses and a familiar military corps cap.

“That’s good to hear, Chief. I hope, my request will be fulfilled because these children really has a potential. Although, this young lady here needs a little supervision, she’s a soft spoken child.” Fukuzawa replied, sipping on a warm tea as Ranpo reached for the cup of water in front of him as he nudged his shoulder where you have been resting on. You raise your head subsconsciously before you felt the cool touch of the mug on your lips which Ranpo had offered you. You were startled a bit before you took his offer to drink, the water had quenched your thirst as you finished drinking with a satisfied buds before muttering a small sound of gratitude.

“I see. But you know her full potential, right? I just hoped, you can bring out the best for this child, Mister Fukuzawa.” Chief Taneda watched the two children interact without words as Ranpo fed you as you eat what he feed you as you munched those unfamiliar flavours exploding in your taste buds. You feel these bursts of delightful and enjoyment as your stomach feel full too, although these emotions are usually something you feared to feel — it makes you feel warm and giddy.

“Of course. I know parenthood is not an easy task, but if they are really willing to help and save others, I am willing to be a guide and a witness of their success.” You felt a large hand on top of your head as Fukuzawa patted your head as he did to Ranpo which the young boy protested with an adorable pout as he continued to feed you while sulking.

“I’m glad to hear that, Mister Fukuzawa. But as an official too, I would like to take young (Name) to a gifted specialist to be checked further. She has been through a lot of psychological torture that her own ability did to herself. And, as far as I know, she was experimented.” Chief Taneda offered. Your trembling hand found the table as it caused the utensils on the table create a tingling sound on the ears. Your lips trembled as Fukuzawa and Ranpo stared at you in bewilderedment, waiting for your next move.

“I was not experimented. These bruises are the aftermath of overusing my ability. Since I were to use my mind for the Altered Reality, my whole body and nerve are affected. My Reflecting Emotions ability travels on my veins and controls the beat of my heart causing palpilations and an almost heart failure. I am not insane.” Your voice held such authority and with your eyes even covered, the man across you felt a sudden intimidation as he gulped. Well, maybe you are not insane, but your level and capacity of knowledge is not normal for a child without medications or experimentations. Ranpo’s case were different; he can see through truth and deduction, while you, have the power to roam in someone’s mind; to mess with their minds, to apply different memories that has never existed, to manipulate someone’s dreams, to appear in someone’s nightmares. The both of you combined is a dangerous combination to ever exist.

“My apologies if I ever offend you, but that’s not what I meant, Miss (Name). We just have to see what’s your full potential and the Gifted Division is willing to help you.”

“I have no power to refuse because the law won’t follow someone whose underage, but Mister Yukichi is now my guardian, and he’s responsible with the decision of my sake,” You answered as you heave a sigh. You felt a poke on your cheek as you tilted your head to Ranpo’s direction, pursing your lips before shaking your head to tell him you don’t want another bite anymore. You have lost your appetite and the food you ate felt like it was trashing on your stomach, swirling with emotions as you calm yourself for a moment. You place your lips on the mug in your hand again as you drink. “But even though I have my eyes covered, I can sense your heart beat. It sounds pleasing and sincere through the ears. I trust you because you are willing to help Mister Yukichi, but I don’t trust those people in that... Gifted Division.”

Fukuzawa stared at you, ash-grey eyes shining under the fancy lights of the restaurant. This... is such a huge responsibility, especially coming from the responsibility itself. But Fukuzawa is also determined to see your full potential, although you seems skeptical and Ranpo had been avoiding his gaze as he also felt silent at your trembling voice, he knew it was a bad idea to hand you over the Gifted Special Operations Division. If ever, Fukuzawa is willing to be an instrument to see your full potential instead of the officials. Ranpo is aware of what will happen too as he felt your small hand tightened on the hem of his cape as you unintentionally tug and grip. Ranpo can sense your agitation and a little bit of irritation as your thighs which is glued to his own started to bounce in action.

Fukuzawa can sense the distress to the two children besides him as he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. “I think, we are already finished here, Chief. Thank you for your help and I expect good news for the pending approval of my business permit. Please, contact me for that matters only. If you’ll excuse us, we have to go,” He stood up as he take his wallet from his pocket, rummaging a few cash before putting it under the utensils available on the table. “Ranpo, (Name), let’s go.”

You shakily sighed as you felt Ranpo’s arm on your shoulder and the back of your knees, hoisting you up on his arms as you leaned your head on his shoulder before you felt him strided, following Fukuzawa shortly after he bowed to the Chief whose left speechless because of you. He never really protested anymore, although he was just in an utter shock in disbelief after they left, maybe it was a good idea not to involve you to the officials anymore.

“I’m sorry about my behavior earlier, Mister Yukichi...” You muttered under your breath as Fukuzawa catches your voice. He shook his head as he sighed. “I just can’t... go back there anymore. I hate hospitals.”

“I understand, (Name). You don’t need to apologize for such small things, alright? What you did earlier is a sign of improvement. You can actually fight for yourself without using your ability, right? So, it’s fine, (Name).” You felt that large hand on your head again, patting and caressing your hair in such manner that made you melt as you shift on Ranpo’s arms.

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable. You’re heavy, you know?” Ranpo murmured with a slight pout.

“Are you tired, Ranpo? I can carry her.”

“No can do! But we can take taxi! Or you can carry me on your back and carry (Name) in your arms at the same time!” Fukuzawa sighed at his behavior, shaking his head before ignoring the child’s suggestions which made the younger’s lips puckered more in annoyance.

“So bored!”

“Where are we going, Mister?”

“Are we there yet?”

“I’m getting sleepy!”

“Hey, you! Are you asleep? Ah! How dare you sleep peacefully in my arms!”

Ranpo pondered more questions to the older man that is left unanswered. Fukuzawa really had no idea where to go tonight and his house which is still quite far away from here.

“Hey, Mister. I was just wondering,” Ranpo’s voice turned serious, a little bit lower from his high-pitched, playful voice earlier as he caught Fukuzawa’s attention. “(Name) seems to have a vocabulary I don’t understand sometimes.”

Fukuzawa stared at the boy whose looking directly on the streets as they both walked in sync. “Don’t worry about it. I, as an adult don’t understand what’s going on in her mind too. She’s a close book. But bringing her with us is not a wrong decision, Ranpo,” The boy fell in silence as he pondered in his mind. Fukuzawa saw a lot of confusion and hesitation in the younger boy’s emerald eyes when his gaze averted to the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms.

“And I don’t regret tagging you along too.”

“Are you making me cry again?” Ranpo retorted.

Fukuzawa’s eyebrow arched in confusion. “...No?”

The boy snorted, holding back laughter as he lift his arms and adjusted the girl’s position on his arms with a sigh.

“Where are we heading? I’m so tired!” Ranpo retorted again as Fukuzawa sighed, pulling the girl out of his grasp without waking her up. Before he could answer the younger one, his phone rings through his pocket. He carries the young girl on one arm as if it’s an infant. His muscles restraint under the sleeve of his yukata as he halted for a moment, making Ranpo leaned on the light post, impatiently with a pout.

“Is this Fukuzawa Yukichi?”

“Yes, speaking,” He answered. “Who is this?”

“I’m... (Name)’s father.”

A frown appeared in Fukuzawa’s expression, furrowed eyebrows and purse lips as every steps he took felt heavy and unrelenting. He breath in as he glance at the two children sitting a little away from the table, yet still visible on his supervision. (Name)’s head on Ranpo’s shoulder as the young boy’s also leaning on top of her head with his mouth slightly agape — tired from strolling too much in Yokohama city as he fiddled with his fingers.

(Name)’s father... what would this man who claimed to be her biological father need from him? Or from his daughter... will he take the young girl away from him? Fukuzawa shook his head — he’s not even her legal guardian, yet the thought of bringing her back to the reason why she became a child with no emotions doesn’t sit right with him.

Everything that happened today doesn’t feel right.

It was as if the Heaven were punishing him for all the mistakes he did — those bloodsheds he sheated, and those failed mission as a private bodyguard and assassination is weighing him down as he remembered that one employee whose as powerful — with a connection to the Port Mafia; where he learned and mastered the art of sword. He never failed, though, he realized he wasn’t really ready for such responsible like this; taking children with him despite his dangerous connections.

He ought to change, although his principles and morals opposed his actions — protecting a mere child is not a solution he thought of. He viewed children as fragile, naive, and carefree. But those two children leaning on each other in a deep slumber begs to differ — both intelligence and emotional capabilities that any normal teens at their age rarely has.

But, they’re still a child after all.

Both craved for a parental guidance and validation a parent should fully give them. Edogawa Ranpo were not deprived of that matter until both of his parents are quick to disappeared from this world before he could have explored the world better with them. (Name) (Last Name), however, were deprived to feel any emotions present in this world, not even a touch of a mother and a genuine love of a father that has been betraying her since birth. Those memories planted on his mind were harsh memories of chemicals and experiments that (Name) believed to be a product of her own ability; in which is arguable, but none of it is a fact.

Though, he can’t really ignore Ranpo’s situation — both of them are very much alike.

“Mister Fukuzawa, right?” A man in a suit appeared right in front of him with a serious expression. The man’s head swivels around the restaurant before his eyes fell on the spot Fukuzawa’s been guarding for a while.

“Yes, you’re not mistaken. Please, tell your concern as much as possible because I have company whose definitely tired right now.” Fukuzawa answered with a monotone, voice deep and a little harsher than usual.

Ranpo’s eyes shot open wide as he quickly glance on his right, blinking his eyes when his vision blurred as he felt a frail arms hooked on his own. His head swivel towards Fukuzawa’s table whose not alone anymore, accompanied by a man in an elegant suit; the same familiar (H/C) locks welcomes his sight, warm and vibrant under the chandelier lights as he huffed an air through his mouth.

No matter what the outcome of the adults’ conversation will be, Ranpo knew this will be your last straw. His fingers ghostly wrapping around your own as you shift in your slumber, unconsciously tightening your grip on his warm hands. No matter how Ranpo thinks of countless solutions, it will never change; a child’s power in this cruel world, no matter how intelligent they are — without a mother and father — will only fall apart.

Especially, how your father is definitely one of most powerful man with authority, given by how he suddenly looked so intimidating and domineering as he intently stare at Fukuzawa.

This man... will definitely won’t hesitate to use law against Fukuzawa.

“Edogawa...san?” He heard you murmured, voice gentle as he looked down at you, “What‘s bothering you?”

“The fact that you're sleeping peacefully while I can't feel my shoulders by now.” Ranpo huffed with a pout, all in while masking his concern to the current situation as he could feel the tension going on a certain table.

“Huh...?” You shifted a little when you realized, cheeks heating up for unknown reasons you can’t identify as you realized your finger were intertwined. “Sorry.”

Fukuzawa’s silver eyes averted to them as he met Ranpo’s before the younger one nudge his head to the side, a signal in which, Fukuzawa doesn’t seem to catch on. He averted his gaze to the man in front of him who claimed himself your father, yet you seemed to give a single care when you kept yourself close to Ranpo despite the embarrassment that you felt earlier.

“Hey, (Name),” Ranpo whispered as he glanced through the entrance and exit of the restaurant for a sign of bodyguards or men in suit standing outside for any future casualties. He grabbed your wrist with a firm grip, warm fingertips engulfing your cold ones. “If you were to choose, will you go back to your old life with your father?”

He felt your whole body halt with his question, your relaxed arm became tense in his grip as your mouth fell open in disbelief. Your mind surges with thoughts swirling in your mind — the thought of Fukuzawa and Ranpo bringing you back to your biological father’s den like a rabbit on a lion’s cage dominated your thoughts as you flinched when Ranpo tugged you back to reality. He pursed his lips when he saw how your lips trembled and threatening to scream.

You yanked your wrist away from him, causing you to stumble to your feet as you scrambled, losing balance. A shriek escapes your lips as a glass breaking sound resonates in your ears; you fell down in a pile of broken glass underneath as you hissed.

“(Name)!” You could hear the faux concern lacing on his voice as you gritted your teeth. What is that all about?! Is Ranpo plotting something? You figured by how you could identify his mischievousness by his voice. “Are you alright?!”

You scrunched your nose in process when he kept his voice that way.

“Hey, Sir! She’s blind, can’t you see? We need to bring her to the hospital.”

Fukuzawa finally realized the look Ranpo gave him earlier.

You kissed your teeth together as you grabbed into Ranpo’s dark cape, tugging him to help you up in hurry. You felt some of the broken glass had prickled in the sheer skin of your flesh — realizing how incredibly thin the fabric of your longsleeve dress that stops below knee.

One thing Ranpo noticed about your attitude is your lack of patience in everything.

Fukuzawa watched when a huddle of people crowded the two children as he pursed his lips.

“What happened? (Name)? (Name)!” (L/N) had tried to call his daughter’s name, that to his dismay, had already disappeared from the midst of the crowds. Fukuzawa’s eyes averted to the door exit as he saw Ranpo scurries out of the restaurant carrying (Name) on his back. He mentally facepalmed.

He‘s definitely going to give Ranpo a good scolding later.

“Edogawa-san!” You yelled his name — the very first time he heard you ever raised your voice as your arm wrapped around his neck for support, the other one were clutching on his black locks in annoyance, his dark tresses surprisingly soft while his cap sat securily on top of your head instead. “Slow down! What’s the rush for?!”

Your voice were high-pitched, almost breathless even though you were not the one running and carrying another weight on your back as he huffed a breath. There’s no reply on his end as you shrieked when he run a little faster, your hand toppled on his hair were instantly removed when you felt his hat almost falling off your head; he warned you not to lose it or he’s gonna drop you off of his back.

You huffed as the cold breeze of air hits your supple skin that was exposed, the small cuts on your skin due to the broken glass aches a little, but you can manage. You have no idea what’s this boy running from, but you could definitely feel the adrenaline rush on his veins.

“Sorry for asking you that question earlier. I know you would react that way and I have to put on a show to distract them.” Ranpo’s fevered and out of breath words reached your ears despite the wind harshly blowing in your direction because of his speed. You never thought he could run this fast like this, though maybe it was just you and your unathletic stamina.

But, can’t he tell you what’s really happening atleast?!

“Edogawa-san, where are we going?” You asked, out of breath, despite him carrying you, you could feel his exhaustion runs wildly on his body, the exposed skin of his neck forming sweat as it trickles where your arms are hooked for support.

Ranpo doesn’t answer, roaming his opened eyes around as he abruptly stopped when he realized his surroundings; dark and empty with not even a single soul or human in the streets, the flickering lights of lamppost made it more darker and eerie. He could only hear his own breathing, two heartbeats, and the soft breaths from you near his ears that made his skin and flesh tremble.

You didn’t say a word too; the defeaning silence pierce both of your ears as you grip on Ranpo’s uniform, creasing the fabric in your fist. You could feel the hesitation and fear run his whole system.

(Name), what are you doing?

Ranpo pondered in his head as he stepped back a few times before turning around completely, walking back where he ran earlier just to confirm something. He was quiet and so are you — completey and engulfed in a silence that if he ever make noises, he might as well die. Ranpo can’t go back now — not when Fukuzawa is really eager to take you with them; to change your life into a better one like he did to Ranpo. Though, it seems like the scarf in your eyes wouldn’t make any changes to you.

Ranpo stopped on his tracks again as he vaugely realized; he’s been walking on the same path — the buildings and infrastructures never changed as the flickering lamppost he saw earlier never changed as though playing games and surging him on to be completely insane.

“Edogawa-san,” You called out his name as his ears rang, his breath rigid when your voice falters in a quiet hymn, as if lullabying him into sleep, luring him into slumber until he falls asleep — yet he fought the urge to fell in the tips of your fingers, or to sleep at the melody of your voice as though he will be laying on a bed of roses forgetting its thorns that will pierce in his body.

Are you playing with him? Is this part or your insanity? Your mercy? Is this the part where he’ll regret everything he did to save you away from the grasp of the man who you called father who did nothing but to make you suffer enough in the liue of chemicals and the artificiality of your veins that made your mind sharper but crazier. He vaugely knew everything, though your intuitions and intentions were still unknown to him, atleast he knew what your condition as he could be any help.

“Do you see a hospital building?”

Ranpo swivel his head around as he faced a building painted in white walls as he mindlessly nodded.

“You wanna know the real me, right?” Your voice falters yet again as you wrapped your arms around his neck, burying your face on the crook of his shoulder as you sighed. “I’d like to make you see everything of me within my ability. I’d like you to understand why I’m doing this. Our physical bodies were unconscious right now, this only place within the consciousness of our minds. You cannot be seen, therefore you can explore.”

And, as if in a flick of fingers, Ranpo is now inside the building — a room with white walls and bright light that blinds him as he stills, emerald eyes widening as he stared of what‘s in front of him.

You and mirrors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

All Rights Reserved 2023 © ddostoyevskyy. Do not repost without permission or plagiarized.

[azne09]

Satul Umbrelor

Author’s note : This text is an alternative version of the village of shadow’s fairytale from the prologue and epilogue of the game. This version is centered on the original characters of a fan fiction I’m working on. Please feel free to remark any spelling mistakes and typos ! English isn’t my first language.

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   Once upon a time, there was a brother and a sister who lived in a very small house with their sick mother. The little brother was brave and dauntless, with innocent eyes blue as clear as the summer sky. But he never listened to his sister’s commands and always did as he pleased.

      The older sister was kind and patient, with beautiful red hair as bright as the oven fire. But she always scolded her brother and was sure that she was always right about everything.

      One day, the little brother decided to go into the woods with his friends to search for berries. Before he left the house, his sister warned him :

     “Listen to me and be careful ! Do not wander too close to the dark forest ! Or else, you will get lost, and the Enchantress of the Village of Shadows will eat you !”

     The brother didn’t care to listen, and went into the woods happily chanting. After searching and searching through the bushes, his friends rejoiced with their baskets full. But the little boy’s basket, however, was empty.

     After his friends went back home to show their mothers the fruits of their picking, the little boy was left all alone in the woods, upset. Sitting on a tree trunk, he threw rocks on the ground while cursing the bushes for not giving him any berries.

     Suddenly, a black raven flew over his head and landed on a branch.

     “Croaak croaak !” says the raven. “Come to the Village of Shadows, little boy ! You will find loads of berries in every bush ! The most delicious ones you will ever find !”

     Ignoring his sister’s warning, the little boy jumped back on his feet and followed the raven down to the dark forest’s entrance.

     Meanwhile, at home, the older sister waited for her brother to come back. The clock was ticking fast, and soon the night would fall outside. So, the sister decided to search for him herself, and went into the woods.

     After calling his name in vain, a snake hissed at her to come closer.

     “Psssss psssss !” says the snake. “Be quick, be quick dear girl ! Your brother hassssssss gone to the dark foressssssst ! You must hurry to ssssssave him, else the Enchantressssssss will eat him ! Be quick, be quick !”

     Horrified, the sister thanked the snake and hurried into the dark forest. As she walked through a path of crooked trees and twisted thorns, the girl continued to call for her brother. She called his name again and again, until her throat went dry.

     She stopped by an arch of trees, and opened her water bottle. But at that moment, three little bats crawled from the branches of the trees and pleaded :

     “Oh please, generous girl, let us drink with you ! We are so thirsty, we do not even have the strength to fly anymore !”

     So, the young girl poured the water in her hands, and allowed the three bats to drink until the last drop. Their little stomachs full again, the bats flew around in joy.

     Suddenly, a voice called out to the girl, and the King of Bats appeared.

     “Forgive me for intruding on your forest sir,” the girl said with a bow. “I am searching for my brother. Please, have you seen him ?”

     “Alas, dear girl, I have not seen him.” the King said “But I shall reward your generosity with a gift. Come, dear girl, quench your thirst.”

     The three bats gave her a silver cup, and the King of Bats bit his right wing to pour some of his blood. The girl smiled, drank the sweet blood from the cup, and thanked the King and his subjects.

     After leaving the forest, she ended up roaming around an abandoned cemetery, covered by a freezing fog. As she walked across the tombs, shaking in her poorly stitched dress, she heard the sound of snobs. Frightened at first, the girl continued to walk until she found a garden of weeping flowers.

     “Oh please, compassionate girl, pick us up and put us on those poor soul’s tombs ! We wish to keep them company until our last petals drop, so they do not feel lonely anymore !”

     So, the young girl picked up the flowers one by one, mixing them together to create colorful bouquets, and carefully laid them down on top of every grave. 

     Suddenly, the wind began to blow, and a Dark Weaver appeared.

     “Forgive me for intruding your graveyard sir” the girl said with a bow. “I am searching for my brother. Please, have you seen him ?”

     “Alas, dear girl, I have not seen him.” the Weaver said “But I shall reward your compassion with a gift. Come, dear girl, warm yourself up.”

     In a blink of an eye, the Dark Weaver turned the fog into a beautiful gown, embellished with colorful flowers. The girl smiled, twirled around joyfully, and thanked the Dark Weaver and the flowers.

     Still looking for her brother, the girl embarked on a little boat to cross a perilous lake. Her stomach growled as she watched the fishes jumping across the waves, before a shark appeared on the surface. The girl screamed at first, before noticing that the shark's fin was bleeding.

     “Oh please, merciful girl, heal my wound ! It is so painful, I barely even have the strength to swim anymore !”

     The girl waved at the shark to come closer, and tore a piece of her precious dress apart to wrap it around the wound as a bandage. Feeling much better, the shark swam around, joyfully splashing some water on the girl who laughed along.

     Suddenly, the waves began to rise higher and higher, and the Fish King appeared.

     “Forgive me for intruding on your lake sir.” the girl said with a bow. “I am searching for my brother. Please, have you seen him ?”

     “Alas, dear girl, I have not seen him” says the King. “But I shall reward your mercy with a gift. Come, dear girl, fill up your stomach.”

     The King gave her two of his scales, one warm and salty, one fresh and sweet. The girl smiled, satisfied her hunger, and thanked the Fish King and the shark.

     Once she reached the shore, the girl ended up in a kingdom made of steel. Two wolves soldiers were guarding the entrance in their armors, but they both were asleep. 

     And as the girl advanced, she found out that the entire kingdom was asleep and that every gear was still, covered in dust and webs, rusting and rotting.

     A little wolf cub howled at her, and took her to the kingdom’s castle. Inside, the wolf cub guided the girl until they stopped in front of a rusty statue in the shape of a horse.

     “Oh please, gracious girl, lift the curse of our kingdom ! Since its heart has stopped, time has stopped as well !”

     “But how does one lift such a curse ? How can I make its heart beat ?” The girl asked herself out loud.

     With only one idea in mind, she placed a gentle kiss on top of the statue’s head, and all the rust and dust vanished away. 

     The mechanical heart started beating again, the gears began to turn, and the wolves howled in joy as they awakened from their slumber. The kingdom regained its shining golden colors, and the people celebrated their freedom.

     Suddenly, the statue turned into an Iron Steed, adorned with gold, and spoke to the girl :

     “Thank you, dear girl. Only a kiss can make one’s heart beat. The curse is broken, and I shall reward your graciousness with a gift.”

     The Iron Steed bowed its head before her, allowing her to take the golden crown on its head. The girl smiled, put the crown on her head, and thanked the Steed and the wolves. Then yet again, she asked her question : 

     “I am searching for my brother. Please, have you seen him ?”

     “I know where you can find him” The Steed told her. “I will take you to the waterfall behind which the Enchantress lives, but I will not go any further.”

     Overjoyed, the young girl hugged the Steed, climbed on its back, and galloped away to the Enchantress’s domain. Soon they reached a waterfall of night sky, with stars falling down from the sky. 

     The young girl got off the Iron Steed’s back, thanked it once again, and passed through the black waterfall under the mocking sneers of ravens. She walked and walked into the unknown, crying out her brother’s name.

     Suddenly, a light appeared, and the darkness swirled around it like a storm. In a magical cloud of stars, The Enchantress appeared before the young girl’s eyes, maleficent, yet magnificent.

     “Oh please, lady of shadows,” pleaded the young girl “set my brother free ! He is just a boy and he is so little, he doesn’t know any better !”

    The Enchantress spoke with a cruel voice.

     “The more you get, the more you crave. If you have nothing to offer me then I have nothing to give you back !”

     The girl offered her the golden crown that the Iron Steed had given her. But the Enchantress only laughed.

     “Foolish girl ! I am queen of this village ! All the crowns and the jewels, let it be made of gold, silver, or bronze, are already mine !”

     So instead, the girl offered her a piece of the fresh and sweet scale that the Fish King had given her. But the Enchantress simply laughed again.

     “Foolish girl ! I am queen of this village ! All the fishes of the lake, whether big or small, from their bones to their scales, are already mine !”

     With a gulp, the girl offered her the flowers of the dress that the Dark Weaver had given her. But yet again, the Enchantress mocked her.

    “Foolish girl ! I am queen of this village ! Every flower of the land, blooming or not, from their stem to their petals, are already mine !”

    Desesprate, the girl offered her the few drops of blood left from the cup the King of Bats had given her. And all she received was, once again, the Enchantress’s vicious laugh.

     “Foolish girl ! I am queen of this village ! My subjects, from their hair to their blood, and their souls, are already mine !”

     Appalled by her wickedness, the young girl begged the Enchantress in the name of everything good in the world. But her heart was as black as the starless night, and made of nothing but coldness but evilness.

     So, with tears in her eyes, the young girl offered her all she had left. With a sharp raven’s feather, she cut off her beautiful red hair, and gave it to the Enchantress. 

     Surprised by her determination, the Enchantress did not laugh. She observed the gorgeous red hair carefully, before breaking the silence with her words :

     “Very well, foolish girl. I shall reward your perseverance with a gift : I will set your brother free, and you shall take him back home with you. However, if you dare take one single glance behind before reaching the exit, then his soul will remain in my village forever !”

     The girl nodded her head, and the darkness twirled around the star once more like a storm. The Enchantress vanished, and the little brother appeared frightening the ravens away with a wooden sword. He ran into his sister’s arms, crying tears of joy, as she held him tight against her heart.

     “Oh dear sister, please forgive me !” he cried out “I promise that I will always listen to you, and that I will always be very careful ! I love you more than anything in the world !”

     “I love you too, sweet brother. Let us go back home to mother ! But whatever you do, do not look behind you !”

    Hand in hand, the brother and the sister passed through the dark waterfall, and began their journey back to their home. As they walked through the Kingdom made of steel, the Iron Steed and the wolves howled :

     “Be quick, be quick, gracious girl ! But do not look behind you !”

     Then, they embarked on the boat to cross the perilous lake. And as they navigated, the Fish King and the sharks rose the surface to say :

     “Be quick, be quick, merciful girl ! But do not look behind you !”

     Once they reached the shore, the sister took her brother’s hand and led him across the cold graveyard. And as they walked through the fog, the Dark Weaver and the flowers whispered :

     “Be quick, be quick compassionate girl ! But do not look behind you !”

     Finally, they reached the dark forest and began running towards the sunrise’s light ahead of them. As they ran through the crooked trees, the King of Bats and his subjects chanted :

     “Be quick, be quick generous girl ! But do not look behind you !”

     But suddenly, the young girl tripped and fell over a thorn. And her little brother, who loved her more than anything in the world, looked behind to help his sister back up.

     Disaster ! Suddenly an immense flock of ravens flew across the trees, and the voice of the Enchantress filled the entire forest like a piercing thunder :

     “Reckless boy who nevers listens ! Now, your soul belongs to me ! You will never leave this village, never !”

     Taking one last chance to save him, the young girl pushed her brother into the light, sacrificing her soul, as a wave of black feather swallowed her whole. 

     The boy cried out his sister’s name, but it was already too late. The crooked trees of the forest fell down, blocking the entrance to the village, forever.

     Realizing only now what he had done, the poor boy fell to his knees and cried. The snake appeared once again, and rested its head against him as it hissed :

    “Unfortunate boy. It isssss because you loved your sister sssso much, and because she too loved you more than anything in the world, that you have lossssst her forever.”

     So, the little boy went back home alone, with an empty basket and an empty heart. And as he grew up into a tall strong man, he taught his children and his grandchildren to be generous, compassionate, merciful and gracious. 

     But also to always listen to their parents and their elder brothers and sisters. And to never ever wander close to the dark forest. Or else the evil Enchantress will eat them.

     And in the Village of Shadows their soul will forever remain.

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[gatekeeper-watchman]

Daily Devotionals for October 6, 2024

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 25:25 (KJV): 25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25 (AMP): 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far (home) country.

Thought for the Day

When we are far from home and hear good news, it is like a drink of cold water when one is crossing the desert. Every living thing needs water for health and survival. Even slight dehydration causes impaired function and drowsiness. What water is to our bodies, God is to our spirit and soul. Without God, our spirits are dead and our souls parched. The good news of Jesus Christ from that "distant land of heaven," truly refreshes the soul parched by separation from God.

The Bible contains many allegories in which water symbolizes spiritual truths. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the living water He gives to men. John 4:7-15 recounts Jesus giving this "living water" to a Samaritan woman whom he met at the well: "...whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we have access to the Source of life; to all that we will ever need. His presence is a well that never runs dry. Many of our Christian songs express coming to Jesus when we are spiritually thirsty and receiving that wonderful drink of "living water" that quenches our thirst.

We are commanded to be baptized in water once we have received Christ. However, John spoke of another baptism that Jesus Himself would perform, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In this baptism, rivers of living water flow out of us, as Jesus declared (John 7:37-39). Many Christians know the reality of the Holy Spirit, but have never received the baptism in the Holy Spirit which gives us the power needed to overcome in Christ. This gift of God is available to whoever asks for it. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13, also Acts 1:8).

There were Christians in Paul's day who did not know that the Holy Spirit was available to them. "Paul said unto them, have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost...And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied" (Acts 19:2,6).

Many people have been "born again" and have the Holy Spirit working in their lives, but they have never received the "Baptism in the Holy Ghost" which equips them for service and gives them the power needed to overcome in Christ. This gift of God is available to us, if we ask for it.

If, as a Christian, you know that the Holy Spirit dwells within you but you have not known God's power to overcome sin, to witness, or to know God in His fullness, you can ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit. Truly, Your spiritual water has quenched our thirsty souls. May we be like one who brings good news from a far land, as I testify and witness to those around me who do not know about the Living Water found in Christ? Lord, fill me daily with the Holy Spirit so that I may overflow with those living waters and minister life to others. Lord, speak to Your children who do not have this gift and reveal their need to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

[nfumbewalk]

A Santa Muerte Post 💀

I'm kind of weird. I don't pray for me or anyone else, I focus. My focus is stronger than my prayer. Even for Rodolfo, I may say elevation prayer, but I mean focus.

Anyway...even Santa Muerte knows this and accepts. But she will require a Tributa occasionally if I need to do work with her. Don't know what a Tributa is? It's not online, as far as I know, and my student -- well, she looked pretty hard.

The Tributa --This is a ritual from a book, I added *one* thing - the totem. Feel free to leave it out if you wish. It adds to the ritual, I think. If you want to be really private, don't include the totem.

This is done before you do a ritual to her, asking for assistance. You will need:

Depending on your need, the right color of Roses. Seven of them. Take the remaining five for her home altar. Red or white roses are good choices for any work.

The following items that you need:

Unglazed vase that is wide enough to put the roses & other items in - Note: It will leak water, be careful. Unglazed vases aren't waterproof. Do NOT used a glazed or finished vase.

Seven dimes or other small coin that's silver of your country's origin

Spring water

A totem (small statue, coin, etc) of Santa Muerte

A semi-private graveyard

Take these to your graveyard & find a good spot. I like the baby section because it's very peaceful at one of my graveyards. Sit if you can and take all the items and place them one by one, water first, then roses & dimes & little representation of Santa in the vase. Tell Santa about what you need. Be honest with her because she can detect falsity in your voice & heart. If you want to pray, then do so. I focus and say a few words. Now, place the Tributa where you want to, but not on stones or pathways, etc. In the grass is fine. Immediately, leave & do NOT look back. Seriously, do NOT glance even once.

Don't worry about the vase. The ppl in the graveyard think it's a gift or memory item. They will pick it up, usually within a month. This doesn't affect anything regarding Santa Muerte or your planned spell/ritual.

So, you may wonder, what's the point of the Tributa? You're giving a gift, an offering to Santa Muerte in her place, her territory - the graveyard. You are going on equal ground with her, bringing her something & hoping that she will return the favor & grant your request, or prayer. The Tributa, every time I've done it, my request was favorably granted by her. It works.

I would say the roses represent her beauty, the coins, her material wealth (she has much!), the unglazed vase, her frail bones (even though she's very strong in spirit, her bones are still disintegrating); the spring water, quenches her thirst and obviously the totem represents her image as we see her. Underneath her robes, she's bony just like we are & that's part of how we relate. Frailty, disintegration, shedding our skin but so much love for Abuela. She is US. She is love, just seen by people differently. I love Abuela. 💖 That's grandma in Spanish. Yes, her energy feels like a grandmother to me, not some young spritely thing.

I tried for many years to use traditional prayers with Santa Muerte and it never felt right. I never was a Christian, but thought prayers were fine. I tried SO hard! I realized rather recently that prayer wasn't necessary for me & my practice - Santa agreed. We have an understanding and it works. Vast respect - came with time, love, patience & a skin sacrifice (tattoo).

I don't claim to be an expert on Santa Muerte. And we've had a bumpy road, but we are at one and in peace. My real life near death experiences with Santa at age 8, 24, and 32 have proven her love of me enough so I never question her. Ever.

We stand together, her skeletal hand in my flesh hand. Abuela.

M.M. 💖💀💖

[voraciouskingdom]

Prioritizing your well-being and nurturing yourself.

"The sacred well of nourishment."

In the hustle of daily life, it's easy to neglect the sacred well of your own nourishment. You pour from an empty cup, spreading yourself thin until burnout becomes your constant companion. But the path of radical self-love demands a different way of being, one where self-care is not a luxury but a sacred act of reverence.

Imagine yourself as a magnificent tree, your roots plunging deep into the rich soil of your soul's essence. Without tending to those roots, without replenishing the well that sustains you, your branches would wither and your vibrant leaves would fall. Self-care is the water that nourishes your roots, the fertile compost that allows you to blossom into your fullest expression.

The old paradigms would have you believe that self-care is selfish, that putting yourself first is an act of greed. But we know better, for in truly nourishing ourselves, we become more capable of nourishing the world around us. An empty vessel cannot quench another's thirst, but a wellspring overflowing has enough to share with all.

So come, beloved one, and drink deeply from the sacred well within you. Give yourself permission to savor the simple pleasures that ignite your senses – the feeling of sun-warmed earth beneath your bare feet, the scent of wild roses carried on the breeze, the melody of birdsong at dawn. These are the elixirs that replenish your spirit and remind you of the magic that courses through your veins.

Invoke the spirit guides who tend the gardens of self-love, their gentle hands guiding you towards the practices that will nourish you most. Perhaps it is the ritual of a long, indulgent bath by candlelight, allowing the warm waters to wash away the weariness of the day. Or maybe it is losing yourself in the alchemy of preparing a nourishing meal, each ingredient a love note to your body's temple.

Call upon the ancestors who walked this earth before you, those who understood the sacred cycles of rest and renewal. Let their wisdom be your compass as you navigate the modern world's incessant demands. For they knew that true power arises not from depletion but from a well-tended reservoir of radical self-care.

Affirmation: "I am a sacred vessel, deserving of deep nourishment. In refilling my well, I become a regenerative source of love and compassion for the world."

Ritual: Prepare a ritual bath or spend time beside a natural body of water. As you immerse yourself, visualize any stresses, worries, or depleting energies being released into the water to be cleansed and transmuted. Next, imagine drawing in nourishing energies with each breath – the vitality of the earth, the radiance of the sun, the soothing flow of the waters. When you emerge, carry that sense of being replenished out into the world with you.

Within this sacred act, you honor the divinity that dwells within your very cells. You are more than just a physical vessel; you are a holy chalice containing the elixir of life itself. By prioritizing your own nourishment, you begin to overflow with the essence that allows you to thrive and share your gifts more fully.

The path of radical self-love is not one of depletion but of sacred reciprocity. In refilling your well, you become a regenerative source from which others can drink deeply. You are not a martyr sacrificing yourself upon the altar of productivity, but a creator tending the sacred flames of your own becoming.

So go forth, beloved one, and make self-care your sacred vow. For in nourishing yourself, you nourish all of life. You are the wellspring from which healing waters flow, and the world is parched, yearning for the revitalizing streams that can only pour forth from your overflowing cup.

🔥❤️‍🔥

[walkswithmyfather]

“A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” —John 4:7‭-‬15 (ESV)

“The Living Water” By Rev. Sergei Sosedkin:

“In our passage for today Jesus talks with a woman in Samaria about water. He discusses drinkable and living water. Fresh drinking water is a precious resource. Everyone needs it to survive. But Jesus says that the water he gives brings life. He provides living water that wells up within us to eternal life!

Many Old Testament passages speak of thirsting after God as being famished on a hot day and needing a cool drink. God is called the fountain of life and the spring of living water. In our reading today, living ­water refers to eternal life. Once we satisfy our spiritual thirst with living water, we will never thirst that way again. The Lord provides this living water in our souls so that we can draw upon it continuously.

If we feel lost in a spiritual ­desert, only Jesus can show us the way out. Only he can quench our thirst for God and give us the gift that satisfies the deepest desire of our souls.

Lord, thank you for spiritually refreshing our souls with living water through Jesus and by your Spirit. Help us to share this wonderful gift with all the thirsty people we meet. Amen.”

[orthodoxadventure]

Orthodox Prayers against Addiction: Akathist to the Icon of the Theotokos - Inexhaustible Cup

Kontakion I

A wonderful and marvelous healing has been given to us by your Holy Icon, O Sovereign Lady Theotokos. By its appearance we have been delivered from spiritual and physical ills, and from sorrowful circumstances. So we bring you our thankful praise, O All-Merciful Protectress. O Sovereign Lady, whom we call the Inexhaustible Cup, bend down your ear and mercifully hear our lamentation and tears that we bring to you, and give your healing to those who suffer from drunkenness, so that we may cry out to you with faith:

Rejoice, O Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Ikos I

Angelic powers and multitudes of saints continually glorify you, the Theotokos, Queen of all, the intercessor for us sinful Christians wallowing in lawlessness and remaining in sins. It is for our consolation and salvation that you, in your mercy, gave us your miraculous Icon, so that looking upon it, as the one and only star among a multitude of stars on a starlit night, we may prostrate ourselves, shouting from the very depths of our heart:

Rejoice, dwelling place of the unapproachable God! Rejoice, our constant wonder! Rejoice, you make our sorrow wipe away our sins! Rejoice, you make our grief heal our ills! Rejoice, through your miraculous Icon, you bring us your heavenly mercy! Rejoice, O joy of our grieving heart! Rejoice, our wonderful reconciliation with God! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion II

On seeing the deep sorrow and grief of people possessed by the destructive vice of drunkenness, and also their true repentance, you have willed, O Most Holy Lady, to show your mercy to the blessed city of Serpoukhov, by the appearance of your miraculous Icon, The Inexhaustible Cup, so that all who fall down before it with faith and a contrite heart will receive healing from this grievous illness, and thus may cry to God from the depths of their heart: Alleluia!

Ikos II

Having understood the meaning of the threefold apparition of Saint Varlaam and his order to go to the city of Serpoukhov, the man possessed by the illness of alcoholism did so, and there in a monastery he found your Holy Icon called The Inexhaustible Cup. On seeing such mercy bestowed on us sinners, we cry out to you with veneration:

Rejoice, through pious people you show to us sinners the glory of your marvelous work! Rejoice, sagacious guide, showing us the way of salvation! Rejoice, O Good Teacher, by your goodness you attract us to yourself! Rejoice, by bestowing on us your great blessings, you teach us gratefulness! Rejoice, by making us know hope beyond doubt, you give us gladness of heart! Rejoice, you destroy our destructive passions! Rejoice, you help us in our good intentions! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion III

The power of the Almighty and the grace of the Sovereign Mother of God strengthened a man suffering from alcoholism, when in obedience to an order of the Theotokos, given to him by Saint Varlaam, he set out for the city of Serpoukhov, despite his paralyzed legs. On his arrival, he found the Icon of the Most Pure Theotokos, and was healed from illness of the soul and that of the body. Therefore from the very depth of his heart, he gratefully exclaimed to God: Alleluia!

Ikos III

You are an inexhaustible fountain, a cup of heavenly gifts that ever remains full. And the people of the city of Serpoukhov, as well as all Orthodox from every city and village who come to your most wonderful Icon, The Inexhaustible Cup, are healed. And so, with grateful lips, they cry out to you:

Rejoice, O vessel of holy water that dissolves our sorrow! Rejoice, O cup by which we receive the joy of our salvation! Rejoice, you attend to our spiritual and physical ills! Rejoice, your prayers tame our passions! Rejoice, you give to each according to his needs! Rejoice, you give generously to all! Rejoice, you have opened for us the treasury of mercy! Rejoice, you show mercy to the fallen one! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion IV

People laden with passions and addictions, doubting of ever finding deliverance, come with repentance to your inexpressible mercy. And on having been healed, from the very depths of their hearts, they cry to our Saviour born of you: Alleluia!

Ikos IV

On seeing the sorrow and tears of parents, wives, and children whose family member is possessed by the passion of addiction, the Lord gave us your Icon, O Theotokos, and all who come to it receive consolation and spiritual joy. And so we cry out to you with tears of gratitude:

Rejoice, O lamb, you gave birth to the Lamb of God! Rejoice, you are the ladle that draws up joy from the source of immortality! Rejoice, you are the alleviation of the grief of sorrowing mothers! Rejoice, you are the hope of the hopeless! Rejoice, you gracefully protect those who come to you! Rejoice, you are the delight and joy of those in grief! Rejoice, your helping hand is there for those who seek it! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion V

O Most Gracious Lady, you have shown us your Holy Icon to be the star that leads to God, so that looking upon it and praying to you, we may say: O Theotokos, give healing to those who are suffering from drunkenness and any other illness of mind and body, and teach us all to praise God, singing: Alleluia!

Ikos V

O Theotokos, on seeing the marvels and wonders granted to those who humbly venerate you, wonders pouring from your Icon that miraculously appeared in Serpoukhov, and also from those that were but copies of it, we cry out to you:

Rejoice, you are a speedy protectress of all who come to you! Rejoice, you hear our prayers! Rejoice, you have blessed the city of Serpoukhov! Rejoice, you have shown the glory of your miracles in the region of Moscow! Rejoice, inexhaustible treasure for all who are in need of healing! Rejoice, O almighty help to those who strive for sobriety! Rejoice, O almighty help to those who fight against the world, flesh, Satan and addictions! Rejoice, you defend those who lead a good life in this world! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion VI

O Theotokos, we proclaim your wonders that pour forth from your Icon, The Inexhaustible Cup, and with tears we pray to you: Save us all from the passion of drunkenness and from other addictions and sins, and teach us, O Pure One, to abstain from all impurity, and to sing to God: Alleluia!

Ikos VI

In the light of the Divine Glory, you look at your Son, the eternal God and Lord Jesus Christ, standing in the chalice as shown on your Icon mysteriously called The Inexhaustible Cup, and you give from it deliverance from drunkenness to us who come to you and bring to you this unceasing praise:

Rejoice, for the angelic powers and the human race rejoice because of you! Rejoice, for your glory surpasses both human and heavenly praise! Rejoice, you have revealed to us the mystery of the Divine Eucharist by showing the image of your Son in the chalice! Rejoice, you show us the Lamb born of you who is always eaten but never consumed! Rejoice, O cup of life and immortality that leads us to the gates of eternal life! Rejoice, you fill our thirsty souls with the water from the fountain of immortality! Rejoice, you do not withhold your blessing even from the most rejected and despised! Rejoice, by your compassion you pull us away from the pit of perdition! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion VII

A man wanted to thank you, O Theotokos, for healing from alcoholism, so he adorned your miraculous Icon that is in Serpoukhov, singing to God from the depths of his heart: Alleluia!

Ikos VII

We see a new miracle from your Holy Icon, O Theotokos. A servant of God, Stephen, a victim of the disease of alcoholism, was imploring your maternal intercession, and he has been granted a cure. So, in gratitude, he adorned your Icon with rich gifts, and falling before it, he called to you with tears:

Rejoice, lifegiving fountain of healing! Rejoice, heavenly cup of divine gifts! Rejoice, river that carries healing! Rejoice, the sea into which sink all our passions! Rejoice, with your tender and maternal hands, you raise up those who fall under the weight of drunkenness. Rejoice, you do not turn down gifts of gratitude! Rejoice, joy of pious people! Rejoice, you grant us those of our petitions that are good for us! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion VIII

It must be strange and incredible to unbelievers to hear that your Icon, The Inexhaustible Cup, procures miracles. But to us who believe in your words proclaimed about your first Icon, "The grace of the One who is born of me and my own blessings will always be with this Icon," this present Icon also exudes your mercy. And so, reverently, we venerate it, crying to God: Alleluia!

Ikos VIII

People suffering from alcoholism and addictions do put all their hope in you, O Sovereign Lady. Bend down to our ills and our passions. For who but you, O Theotokos, shall rise us out of the pit of perdition and of physical and spiritual misery? And thus, having bent our knees, we cry out to you:

Rejoice, you do not reject the prayers of those who are sinful! Rejoice, you give your help to those who ask for it! Rejoice, you show the depth of your compassion for the sinner! Rejoice, you give courage to those who have lost all hope! Rejoice you extend your helping hand to those who suffer from drunkenness! Rejoice, by your gift of grace you console those who suffer patiently! Rejoice, you nurse our physical and emotional ills! Rejoice, you teach us to despise the empty pleasures of this life! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion IX

All the angels are amazed at your mercy, O Lord, for You have given to sinful mankind a strong Protectress and Helper. She looks down at our weakness and heals those suffering from the bitter disease of drunkenness and teaches the faithful to sing: Alleluia!

Ikos IX

The most exalted human mind cannot praise enough the appearance of your glorious Icon, O Sovereign Lady, nor can we sinners bring from our sinful lips a glorification worthy of our Protectress. On having seen innumerable miracles coming from your Icon, we rejoice in our heart and spirit and proclaim:

Rejoice, from your holy face miracles pour forth! Rejoice, you speedily deliver us from grief and sorrow! Rejoice, you put to shame those who deny you! Rejoice, you protect from every evil those who come to you! Rejoice, by your gentle radiance you disperse the darkness of our passions and our sins! Rejoice, you fill our hearts with love for your Son and for yourself! Rejoice, you show us the path of repentance! Rejoice, you are our mediator before the righteous judge! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion X

Wishing to save all those who suffer from the diseases of alcoholism and other addictions, you have given us your wonderful Icon, O Theotokos, so that all who suffer may come to your miraculous image and, having been healed, may tenderly cry out to God: Alleluia!

Ikos X

You are the wall and the shield, O Lady Theotokos, for those who suffer from drunkenness and also for all those who come to you fervently and who piously venerate your Holy Icon; for the Lord gave it to us to help us and to heal us from this destructive addiction and, thus, He inspires us to sing to you:

Rejoice, you alleviate our sufferings and give hope to those who despair! Rejoice, you are the healing of our ills! Rejoice, with your purity you wipe away our corruption! Rejoice, by your holiness you illumine our darkness! Rejoice, by your cloak of compassion you clothe our mortal body! Rejoice, by your strength you fortify our prayers! Rejoice, you strengthen us in our weakness! Rejoice, you disperse the dark clouds of passions that surround us! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion XI

O Pure One, do not despise our humble singing that we bring to you from fullness of love and zeal, and do not turn away your face from those who suffer from drunkenness and despair, but do help us so that we also may be cleansed from every impurity and may rightly and justly sing to God: Alleluia!

Ikos XI

O Most Holy Lady, on your Icon, you are seen like a burning candle in rays of grace, surrounded by the assembly of saints and holy martyrs; and as you indicate to us the path of righteousness, we call to you and say:

Rejoice, by the intercession of Saint Domnica you save us from this world of trouble! Rejoice, by her pleading you help us to overcome passions of the flesh! Rejoice, by the prayers of the holy martyr Varlaam you fill our hearts with pious thoughts! Rejoice, by his pleading you illumine our conscience! Rejoice, by the prayers of the holy martyr Paraskeva you deliver those who suffer from drunkenness! Rejoice, by her intercession you call us to repentance and watchfulness! Rejoice, together with the holy martyr Antipas you mellow the bitter heart! Rejoice, with him you save those who call on your name! Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion XII

The grace that shines through your Icon, The Inexhaustible Cup, calls to it all those who suffer, all the unfortunate, widows and orphans, and especially those who are ill with the disease of alcoholism; and no one goes away empty handed from your inexhaustible cup, O merciful one, but all are filled with divine gifts, so that having received healing and help they may sing to you: Alleluia!

Ikos XII

Praising your wondrous work and great mercy that you show to those who suffer from addictions, we beg you, O Compassionate One: save, have mercy on us, show us the right path, and do not reject us who seek your protection and call out to you:

Rejoice, you sustain us on the way to soberness! Rejoice, by the dew of your mercy you deliver us from the passion of alcohol! Rejoice, by your mercy you heal us from addictions! Rejoice, you are a speedy help to those who suffer from all kinds of dependence! Rejoice, you support those who are even-tempered! Rejoice, you humble the prideful! Rejoice, you exalt the humble and wish salvation to all! Rejoice, O Holy Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion XIII 3 times

O All-Merciful Mother of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, hear our prayer and deliver us from all ills, physical and emotional, and especially your servant/s (name/s) who suffer from this disease, so that he/she/they may not perish, but might be saved and thus would sing to God: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Ikos I

Angelic powers and multitudes of saints continually glorify you, the Theotokos, Queen of all, the intercessor for us sinful Christians wallowing in lawlessness and remaining in sins. It is for our consolation and salvation that you, in your mercy, gave us your miraculous Icon, so that looking upon it, as the one and only star among a multitude of stars on a starlit night, we may prostrate ourselves, shouting from the very depths of our heart:

Rejoice, dwelling place of the unapproachable God! Rejoice, our constant wonder! Rejoice, you make our sorrow wipe away our sins! Rejoice, you make our grief heal our ills! Rejoice, through your miraculous Icon, you bring us your heavenly mercy! Rejoice, O joy of our grieving heart! Rejoice, our wonderful reconciliation with God! Rejoice, O Theotokos, the Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Kontakion I

A wonderful and marvelous healing has been given to us by your Holy Icon, O Sovereign Lady Theotokos. By its appearance we have been delivered from spiritual and physical ills, and from sorrowful circumstances. So we bring you our thankful praise, O All-Merciful Protectress. O Sovereign Lady, whom we call the Inexhaustible Cup, bend down your ear and mercifully hear our lamentation and tears that we bring to you, and give your healing to those who suffer from drunkenness, so that we may cry out to you with faith:

Rejoice, O Inexhaustible Cup that quenches our spiritual thirst!

Prayer I

O our merciful and holy Lady Theotokos, hope and refuge of the orphan, defense of the stranger, help of those in need, and protection of those who are bitter: you see our misfortune, you see our sorrow. From all sides, we are assailed by temptations, and there is no one to protect us. You yourself help us, for we are weak. Feed us, for we are strangers. Show us the way, for we are lost. Heal us, for we hurt. Save us, for there is no hope for us. We have no other recourse, neither protection nor consolation, but you, O Mother of all who suffer and are burdened. Look down upon us sinners who are harsh and bitter, and protect us by your holy omophor, that we may be delivered from all evil that assails us, and especially from drunkenness, so that we may always glorify your all-holy name. Amen.

Prayer II

O all-merciful sovereign Lady, we come to your protection. Do not despise our petitions, but kindly hear us—wives, children, husbands, parents, and all those who suffer from heavy affliction of addictions of all sorts—and restore those who, because of it, fall away from our holy Mother the Church and its salvation. O merciful Theotokos, touch their heart and speedily restore them from their fallen state, and lead them to salutary repentance. Implore your Son, Christ our God, to forgive us our trespasses and not to turn away His mercies from His people, but that He would strengthen us in sobriety and chastity. Accept, O all-holy Theotokos, the petitions of mothers shedding tears about their children, wives sobbing for their husbands, children, orphans, beggars, and all those who were forsaken, and all of us who venerate your Icon, and let your prayers carry our petitions to the throne of the Almighty. Cover us and keep us from all snares of the enemy and the traps of the evil one, and at the dreadful hour of our death, help us to pass the ordeal without stumbling. By your prayers, save us from eternal condemnation so that God's mercy may cover us for the ages to come. Amen.

Troparion in Tone IV

Today we faithful come to the divine and miraculous Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, who fills the faithful from the Inexhaustible Cup of her mercy and shows them great miracles; and we who have seen them and heard of them rejoice in our heart and cry out, with deep feeling and devotion, O all-merciful sovereign Lady, heal our ills and our passions by praying to your Son, Christ our God, that he may save our souls!