#but then you have people talking and laughing and coughing and sneezing there

[justalittlelilac]

Hiii! Since you're asking for prompts... how about sick step 2 Qiu with a high fever? Being clingy and accidentally confessing their love for the MC? 🥺

This is so cute, I'm going to lose my mind.

Caring for a prickly, clingy Qiu Lin

Barely revised and edited. If you see mistakes, no you didn't <3

It wasn’t uncommon for Qiu to not answer when you knocked on their bedroom door, but this was concerning. You shifted the food tray in your hands, trying not to spill the steaming chicken noodle soup that Mrs. Lin had carefully prepared. The familiar smell of ginger filled the hallway, reminding you of all the times you'd eaten dinner at their house.

Silence was still your only greeting from behind the barrier separating you and your friend.

“Qiu? It’s me. Your mom sent me up with some food and medicine for you. Can I come in?” You asked, concern lacing your words. You pressed your ear against the cool wood of the door, straining to hear any sign of life within.

There was a beat of quiet, but from the other side you heard shuffling, something toppling with a hollow thud, and the distinct sound of papers and pens falling to the wood floor. Qiu’s voice reached you, except it sounded more like a muffled groan. You took that as enough acknowledgment to breach the quarantine zone.

Qiu’s room was usually messy, but that could be an understatement compared to the scene you were met with now. Beyond the typical scattered clothes and notes, tissues covered every surface like confetti after a party. Wrappers from various types of snacks and cough drops, and the occasional water bottle were like little islands everywhere.

Extra pillows and blankets were strewn about the floor as if Qiu had rotated between their bed and the cooler surface of the hardwood. Your eyes traced a path to their mattress, which housed a rather miserable looking lump. The top of Qiu’s head was the only thing visible from the blankets.

Approaching slowly, you placed the food tray down on their night stand, nearly knocking off half empty water bottles and their journal. Qiu was turned away from you on their side, eyes closed, cheeks red, and their dark hair loose around their face.

"I'm dead. Go away," they grumbled softly. Their form remained turned away from you.

"That's weird. Dead people don't talk," you quipped, making yourself comfortable on the edge of the mattress. Qiu's face didn't change, not even an eyebrow twitch to indicate they heard you. "I really don't want to bury you," you added when they didn't respond, clearly taking your point into consideration.

After a moment, you shrugged your shoulders and rose, giving a dramatic sigh. "Alright, I guess I'll go get the shovel. I was really hoping it wouldn't have to come to this." You turned to head to the door, intending to just venture downstairs to let Mrs. Lin know you had made the successful delivery.

You hadn't taken three steps before Qiu Lin's head popped up, their hair sticking out every which way and glassy eyed.

"Wait," they croaked. You turned back, trying not to smirk as they avoided your eyes. "I may not be dead, but I am definitely dying," they declared, then sneezed into their elbow as if to prove their point. They flopped back onto the bed like a deflated balloon.

"Ew," you responded with another laugh, returning to your previous sitting position. With a sniffle, they stretched their arm, fumbling around on their night stand, and nearly landing their digits in the bowl of soup. You acted fast, reaching over to supply a clean tissue to their hand. Their tired eyes met yours with a small, grateful smile.

"Thanks," they said, before blowing their nose like trumpet. "What are you doing here anyway?" They blinked at you like they'd completely forgotten about the tray of food right next to them.

"You were dead, remember? Your mom let me in because she knows you'd want someone to mourn you properly."

Qiu rolled their eyes, but their smile stuck around. "She probably would rather have you around anyway." They pushed themselves up against their pillows, which took way more effort than it should have.

"Maybe, but I think she'd miss her only child," you assured optimistically, poking them in the leg. They winced, and you immediately felt bad. "And I would too," you added quickly.

Qiu's cheeks grew redder, though with their fever it was hard to tell if you'd actually made them blush.

"I have been sick for years," they insisted, but their tone was a little lighter than their previous attempts to convince you of their demise.

"You're so dramatic. Here, eat and take your medicine. I command it." You placed the tray in their lap like a stern head nurse. They blinked down at the contents, not realizing it was there until now.

"Chicken noodle soup?" was all they asked, eyes shifting from the steaming bowl of broth, noodles, and veggies to your face.

"Your mom said it's your favorite," you shrugged, watching their expression carefully. They didn't react any further than that, and picked up the spoon to begin eating.

The room grew quiet aside for the occasional slurp, but it was a comfortable kind of quiet, the kind that happens when you've known someone long enough that you don't need to fill every silence.

When they finished, Qiu wiped their mouth with their sleeve, then noticed the napkin on the tray and gave you a sheepish look. You just shook your head and handed them their water bottle and the medicine. Once they'd taken everything, you helped move the tray away.

Qiu shuffled in the bed, sinking back down into the blankets. You assumed that was your cue to leave and stood to do so. Subtly, you felt a tug on your pant leg. Turning to look down, you found Qiu's fingers pinching the fabric. Their eyes were closed, but where their face should have been relaxed, ready for rest, was the furrowed brow of confliction.

"I don't want you to go, but I don't want you to get sick too," they muttered into their blanket.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" You couldn't help grinning. Even sick, Qiu was too fun to tease. Their brows furrowed even harder and the corners of their lips pulled down slightly, as if the pain of repeating themselves was greater than the fever ache.

"I said, I don't want you to go, but I don't want you to get sick," they grumbled out, just slightly clearer than before.

Oh.

You had half expected them to ignore you in favor for not having to repeat themselves. Qiu's eyes opened, and they peered up at you expectantly. It took you a moment to realize you needed to respond.

"Oh, well, I guess I can stay for a little while." You tried to play it cool, but it was hard to ignore the feeling in your chest, a mix of flattery and the excitement that came with having a crush.

"Besides, I have an immune system of steel. I'm pretty sure I have ancestors that were impervious to the black plague or something," you added casually as you sat back down.

You were trying to keep the mood light, remembering how your mom would say that laughter is the best medicine. It was also to reassure Qiu that if they wanted you here, you would stay, sickness or not.

It may not have cured them immediately, but you did catch their smile as they scooched over to give you more room. Their bed wasn't huge, but it was big enough that you could fit next to them with while they propped themselves up again.

There was a beat of silence as the both of you were not quite sure where to go from there, but then Qiu Lin broke the pause.

"Sorry," was all they said. Their eyes darted to your face, and then back down to their lap. "About the whole thing," they tacked on after a pause.

"What?" You asked with your head cocked in confusion. Qiu rolled their lips into their mouth, you could feel the heat radiating off them. Hopefully the fever medicine would kick in soon.

"I just don't want you to be bored," they explained, looking at you with an expression that seemed to be asking more than their words were saying.

"Qiu, you are literally my favorite person to be around, you know that," you said it so simply, like it was a universal fact. "I do have my phone though. We can watch videos or something." You reached into your pocket to pull out your mobile device and wave it subtly.

The tension in their shoulders loosened and they nodded at your suggestion. Qiu was a bit slow, but they eventually settled against you. Their body was burning up against your skin, but you didn't mind. You could handle it.

You pulled up YouTube and clicked on a video you'd watched recently. After a while, Qiu's head dropped onto your shoulder, their breathing getting slower and steadier. When you glanced down, their eyes were closed, face finally relaxed instead of scrunched up in misery.

They let out a content sigh, snuggling closer like your mere presence was the cause of comfort and not the ibuprofen they'd taken.

"Your my favorite person too...you're always there for me...that's why I love you," Qiu murmured so softly, so gently, that it came out like they were expressing it more to themselves than to you. As if they had intended it to be said in their fevered mind than out loud.

If the sound of your video hadn't been playing, one would be able to hear a pin drop. That would be due to your halted breath. Your wide eyes lingered on their relaxed, sleeping face.

"I love you too, Qiu," you whispered the words back to them. They didn't respond. Sleep had claimed them once more. Your attention turned back to the video, dissecting what hat just transpired.

Eventually, you did leave Qiu and the Lin residence when you were sure your friend was deep in sleep. Your thoughts were scattered, unsure if Qiu's words were that of a friend or more.

But you didn't get a chance to bring it up, because two days later, the tables turned completely. You and Qiu had switched places as the patient and caregiver.

You were convinced your friend must have had the plague with how bad you were feeling. They called you dramatic in return.

"Maybe it's not the plague, maybe it's a different disease," you mumbled incoherently into your pillow. You were sweating like no tomorrow and the only reason your face was pressed to the soft surface was because it was cooler than the air around you. "Now I'm the one who is going to die and it's going to be all your fault Qiu Lin," you groaned.

Qiu laughed, crawling onto your bed to sit beside you, a mirror image from when they were sick.

"You can't die. If you do, how will I tell you 'I love you more' when you say 'I love you too'?"

You turned your face to theirs, the heat rising in your cheeks was absolutely definitely from the fever, and not from what Qiu had just said. They were giving you that soft lopsided smile they always did as they brushed a piece of hair from your sweat drenched forehead.

"Okay." It was all you could respond for the moment. "I won't die then."

[russo-woso]

Sick || Leah Williamson x reader

Request | Masterlist | Prompt list

Part of the Mini Williamson universe

Summary Leah takes the latest member of the family so you can have a break because you’re sick.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

It had been a chaotic two weeks to say the least.

You and Leah were getting used to being a family of four, but it wasn’t easy.

Especially when a sudden cold hit the team.

You’d only allowed a few of Leah’s teammates meet Charlie, not wanting to overwhelm her with so many people.

Teammates such as Alessia, Beth, Katie, and a few others had met Charlie.

Even Kiera and Georgia had flown out from Spain and Germany to meet the newest member of the family.

However, most of the arsenal girls that met Charlie, happened to come down with colds.

Although, they weren’t showing any symptoms at the time, and the fact Leah made sure they all washed their hands three times before holding her, the cold inevitably made its way around the house.

So when you, Amelia and Charlie woke up with sniffly noses and coughs, you knew it wasn’t looking good.

You were so emotional already, your hormones still being rocket high from the pregnancy, that you couldn’t help but cry.

You were awoken with Charlie crying her little lungs off, before you heard her cough.

You coughed yourself before grabbing her from the side of your bed.

On the other side of the corridor, you could hear faint coughs coming from a sleeping Amelia too.

Tears ran down your face as you felt the headache appear in your head.

Trying to calm down Charlie, you cradled her to your chest, but it was no use.

Leah sat up, half asleep, before whispering if you were okay.

Before you could even answer, a coughing fit was heard from Ami’s bedroom just as Charlie sneezed.

“My girls got colds?” Leah questioned, and you nodded.

She fully opened her eyes, to see you crying, a worried look on her face.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“I feel so shit, Leah. My head hurts so bad.” You tell her and she immediately gets up to get you some tablets.

“I’m sorry, love. You take these and go back to sleep, and I’ll take Charlie downstairs.” Leah offered and leant down to kiss you.

“No, don’t.” You told her, turning your face to the side so she didn’t kiss you. “Don’t want you to get it.”

“Baby, I don’t care. I want a kiss. Please.” Leah laughed lightly at your thoughtfulness, and lightly pecked your lips once you nodded.

Light footsteps were heard before Amelia appeared at the door, her teddy bear in her arms.

Her eyes were red as she looked at you and Leah with tears in her eyes.

“Icky.” She said and you nodded, gesturing her to lay in bed.

“I know, baby. Me and you can have cuddles, okay? Make you feel better.” You told her.

Leah then took Charlie from you, resting her in her arms before going downstairs.

Leah stood up, swaying side to side to try get Charlie to stop crying.

Eventually she did, and Leah stood there looking down at her baby girl.

“Looks like you’ll be spending a lot of time with me, little miss.”

It meant a lot to Leah that she was getting this time alone with Charlie, because the past two weeks she hadn’t gotten much of it.

With Ami loving being a big sister, she always wanted to be near Charlie, and if it wasn’t Ami, it was you because you had to feed Ami, and as much as Leah was thankful and loved it, she just wanted some one on one time with Charlie.

She had quite a lot of one on one time with Amelia when she was a baby and Leah insists that it’s the reason her and Ami are so close now, and she wanted that closeness with Charlie when she was older.

“We can have cuddles all day, and we can watch some football.” Leah continued to talk to Charlie, as Charlie melted into Leah’s chest. “You’re perfect, aren’t you? Just like your mama and sissy.”

[sky-snz]

leisure skate benchwarmer (m) ⛸️

-

In the midst of the noise, there’s a soft, squelching sound that gently interrupts your thoughts. You’d only sat down to tighten your skates. But with that, you take your time pulling out the double knots. Over the volume of people talking on and off the ice, you can hear thick sniffles coming from someone sitting on the next bench over. Then, a loose cough. The air of the indoor rink is chilly - it seems to be exacerbating the symptoms of a cold.

As your fingers tug at your laces, you hear his friends come by on the ice. One hockey stops hard, creating a spray of ice shavings that fall close to the guy, just missing him by a hair. The other greets him cheerfully and bumps into the first friend, who curses and stops them both from falling. 

The poor benchwarmer lets out a wheezing, raspy chuckle, and coughs. It’s a wet, mucus-y sound. You can tell as he tries to stop, sniffling so thickly you can hear the vibration of air barely making it past a heavy wall of congestion. When he speaks, you feel your face flush a little - his voice is croaky and weak, sniffling between words as he gives tips to friend on stopping.

“You gotta- *snrfh!* You gotta lead idto it. *snrk !*”

The two on the ice start to practice stopping together, staying near the guy’s bench. One keeps calling out to him, showing him their form. He’s sniffling a lot now, and his scratchy words begin to slow as his breath shakes.

“Yeah… hh’Thaht’s… hHht’DD—?-unhh, *hsnrkk!* Sorry, I have to sdeeze…”

Pretending to look at the time on the large digital clock at one end of the area, you turn in his direction. His brow crumples as he muffles, or rather tries to muffle, a harsh-sounding sneeze into his hoodie sleeve, his shoulders shuddering with the force.

“HaAAH’SSCHIUE-!! *sngk!* Agh,” he lowers his arm and draws in a very soupy sniffle. 

“Bless you!” his friends call out.

As his hands fly to his pockets, you pull your gaze back down to your skates, not at all retaining what time the digital clock read. There’s a slight pause, and then a soft, shallow gasp. 

“hht-? …Ugh. Wait, there’s…”

“Bless you.”

“…adother ode… Shit, you jidxed it. *snrgk!*”

“Sorry.”

He lets out another half chuckle, half cough.  “It’s gode.”

As you’re doing up the bunny-eared knots, you hear more rasping laughs as his friends keep talking and attempting fancy little maneuvers, scraping and carving lines into the ice with their hockey skates. You tie an extra knot in each bow, then stand and pull on your gloves. 

As you step back onto the ice, you nearly wobble as- 

“hAAAD’SSCHIUHh-!!”

The next sneeze is less restrained, sounding desperate. They’re naturally loud, despite his efforts to muffle them into his sleeve. His thick sniffles begin to fade behind you as you skate away. As you glide around the arch at the far end of the rink, you toss an absent glance sideways - catching the poor benchwarmer in the middle of blowing his nose.

[lycandrophile]

some thoughts about top surgery recovery, as of 3 days post-op:

when they say using your chest muscles sucks afterward, i never realized exactly how much was going to be be limited. coughing, sneezing, hiccuping, laughing — all of it is terrifying right now. even talking for too long starts to put that kind of stress on my chest, and my voice isn’t as strong as it usually is. it takes me forever to fully empty my bladder when i’m on the toilet because i’m totally relying on gravity to do all the work (and shitting was effectively impossible without a stool softener even though i haven’t taken the pain meds they said i would need them for)…and don’t even get me started on figuring out how to wipe (hint: back to front while sitting, using my dominant hand to push my non-dominant hand far back enough). using the computer is also harder — i was planning on playing lots of baldur’s gate after, but for the first couple days i could only really go for a few minutes before using my arms that way got too tiring. having a mastectomy pillow has been an absolute godsend when i’m using my phone because i can prop my arms up on it and not really have to use any muscles at all to hold them up.

the biggest piece of not being able to use my chest muscles right now, which i’m writing separately because it’s been such a huge thing for me, is that i cannot sit up or back by myself at fucking all. like, if i sit on the couch and lean back a bit to sit against the cushion, it hurts to pull myself back up to fully straight — and if i’m leaning back any more than that, i just can’t do it at all and i’m stuck there unless my boyfriend puts their hands behind me and pushes my dead weight back up. i totally get why some people sleep in a recliner now because i’m completely at the mercy of having someone there to help move me around once i’m at any sort of angle. sitting back is mostly the same as far as what i can do, and arguably hurts worse to attempt at all, but my ability to do it seems to be coming back faster than my ability to sit up. if you’ve never had your mobility limited to that extent before, prepare yourself: the first time you’re stuck somewhere and the person who normally helps you doesn’t answer immediately can be really fucking scary (i learned that the hard way).

the anesthesiologist warned me that i might have a sore throat after surgery from being intubated, but i was not prepared for what “sore throat” ended up meaning for me. you know that feeling of swallowing something that’s too big and you can still feel it in your throat even after it’s down? it’s like that times 20, and further down in my throat. the worst pain i’ve felt in the last three days wasn’t from the surgery itself, it was from trying to swallow pancakes when my throat was at it’s worst. today is the first day it’s even started to fade, and even now, it hurts just to swallow my own spit. i don’t know about you, but that’s not what comes to mind when someone tells me “you might have a sore throat”.

on that note, the incisions themselves have really been the least painful part in general, probably because the nerves there aren’t reconnected yet. the vast majority of my pain and discomfort at this point has been from the drains and bandages — the drain sites getting sore or just randomly starting to sting, waking up feeling suffocated by the ace bandages, etc. it’s not because anything is wrong with them — the drains weren’t placed wrong and the bandages aren’t too tight, they’re just a huge pain in the ass to deal with 24/7. i can’t express how much i’m looking forward to getting the drains out and being able to take binder breaks because it’ll make things so much more comfortable.

my incisions are connected in the middle because my chest tissue was all really close together, and the part where the incisions connect is really the only part where i’ve felt any pain so far. i suspect it’s because the swelling on either side is making that part of the incision push together and press against itself, and then the binder pushes on it even more. it’s not a severe pain at all, but i do sometimes lift the center of the bandage off my chest for a second to give that spot a bit of a break.

i’ve already started getting some of the weird sensations associated with nerves reconnecting, and it definitely is wild. so far, it’s been mostly tingly feelings, sometimes like chills and sometimes more like a limb falling asleep. (weird observation: taking a shit makes my ribs tingle? i’ve got no good explanation for that one.) i’ve gotten a zap on one side and some buzzing feelings too. it’s pretty mild right now, probably because it’s so early on.

i’ve also gotten what i would describe as phantom boob feelings, especially on the first night. specifically, when i close my eyes, sometimes i’ll feel like someone is touching or jiggling the boobs i don’t have anymore. definitely not a super pleasant experience, but i think being out of it from the anesthesia still really helped me not be too upset by the worst of it. i’ve gotten a couple little phantom nipple touches too, but those were just split second blips of sensation that were far less bothersome in comparison.

i never realized that the classic post-op hunch is caused more by the binder than by the body itself, but we had to take all of my bandages off the night after my surgery to send pictures of something to my surgeon, and i was shocked by how much straighter i could sit with everything off. i was definitely still hunched, but it was more like a natural slouch and less like i looked like i was using an invisible walker. with the binder on, it’s super uncomfortable for me to try to stand straight at all because it feels like the ace bandage doesn’t come with my body and just drags everything down, and i’m always holding my mastectomy pillow or my hands to my chest while i walk around to stop it from feeling like gravity is going make the bandage tear my chest open.

every so often, when things are getting especially painful or uncomfortable or just generally difficult, i do start to wonder if i made the right choice. not because i regret getting rid of those things — not by a long shot — but because it’s a fucking hard process to go through. this is probably the hardest thing for me to admit, but the rational part of my mind knows it’s natural to feel that way once in a while. all of this is temporary and the relief from dysphoria will be permanent, but right now? this is my entire world and it doesn’t feel particularly temporary and i do have moments of “why do i have to go through all this when other people get to just have the right body from the start? why couldn’t i just live with what i had? why can’t i just be living my normal life right now?” no matter how sure you are of your choice, no matter how proud you are of being trans, this shit is hard and it’s okay to feel that.

i’m going to put the pictures of my chest one day post-op under the cut, because i think it’s pretty rare to see pictures from that soon after the surgery. they’re not gorey at all — the actual incisions are totally covered by steri strips and everything around them is clean — but still, if you don’t want to see relatively fresh surgery results, don’t look under the cut.

for all the discomfort and pain and limitations and other weirdness of recovery, every time i look at these pictures it reminds me of exactly why i’m doing all of this, and i’m so glad i kept fighting for this for so long. some people might never understand why someone would choose to go through this whole process, but i know it’ll be worth it in the end.

here’s my chest one day post-op! i think it looks super good and my surgeon said it looks like it’s healing perfectly (as much as it can be healing at one day). for reference, my chest was a DDD/F before surgery. i know this isn’t how my chest will look in the end, but i’m already thrilled with how things are turning out! i’ve truly never been more confident in my choice of surgeon — like, come on! look at that! she did so good!

[puckingeccedentesiast]

Prompt Poll - Two

Quinn Hughes x Y/N

Prompt: "When you said you were sick I thought you meant a cold, not the freaking plague."

Description: Y/N got sick, Quinn wasn't expecting it to be this bad.

A/N: I hope you enjoy! Would be greatly appreciated if you could reblog. I love talking to people so say 'Hi' if you want to. Feel Free to send in requests as well. I'm happy to write for most hockey players.

Warnings: Sickness, swearing and thats proabably it! Please tell me if anything else should be added.

-Sincerely thedevilrisen.

-:-

Groaning and half-heartedly, blindly grappling in the general direction of the repeated vibrations of your phone against the wood side table, roused unceremoniously from your self-accredited worlds worst sleep. When you finally came in contact and stupidly turned the offending device straight into your face, hissing as the bright light kissed your sleep and sickness rumpled features, you vaguely registered a text from your boyfriend Quinn.

Hey Honey, how's the cold coming along?

Getting worse to be completely honest with you.

Aw no! Lucky I'll be home in a few hours to take care of you! We are just about to board the plane so I thought best to touch base. x

Thank you Quinny, have a safe flight. :) Read 9:58pm

Quinn POV:

Sneaking in quietly I made sure to gently close the door and be careful not to kick my shoes off into the wall as to make as little noise as possible.

My attempts were in vain however as I heard a very aggressive and horse-sounding coughing fit coming from the bedroom. Walking along the hallway and noticing the soft light bedside lamp flowing out of the room from under the door.

I opened the door to be met with what should be considered a biological war hazard. There was a ungodly mound of tissues on what was normally Quinn's side of the bed, a few soup bowls and coffee mugs stacked precariously on the side tables and a snuffling, moving lump with messy brown hair splayed in a way that would make Cousin It jealous.

"Quinn?" you rasped out.

"Jesus. When you said you were sick I thought you meant a cold, not the freaking plague!"

"I did sa-" you started to mumble but were cut off by a small coughing fit. "I did say before you boarded the plane that I was pretty sure it was getting worse."

"No shit!" the young man laughed scruffing a hand down his face.

"he-" you sneezed "hey, enough of the sass mister, im sick. take care of me."

"Nooo, your all yicky!" he playfully groaned

"But you promised!" you pouted and flopped back down into your warm fuzzy bed.

"I did, my love." he walked around your side of the bed and crouched to your height. "And I always keep my promises."

Kissing your head he walked into the ensuite and flicked on the light. He had ruffled through the mirror cabinets and pulled out the eucalyptus scent drops. Intent on putting some in the little over hot bath he was drawing for you.

When there was enough water in the tub he moved back into the bedroom to rouse you and bring you to the warm and hopefully somewhat rejuvenating bath.

"Honey, can you come hop in the tub?" he asked gently, rubbing your shoulders through his sleep warmed shirt you had obviously stolen earlier.

"mm-comfy." you whined grabbing onto your pillow and burrowing into it.

"Come on honey, it will make you feel better." he pleaded.

"No. Bed." you stated petulantly, to which Quinn sighed and reached in under the warm covers and dragged you protesting form into his arms.

Once he had wrangled you out of bed and into his grasp he soothed your aggressive mumbling and walked into the bathroom being careful not to bang your ankles on the door frame.

Placing you down on your feet he helped you strip out of your clothes and settle down into the warm tub. The sigh of relief you let out after you settled into the tub was worth having to drag you out of the bed for.

Placing a fleeting kiss on your forehead and a stern order not to fall asleep and drown he wandered out of the room leaving the door ajar so he could hear you if you called. Intent on making some tomato soup for you he pulled a saucepan out of the cupboard, found the can he required and and pulled a can opener out of the drawers. Cracking open the can and pouring the viscose red liquid into the heated saucepan, he stirred it and left it to simmer.

-

"How are you going honey?" he asked as he walked back into the bathroom.

"Mm, the eucalyptus helps with the headache." you mumbled, "but i'm getting pruny.

Quinn let out a hearty chuckle as you raised your hand for him to see your wrinkled skin.

"You ready to get out then?" he proposed, still leaning on the door frame.

"Yeah, I think so," you replied, opening your eyes and blearily looking at him.

"Alrighty, I'll get you some clothes." he smiled and wandered out of the room.

Unbeknownst to you he had cleaned the bedroom up, picked up the tissues, bowls and cups, changed the bed linen, placed a bed tray with fresh water, tea and the soup next to where he had pulled back the fresh sheets and stacked the pillows so you could watch the TV which he had turned on for you.

So when you waddled out, swaddled in a giant soft fluffy towel you were nearly brought to tears.

"Quinny," you sniffled wetly.

"Yeah honey?" he questioned walking from the closet with a pair of his sweat pants and a T-Shirt for you. He was startled when you walked over and wrapped him and a hug.

"Thank you." you mumbled into his shirt.

Smiling he kissed your head and said, "Your very welcome."

"What do you want to watch?" he asked, handing you the clothes to change into.

"Hmmm? OH! Gilmore Girls." you said with an evil smile settling into the bed.

"Fine, only because your sick." he conceded settling next to you smiling to himself as you started slurping on your soup, completely enamoured with the show in front of you.

-:-

I'm sorry if its bad! I myself have been sick, swamped with school and family stuff! However it's out! Please enjoy and don't be afraid to come into my inbox to have a chat!

[harrystylesfan2686]

Pieces Part 2

Pairing: Azriel x Reader.

Summary: You finally confront Azriel about your feelings which ends in huge argument.

A/N: thank you to everyone who read and loved Pieces. I tried my best to make Azriel up to your expectations. I hope you all like this!

Pieces Masterlist

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

I stopped making efforts with Azriel.

I stopped talking to him. Stopped waking up with him to wish him goodbye at the door. Stopped asking him about his day at dinner. Even stopped waiting for him to eat. I make our lunch, eat and get out of the house. Walking until I'm sure he's gone again. Come home make dinner, eat and sleep without waiting for him.

I accepted the fact that he doesn't want me anymore.

He still kisses me goodbye though.

So I guess there is still hope but I don't want it.

I open my eyes and glance to Azriel's empty bedside. I rub my eyes, already feeling tired even though I just started my day. I havn't been getting good enough sleep lately, staying up almost every night, rethinking everything over and over again. And when I do get sleep, it's always dreamless. I always feel like I fell alseep just a minute ago. I sit up on my bed to find a note on the bedside.

Dinner at Rhys tonight.

Four plain words in Azriel's handwriting. He didn't even sign it with his name. I sigh and get up from bed. I don't want to face anyone right now. I'm too tired to put on an act of being happy. Well at least I won't have to make food.

My throat feels scratchy. I warm up a little water to relieve the soreness but it doesnt make any difference. I suddenly sneeze, covering my face and freeze after realization finally hits me. I'm sick. I groan.

Can this day get any worse?

-☆-

When we arrived at the river house, I conversed with everyone for a while, catching up on everything after not seeing any of them for so long.

Feyre complemented my dress and commented on how my face looks different. I laughed a little saying that's because she hadn't seen me in so long, hoping my smile and lie seemed real enough for her to not get suspicious.

When I sneezed and coughed again, she figured I was sick and scolded me a little for coming, saying I should've stayed home and rested. I shrugged at that.

When we sat down on the table, Azriel whispered to me,"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" To which I had kept looking away and answered,"You didn't ask." He didn't say anything else to me and neither did I to him. In fact I didn't talk to anyone much and only spoke when asked to do so the whole time.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" Azriel questioned when we walk into our house. I hang my coat on the coat stand and remove my shoes, taking my time answering him and finally say,"As I said before, you didn't ask."

"How was I supposed to know? And you didn't even spend much time with me. You went straight to Feyre, the second we entered and didn't talk to me at all the whole night." I could hear irritation in his voice which made me clench my jaw.

I took a deep breath,"I didn't realise you missed me so much considering you were glued to Elain all night." I spit out without looking at him and walk to our bedroom.

"What do you mean by that?" He follows me.

"Nothing." I sigh not wanting to have this argument right now but, of course, he doesn't care about that.

"No, tell me." He frowned.

"You talked to Elian all night so I thought, maybe I shouldn't disturb whatever conversation you must have going on." My lips thin as I look up at him.

"I had no choice but to talk to her because you didn't talk to me and and we were the only two people left alone." He said.

"Alright. But that was tonight. What about that other days and nights you spend with her? You like her. I get it. You don't need to explain yourself." My eyes fill with unwanted tears and I look away from him. I try to get away from him but he grabs my arm to keep me there.

"Yes, I like talking to her, but I would prefer to talk to you more." He says softly. I scoff.

"Don't lie az. Do us both a favor and accept it that you like her company better. I have." I snatch my arm back and try to walk away. He still follows me.

"No. I admit I like her company but no more than yours. You are more important." He stops in front of me.

"I don't believe that." A tear falls down my face. His eyes look into mine with confusion. "I watch you with her. How happy and content you look in her presence. Everyday you come home, speak barely two words to me and go back to her again." I fold my arms on my chest and look down. "You spend the time with her that youre suppose to spend with me. You tell her the things you should tell me. Your like her. More than me."

"That's not true. My love, I like you a lot more than her. You are the most important to me." His hand wips my tears and rests on my cheek. I rip it off me. "I don't believe you." I look at him with anger.

"You tell me Azriel, when was the last time you commented on my cooking? The last time you told how I looked? When was the last time you asked me how I was doing? When was the last time you held me? The last time you truly listened to me?" His expression falls in realisation, as my questions grow. "When was the last time you told you loved me and fucking meant it?!" I breath heavy, looking at his face tilted down, eyes cast down.

"I-," He clears his throat. "I did always meant when I said I loved you."

I turn to the other side. I can't look at him. I cover my eyes and try to focus on settling down my breathing. "I think you should leave." I whisper and turn to him again.

His head snaps to mine. "No! No. No. No. Don't push me away. Please." His voice cracks and a tear falls down his eyes. "Please give me a chance to fix this. Please don't push me away." His hands on either side of me and puts his forehead against mine, eyes looking into mine filled with tears and anguish.

"You pushed me away first." I whisper, gently taking his hands off of me and his face crumbles as more tears fall down. I cry with him.

"I just need time." I watch him nod silently, wiping his face clear with his hands while stepping away from me.

"Okay. I'll be in the house of wind. Please come to me when you're ready. I want to fix this. I don't want to let you go." I nod silently, not trusting my words.

I watch him nod again and go out of the door, leaving me alone in the house we bought together. Leaving me alone for my thoughts and memories to haunt me in the dead of the night. I'll be alright though. I'll take my time to think everything through. I'll heal myself then think about giving azriel a chance to heal us.

I just need time.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Tags: @cleverzonkwombatsludge @crazylokonugget

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hello! Currently im working on my story and I need to write my character Fainting/falling unconscious and I need help with writing that. General things I would like to know is how long would someone be out cold in which situations and what are some aftermaths. You can (and please do) add extra info. I dont see alot of posts covering this topic so I would request this :>

Hi! I have these previous posts: On Fainting ⚜ Some Reactions

Some Additional Notes

Faintness

‘Light- headedness’.

Seen in anaemia, low BP, postural hypotension, hypoglycaemia, carotid sinus hypersensitivity, epilepsy

Syncope

This is sudden loss of consciousness over seconds.

Another word for fainting or passing out.

Think of abnormal ‘electrical’ activity in the central nervous system or a temporary drop in cardiac output and BP that improves as soon as the patient is in a prone position.

Fits can occur due to a profound fall in BP so they are not specific of epilepsy.

Someone is considered to have syncope if they become unconscious and go limp, then soon recover.

For most people, syncope occurs once in a great while, if ever, and is not a sign of serious illness.

However in others, syncope can be the first and only warning sign prior to an episode of sudden cardiac death.

Syncope can also lead to serious injury.

Talk to your physician if syncope happens more often.

Pre-syncope - is the feeling that you are about to faint.

Someone with pre-syncope may be:

lightheaded (dizzy) or nauseated,

have a visual "gray out" or trouble hearing,

have palpitations, or

feel weak or suddenly sweaty.

When discussing syncope with your doctor, you should note episodes of pre-syncope as well.

Becoming unconscious due to a seizure, heart attack, head injury, stroke, intoxication, blow to the head, diabetic hypoglycemia or other emergency condition is not considered syncope.

WHAT TO DO

Someone who faints should be moved so they are lying down to allow blood to flow to the brain.

If they do not regain consciousness promptly, start CPR.

Reflex syncope - the result of a reflex response to some trigger, in which the heart slows or blood vessels dilate (widen).

This causes blood pressure to drop, so less blood flows to the brain and fainting (syncope) or near-fainting (pre-syncope) occurs.

Reflex syncope is the most frequent cause of fainting.

Vasovagal syncope — the common faint — occurs in one third of the population.

It is by far the most common form of reflex syncope.

Often triggered by a combination of dehydration and upright posture.

But it can also have an emotional trigger such as seeing blood ("fainting at the sight of blood").

Some Vasovagal Syncope Triggers

Seeing blood (not considered a serious symptom)

Getting an injection or having blood drawn (not considered serious)

Standing up quickly (a "head rush" is considered pre-syncope)

Standing upright for a long time

Sudden and unexpected trauma, stress or pain, such as being hit

Blood donation

Other types of reflex syncope include:

Situational syncope - a sudden reflex response to a trigger other than those listed above. Triggers include:

Coughing, sneezing, laughing, swallowing

Pressure on the chest after exertion or exercise

Defecating

Urinating (post-micturition syncope: occurs in men while standing to urinate)

Eating a meal

Sudden abdominal pain

Blowing a brass instrument or lifting weights

Carotid Sinus Syncope - a response in older adults that occurs when pressure is applied to the carotid artery in the neck. A hard twist of the neck, wearing a tight collar and pressing on the artery are triggers for carotid sinus syncope.

How is syncope treated? The treatment for syncope will depend upon the underlying condition but may include:

Catheter ablation: procedure to cauterize the specific heart cells that cause abnormal heart rhythms

Pacemakers: device inserted under the skin below the collarbone to deliver regular electrical pulses through thin, highly durable wires attached to the heart; used to treat bradycardia, heart block and some types of heart failure

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs): a small implanted device that delivers an electrical pulse to the heart to reset a dangerously irregular heartbeat; often used to treat ventricular tachycardia or heart failure

Avoiding known triggers

Vasovagal Attack

Simple faint precipated by emotion, pain, fear, prolonged standing, etc.

Suggested by: syncope within seconds or minutes of preceding precipitant.

Nausea,

sweating, and

darkening of vision.

Recovery within minutes.

No incontinence.

Confirmed by: history. No abnormal physical signs.

Finalized by: the predictable outcome of management, e.g. reassurance and advice regarding avoidance of preciptating causes.

Cough Syncope

Suggested by: sudden loss of consciousness after severe bout of coughing.

Confirmed by: history. Normal examination.

Finalized by: the predictable outcome of management, e.g. treating cause of cough.

Panic Disorder

Suggested by: Intense feeling of apprehension or impending disaster.

Developing quickly and unexpectedly without a recognizable trigger.

Shortness of breath and

sensation of smothering, nausea, abdominal pain, depersonalization and derealization,

choking,

numbness,

tingling,

palpitations,

flushes,

trembling,

shaking, chest discomfort,

fear of dying,

sweating,

dizziness,

faintness.

Confirmed by: recognized criteria, e.g. the ICD.

Finalized by: the predictable outcome of management, e.g. reassurance about nature of symptoms, cognitive behaviour therapy, anxiolytics (e.g. diazepam), or antidepressants (e.g. SSRIs).

Sources: 1 2 3 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ On Hemophobia

Hope this helps with your writing!

[miheartsedthings]

Long Drive

SFW

You can’t sleep. Your body too full of a thrumming sadness you can’t be rid of. The source of which you can’t pin down. Your heart feels stuck to your sternum and you turn over in bed again searching for some kind of relief. 

“Can’t sleep?”

Billy’s husky voice finds you in the dark. 

“Not even a little.” 

The two of you climb into the car, you bring your thin blanket and he doesn’t bother putting on a shirt. He’s warm enough to brave the spring chill without one. You let the passenger seat back and watch dark trees slide by the window. A navy sky empty of stars. His hand comes groping under the blanket, searching for your hand and you offer it, lacing your fingers with his. 

“What’s got you sad?” 

“How’d you know?”

He gives you a skeptical look. 

“All this time, you still think you can keep a secret from me?”

It makes you smile, however sadly. 

“Just feeling…far away…don’t know why.”

He nods slowly, his eyes watching the horizon while he mulls over what you’ve said. 

“From me?”

You shrug. 

“From everything. Just…feel like I’m missing something.” 

He brings your hand to his lips. 

“I’m here.” 

You smile. 

“I know.” You say “I know you’re here. I know I’m not really on my own I just…” You don’t have the words to finish this feeling. It has no particular name. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”

He heaves a deep sigh. 

“Steve texted me.” 

This rings alarm bells, you raise the seat to sit up and look at him. 

“Yeah? Is he okay?”

He shakes his head.

“The nightmares came back. Bouncing’ off the fuckin walls over there.” 

You groan, your heart filling with worry. 

“How can he still live in that town?”

He shrugs. 

“The kids are there. He won’t leave till they graduate.” 

“Fuck.” Your head falls against the rest. “I worry about him,” you say. “A guy like that shouldn’t live alone. He needs people around.”

“I told him,” Billy grumbles, clearly worried about his friend. The sensitive boy he sometimes thinks of as a brown-eyed puppy. He rifles through the glovebox, retrieving his cigarettes with a huff. 

“You told him he can live with us, right? If he wants to?”

“I fuckin’ told him, baby,” he says around the cigarrette. He rolls down the window a second too late, filling the car with the heady musk of smoke. “He’s a stubborn asshole.” 

You cough and he apologizes, giving your knee an affectionate squeeze. You tell him it’s fine and crack your window as well. The two of you sit in silence for a while. Winding through streets in no particular order. 

“You think people can feel it when you're thinking about them?” Billy glances over at you. Unsure how to answer. “I mean, psychically. Like…I think about it with celebrities sometimes. When there's thousands of people thinking about you all at once, it has to have some effect. Maybe it just makes them sneeze.” He grins a little, taking another long hit from his Marlboro. “So maybe Steve’s sneezing his brains out right about now.” 

“I hope so. I hope he knows we give a shit.” 

“I think he knows you care. You tried hard after everything. He trusts you now.”

“Hmm.” 

He takes another long pull from his cigarette and angles the smoke toward the window. He avoids downtown and all that traffic, choosing instead to wind through the empty streets curving toward the San Bernadino mountains. 

“Are you gonna call him?” 

He sighs. Already his cigarette is nearly gone. 

“And say what?” 

“I don’t know. Sometimes people just need to hear they’re gonna be okay. And it means something coming from you.” 

He scoffs. The cigarette is done, and he scrubs it against the heel of his shoe before flicking it out the window. 

“You don’t think he listens to you?”

“If he listened to me he’d leave that asscrack of a town.”

You shrug, slumping down in your seat. 

“Leaving your home can be scary.”

“So fuckin’ what? Shit gets scary, do it anyway.”

You can’t help laughing. 

“I knew it, I knew you read that book!”

You can see him start to blush in the cool blue light from the dashboard. You’re talking about the book his therapist recommended the year after moving out of Hawkins. Do It Scared. He’d insisted he wasn’t interested in reading it, yet here he was quoting it like scripture. Your teasing gets to him, and he retaliates by jamming his fingers into the ticklish spot on your side. You’re forced against the door where you can’t wiggle out of his reach. Instantly you’re apologizing, begging for him to stop through painfully uncontrollable laughter. 

He’s smiling when he relents, satisfied to have taken his revenge. You settle back in your seat with a sigh. Followed by a yawn. 

“There it is,” he says, affection softening his tone. 

He brings your hand to his mouth again. Each of your fingers gets a turn against his lips. You watch him, taking in the details of his profile. You've looked at him so many times you've completely lost count, but every time you do it feels new. You discover something in the beauty of him that makes you realize again how much you want him nearby. This time, you watch his careful gaze as he looks out onto the road ahead. His lashes, tail lights shining into ocean blue. He’s worrying. 

“Anyway. Not everyone can just barrel through stuff. He’s scared and he could use a call from you.” 

“Alright, alright. I’ll check on the little dweeb. Happy?”

“Very,” you answer with a sleepy smile. 

You find yourselves far from home, wondering on and on as the hours roll by. You both have class in the morning, but there’s something so comforting about the car and the darkened streets. You waste time, long stretches of it going by without a word spoken between you. Not much needs to be said in company as familiar as this. You’re able to be together, letting go your tensions with every new scratch of mile. Drowsy and quiet until sunrise. 

[xjulixred45x]

Hello again, Thank you for answering my first request. May I please request for Yandere Nanami x Frail darling x Yandere Gojo wherein Frail darling manages to escape and tries to hide from them ,but their sickly coughs give them away. How would they handle their darling?

Ohhhh this is very interesting! Im in!

Thank you for the new Request hun❤️

Yandere!Kento Nanami+Yandere! Satoru Gojo x Frail!Reader

Genre: Headcanons

Reader:neutral

Warnings: YANDERE(kind of soft, it still), UNHEALTY MINDSET, OBSESIVE BEHAVIOR, MANIPULATION, Minor intimidation, sickness, kind of infantilization, runaway scenario, SCARY GOJO AND NANAMI. Poly Yandere. A little long.

I have a feeling that you and Gojo and Nanami met in a very arbitrary way. You were someone who was part of their lives on a daily basis.

They probably frequented the same eating places as You, for example.

and to begin with, they were already aware of your fragile state of health from that moment on, if it was not because of your docile and weak attitude, it was because of your sudden attacks of coughing or sneezing.

It made both Gojo and Nanami notice you and in a way think more of you, since you were more likely to be a victim of Curses.

They took care of you from afar at first, like they were SUPPOSED to. It wasn't until Gojo decided to take the "first step" to interact directly with you with the excuse that this would better exorcise the curse that was close to you. (all without consulting Nanami obviously).

To be honest, from the beginning you felt a kind of intimidating presence, from both of them. You had recognized their existences because they were also frequent, sure, but when they appeared and entered your life, they definitely left you a little shabby. off your feet, to say the least.

Gojo was a very playful friend, you realized this before when you were listening to him talk to Nanami, he loved to annoy him and try to get him out of his temper. but with you it was more of a strangely affectionate type of game.

He would tone it down with you (Nanami's advice so as not to scare you), and he also always tried to make you laugh, which was sometimes a bit counterproductive because you would laugh so much that sometimes you would end up in a coughing fit, and with one of the people rubbing you. your back.

Nanami was more reserved, but his presence was no less intimidating than Gojo's, he made himself noticeable in your life, even though he was considerably calmer than Gojo.

Nanami would always want to be aware of EVERYTHING you were going through, especially with your illness. It didn't seem very strange to you, when the people in your circle knew about your fragile state, they tended to become hyper-aware of your health.

You just dismissed it as that, healthy and genuine concern, especially now that you were having trouble staying afloat with your illness.

You just didn't want to feel like a burden to others.

although indirectly you ended up fueling the obsessive thoughts of both men more.

Yandere Gojo, being Yandere Gojo, as soon as he had these kinds of thoughts he wanted to take you as soon as possible, but Nanami VERY CLEARLY set the limits to which they would go.

(Gojo was probably a yandere for Nanami before he knew it was also reciprocal, so Gojo tends to listen to him to keep him happy and not hold him against him.)

Nanami is a more obsessive and softer type of Yandere, but no less terrifying. In less than a day he already had all the information about his illness and needs in "emergency cases."

Even when Nanami tells Gojo that he's not going to tear you away from your everyday life, he doesn't act like that's the case. He buys many medical supplies and even he and Gojo set up a room together with hospital supplies in extreme cases (with Gojo family maids highly trained in medicine).

Kento wanted your arrival "home" to be perfect--

but Satoru hears himself in advance when he came one day alone to see you...

...and he came back, with you unconscious, in his arms.

To say that Kento was furious at first was an understatement.

But he calmed down relatively quickly, because after all, couldn't they take advantage of this opportunity? They would have to bring you sooner or later, even if he had preferred a better welcome...what's done is done.

In more general cases, these two are a kind of "Good Cop" (Kento) and "Bad Cop" (Satoru).

Satoru is extremely clingy now that he has you and Kento to himself, and he doesn't miss a chance to be close to you.

Apart from the fact that he is the one who is home the most, so he is the one who takes care of you the most, ironically.

Yandere Satoru tends to be a jerk from time to time okay? many times more than treating you like someone sick who still has DESIRES and NEEDS, treats you like a baby, wraps you in a blanket, feeds you with a spoon, etc.

(It's not a good idea to refuse your food unless Nanami is there, forcing it down your throat.)

although he is also the one who tends to spoil you the most and the least rude with "time out" precisely because of his own infantilizing dynamics.

He's like "You?? Runaway from them?? Ha!Like it's gonna happen."

Satoru is quite condescending and, above all, he believes that you are too fragile and delicate to get ready on your own, so he does almost everything for you (which makes everything very monotonous since you rarely leave your "room" and your muscles atrophy from lack of use).

He understands better when you don't want to take certain medicines either because they taste bad or because of the effects they can have on your body, so he usually just grinds them into powder (if possible) and puts them in your favorite food, this way he doesn't have to fight with you to take them.

(the food is done by Kento, Satoru canon burns water).

Although don't be fooled, he is very demanding with affection, hugs, kisses, cuddles, nicknames, both giving and RECEIVING, if you want to gain his trust, a good way to do it is to play along.

Kento, on the other hand, tends to be a bit controlling, but he's the one who doesn't swin because he takes the issue of your health very VERY seriously.

Whenever possible, he will be the one to give you medicine, cook for you, help you change, you don't have to do anything. What happens if you get hurt while trying to cook? Or slip when you try to bathe?

The guy is paranoid.

He probably even gave you a pacemaker without telling you so he could have a record of your heart rates in case of an "emergency"☠️

Nanami is gentle when it comes to you, but at the same time he doesn't underestimate you, there are always several locks on the front door, plus the ones on your door, not to mention the monitor he put in your shared room so he can keep track of everything.

Kento always keeps Gojo in line, and in a way makes him more empathetic to your situation, even if he respects him, he doesn't fully trust him to take care of you. You can use that to your advantage, if you want to be away from Satoru for a while just tell Kento and they will "have a talk".

Although, honestly, Kento may be even more Manipulative than Satoru.

For example, using what happened with Haibara in his youth as an excuse, opening up emotionally to you, to manipulate you and make you see that he is "the lesser of two evils."

As far as possible, both are better in what one lacks. That was what prevented a bad scenario. or at least a worse one you were in now, stuck with both of them.

but on one occasion SOMETHING happens...

It was one of the few days when you would be alone for a couple of hours.

It was a golden opportunity to escape.

you went over everything twice, you took out your pacemaker, you evaded the monitor and Satoru's employees, damn, you managed to get outside!

And what seemed like the icing on the cake? Satoru was supposed to be in Kyoto, even if Nanami started searching on his own, he wouldn't realize you were gone until very late.

You ran and ran as much as you could through the streets of Tokyo, occasionally stealing a few items of clothing to change your appearance a little, paranoid that Kento or Satoru were around the corner.

The plan was to go to the train station in Shibuya - hopefully with so many people you would be harder to detect - and take the first train that would take you away from there, to an airport perhaps.

but as you were going down to go to where the trains were, YOU FELT IT.

His heavy preferences were down there... waiting for you...

How did they know that was where you were going? You had no idea, but you fled in the opposite direction again.

you hid in an alley the best you could. with your heart racing and your heart in your mouth as you felt how they were getting closer...

You had some hope, a little, when they were going to continue on....when--.

A cough.

a coughing fit.

You tried to cover your mouth and muffle the sound, curl up into a ball, anything. so --

-"I found youuuu!~"-

Saotru was right next to you...

Kento made a mistake, but don't worry, this wouldn't happen again, you wouldn't be left alone again if he could avoid it, reinforce security, be with you longer! anything for you!

You have no idea how much you worried them! As soon as Satoru received the call from Kento that you had run away from his house, he stopped everything he was doing and went to help him.

Poor thing! You must be so scared being out there alone! You didn't even bring your cough medicine or anything warm. What happens if you get an outbreak from or due to humidity? You didn't even bring a mask!

Good thing they found you in time, right? You are even crying with joy when you see them! They should take you to the Gojo estate as soon as possible and give you your medicine before your throat becomes infected, stop kicking! They know you like to walk but you are weak! you are weak..

you are fragile!

let them take care of you💙💛

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[just-your-average-author]

TIT RECAP/THOUGHTS

SPOILERS OBV

Okay so firstly the open PSA that Dan wrote about "no photos or videos if you do, I will sue your ass to the ground" and "no flash photography do you want Phil to fall off the stage...again?!?!?" killed me. it was so cute

preshow playlist, stunning, beautiful all around bops.

the sudden cut off of the music and lights to signal the show started, genuinely shocked and I was SAT let me tell you.

THEY CAME OUT AND THEY WERE REAL?!? NOT A SIMULATION?? listen I still can't get over that, I can't believe they were real people who look and sound exactly like they do on my tv at home!! I was so focused on them and soaking every moment in, I couldn't handle it

have I mentioned how attractive they are?!?!?

okay also literally Phil straight up STOPPED THE SHOW BECAUSE HE HAD TO SNEEZE AND DAN JUST STARED AND WAS LIKE PHIL WTF and I loved every second I was like yes this is straight up what they do in videos, let's have our little squirrel moment babes.

plus it made it feel even more silly and improv, overall I know obv they scripted a lot but it was sooo interactive and they ad libbed so much and I adored it

the dollhouse recap i swear wtf. first off, it was such a creative and fun idea and the different sets, and dressed up dolls that the clothes matched!! also okay I'm so sorry I had no idea the random sex positions would be a theme of the show so I was gobsmacked, but the 69ing during pinof??? "so we did what 2 closeted twinks did upon meeting each other for the first time.... put sharpie's cat whiskers on!!!" shut up for the love.

I genuinely loved the role model or no-el model segment. my show was in NC so they first option for Dan as the Mr. Lawyer was he bans ___ and someone said south carolina and they both just were rendered speechless and were like damn oh dear but laughing too.

The boxing match was so hot dear heavens, Dan's expression when Phil came out in the fake- *cough* I mean very real abs. He was acting for his LIFE.

the confessions were so good, just wish it lasted a little longer. the yapping was good and also idk if this was standardized but the whole thing where Phil said "I have a cute but also sociopathic thing going on and I think it's working for me 😌" like shut up you're so adorable

omg the quick change where they kept their mics on and narrated so many innuendos I was dying omg so silly and so funny I loved it. I was really impressed with how fast they changed, but also talked the whole time.

I loved every single solitary part of this show and I loved how they joked about how they were sorry we all went to school with whiskers then got out in the trash (cause yeah basically) and how they literally did raise us and should be blamed for us being feral not our actual legal guardians.

okay so. this show 9/10. here's where the last 1 point went.

please don't kill me, but I wasn't a fan of the song. I'm not entirely sure what it was, but the whole show was so raw and perfect and then the song was just really synthetic and overly autotuned where I personally didn't even hear their voices. like I couldn't tell who was singing which part. the ukulele part was cute, and I really hoped that would've been all of it, I guess the internet is here and interactive introverts and everything's fine just was so good you couldn't raise the bar again, but that was just my personal opinion, I know a lot of people loved the song and it was catchy and cute, I'm just not personally a fan of kpop/synthesized music so I was a little disappointed in the song but the dancing slapped so hard.

Dan flawlessly executing every move and strut and making eye contact with us while Phil very intentionally was focused on not tripping or walking off the stage and looking at Dan a few times to check if he was doing it right MY HEART.

cuties, gay, both of them, love them

overall I spent last night frantically calculating if I could afford to spontaneously go see the Nashville show as well and spend another 10 hours in the car today but regretfully thought against it.

[dynamicccsworld]

EMERGENCY WARNING FOR HAWKINS INDIANA.

This message is broadcasted by the VPO (Virus Prevention Organization) to raise awareness for a new strain of virus located in the Hawkins, Indiana area.

If you are located in the stated area, please lock all doors and windows, turn the lights off and continue watching this broadcast.

If you or a loved one has came in contact with the virus or a infected person, seek medical attention immediately.

The Minion Virus.

(Parvum Flavosis)

-

The Minion Virus (Parvum Flavosis) was a new virus recently discovered shortly after the election of Bald Mike, named The Minion Virus due to the fact that the infected have been recorded to act similarly to minions (a hive-mind) in the later stages of the virus.

So far only 26 known people have contracted the virus. This is not including the additional strain nicknamed Corcra that has recently been discovered; however we have no known information on this strain at this time.

If you have any information on Corcra, or you believe someone you know may have contracted this mysterious strain; contact #####-###### as soon as possible.

-

The Minion Virus is classified by four known stages.

This message will inform you on how to protect yourself from this virus, and the symptoms and effects shown in documented cases of civilians who have contracted this dangerous virus.

Our information may be flawed or incorrect due to this virus still being under thorough investigation by our organization.

-

Parvum Flavosis can be contracted in a multitude of ways, all that we have discovered at this time are listed below.

•Respiratory droplets that are released into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or laughs.

•The source. It is unknown what the source of Parvum Flavosis is; but it is theorized by many of our most trusted scientists after looking at a multitude of samples of the virus, it is likely man made. We theorize that if a person would come in contact with the original source of the virus, they would become infected as well.

While looking at samples of the virus under a microscope, it seems to have a similarity to that of yellow paint in looks.

It is advised to avoid any substance that matches this description at all costs.

•The Three Waterfalls, and possibly other water sources. We assume some of the Source for the virus is located in the waterfalls at the moment; and therefore they have been closed down and blocked off to prevent any more infection from being spread.

The three waterfalls are located in the local village, the old home of the Baseballians before Bald Mike claimed the land during his presidency.

The local village is set under a state of emergency due to the fact the first recorded case of Parvum Flavosis was spotted there.

It is recommended to boil any water that you plan on drinking as a safety precaution in case other water sources have been infected.

•Dairy product's that originate near Hawkins, this is due to fact that the cattle that make most of the milk for Hawkins dairy products are located near the three waterfalls on local farms.

Due to the waterfalls being infected with the virus, it seems the cattle were infected after drinking the water.

This somehow also infected the milk that the cows produced, without the farmers knowledge.

Due to this incident there has been a ban on dairy products for the time being in Hawkins, and it is advised to avoid any dairy products until authorized or informed that they are safe.

•Getting attacked by a infected person. If you or a loved one is attacked, there is nothing you can do.

We will now go over the stages of The Minion Virus to help you identify if someone you know has been infected.

Stage One

The first stage of Parvum Flavosis, and the least dangerous.

Symptoms include:

•Nausea

•Fever

•Dizziness.

•Headaches

If you or a family member begin to suffer these symptoms, seek help at a local doctor or ER and have the victim avoid human contact at all cost to avoid infecting anyone else.

The virus can only be cured at this stage, there is no help after this stage that we have found.

Stage Two

The second stage of Parvum Flavosis.

Symptoms at this stage are:

•Balding

•Yellow discoloration in the hands and feet.

•Disorientation.

•A increased production of serotonin in the brain.

If a family member or yourself reaches this stage, initiate quarantine immediately in a small room or building if you do not have the resources to use the Internet or evacuate your house.

If you choose to keep the infected in your residence, make sure the infected person has no way to escape from the room they are quarantined in. Regardless of it being yourself or a family member, This will be critical when Stage Four takes place.

Ways to lock a infected in a room can consist of:

•Closing and boarding up windows.

•Locking and barricading doors.

If you do have access to the Internet, call #####-###### to eliminate the threat.

Although infected people are not a danger at Stage Two, it is recommended to stop the process of metamorphosising by taking care of the threat.

Since the infected still have control of their body at Stage Two, it is recommended family members of mourn them before they are eliminated.

Stage Three

The third stage of Parvum Flavosis.

Symptoms include:

•Full balding of the head and body.

•Yellow discoloration reaches arms and legs.

•Memory Loss similar to documented cases of Frontotemporal Dementia.

•Hallucinations of a false prophet.

If a family member reaches this stage, contact #####-##### immediately and evacuate the premise.

If you however, somehow cannot do either of those tasks; locate a weapon and eliminate the threat as soon as possible before Stage Four can commence. If you cannot do that either, the only thing you can do is hope the victim perishes of starvation.

However, If you yourself have reached this stage, you will have to trust that you are eliminated; as that is all you can do.

Stage Four

The fourth and final stage of Parvum Flavosis.

The infected are considered nonhuman at Stage Four.

Symptoms:

•Elongation or shortening of the body.

•Changes in bone structure, located mostly in the face.

•Laughter.

•A large uptick in violent behavior, likely related to extreme changes in the frontal lobe.

•Full yellow discolouration of the skin.

•Loss of identity located to the development of the memory loss in Stage Three.

•Uptick of Senescence in some individuals.

•Shifting of facial muscles, causing the victim to have the appearance of a smile. Including stretching of the skin around eyes and lips.

•A hive-mind like mentality, which has yet to be researched but has been theorized to come from the virus affecting the Amygdala and Frontal Lobe.

(The patients documented in our research seem to talk about "the light" and a savior, however it is unknown if this is a symptom of the virus or a outwardly source.)

•Loss of teeth, primarily documented as the molars; however this can vary depending on what the victim consumes after reaching the final stage.

•Change in diet, the infected have been recorded to have a omnivorous diet, consisting of bananas and meat. However, some of the infected may gravitate to one or the other depending on where they are located.

If a family member reaches Stage Four, follow the previous instructions listed; Call #####-###### to eliminate the threat and evacuate the premise immediately. However, this does not guarantee your safety due to the danger those who reach Stage Four possess.

If you cannot run, there is nothing else you can do but pray.

If you yourself have reached Stage Four—

You are not yourself.

Ending Statement.

If you are one of the many fortunate to have the resources, it is recommended to evacuate Hawkins until a cure for this virus is found.

We will be working our hardest to find a cure for this terrifying plague, and we pray that is soon.

[tradetobest]

bennguin fic rec list (pt 1?)

in honour of the steers and queers anniversary im making a bennguin fic rec list!! it has 14 fics cuz jamie number :))

i wrangled the fuck out of my bookmarks for this, so enjoy :))

Kelowna: Become Human by LadyJanelly

rating: T words: 8.9k summary: What better way is there for a professional hockey team to make sure their prospects can focus on getting NHL ready, than buying them their very own android?

if you know me, you know i am a GIANTTT fan of detroit become human, so this fic is a dream come true for me. it is literally great too like i love it. tyler prioritizing jamie's orders over his programming... oughh....

Custom, Discreet by inlovewithnight

rating: E words: 12k summary: Tyler accidentally discovers Jamie's kink. He is so very on-board.

LINGERIE FIC!! we love.... we love that its JAMIE in the lingerie.... oughhhh

Must Love Dogs by SpiritsFlame

rating: G words: 12k summary: It doesn't occur to Jamie until he's standing on Tyler's front porch at 3am, barefoot, that maybe he should have called first In which Jamie Benn steals a dog, gets his best friend back, and combats toxic masculinity. In more or less that order.

i love this fic so much. cute ass fucking dog. PHENOMENAL use of the premise.

Featuring Marshall by wutheringjane

rating: G words: 4.1k summary: Tyler's latest video was called "GUESS WHO'S GOING TO DALLAS"

YOUTUBER AUUUUUU!!!!!! oh my god i am OBSESSED w youtube aus. and this ones so fucking cute too. theyre fans of each other your honour

the old brag of my heart (I am, I am, I am) by Mayhem10

rating: G words: 9.9k summary: Sometimes people forget that Jamie Benn exists.

this is part of the condition of existence series, and it's the second one in the series, but the whole series is phenomenal. i replay tyler's discovery moment in my brain over and over (OH YEAH, READ THE FIRST ONE DIRECTLY FROM THIS LINK)

Pitches Love Velocity by bohnem990

rating: T words: 12k summary: There’s no use in talking about money to Tyler, Brownie knows. It’s the reason that Brownie was the one to major in business in college, while Tyler majored in drinking with a minor in marketing. “If you want to drop a grand on one night at a sports event can’t you at least spend it on a real sport?” Several people, Tyler included, gape at him. “Like hockey,” Brownie barrels on, “We could totally go to a hockey game. We’re Canadian, Segs! We’re supposed to eat, sleep, and breathe hockey!” -- Alternately : “Dude,” Brownie laughs, “I think Jamie Benn’s agent just asked you to fuck him.”

THIS FIC. tyler at the restaurant lives rent free. FRAT BOY ASS. i love them so much.

Something Wild by Linsky

pairing: tyler seguin/jamie benn

rating: E words: 3k summary: The girl on Tinder is typing again. why don’t you show me how good you are with a cock Tyler coughs and drops his phone. That’s—wow. He did not expect her to go there.

oh my god. oh my god. tyler is such a dumbass here and i love it. im OBSESSED. 10/10 misunderstanding fic.

something over nothing any day by clawsandsympathy

rating: G words: 1.5k summary: “About this time on Hawkeye in the Morning, we run a little segment called Second Date Update. When someone has a great first date but never make it to the second date, they call us and we try to help them out. Tyler, can you tell us how you met Jamie?”

i think this fic is adorable. the concept is so fuckin cute and i think its executed well w some tropes i really like :))

I Know a Little Chapel by Linsky

rating: M words: 4.5k summary: Tyler Seguin is a very good wedding planner. Which is why he’s not freaking out that Jamie Benn of the Dallas fucking Stars is sitting in his office.

wedding plannerrrrrr auuu!!!!!!!!! tyler planning jordies wedding isnt something i knew i needed but by god did i

sneeze by Anonymous

rating: T words: 5.3k summary: Tyler had never actually heard Jamie purr. It was the strangest goddamn thing.

THIS FIC IS ADORABLE i love the story around why jamie's purrs are Like That. and tyler misunderstanding. ough ITS PERF

let's give them something to talk about by Anonymous

rating: T words: 2.6k summary: ashlee @/messysegsy - Sep 15 why does it feel like everyone got #OneTImerTour tickets except for me??????? @/tylerseguin please explain (5 replies 3 retweets 20 likes)

first part of the rheotaxis series!! i am a big sucker for social media aus, and aus in general, and musician/hockey is a trope i LOVE (shout out to that mceichel fic) so this is the perfect fic for me. unironically perfect.

scar tissue by eternalvariegation

rating: T words: 12k summary: Jamie still remembers when they were practically living out of each other’s pockets, the memory twinging like a muscle he hasn’t used in a long time but that his body hasn’t forgotten. It was probably inevitable that they’d see less of each other once Jamie formally requested that they no longer go into the field together but it still hits him sometimes. The tangible feeling of loss despite it having been his own decision in the end. Tyler didn’t speak to him for a month after he found out. 

SPY AU oh my gosh. "partner doing what he thinks is best for other partner. it is not best" is such an insane trope and i love it so much in this fic. done incredibly well. please read this.

Arms of the Sea by LadyJanelly

rating: T words: 3.7k summary: Jamie gives her back to the sea when she dies, three years into their marriage, their baby still inside her. He sews her up in sailcloth with the porridge pot she brought from her mother’s house, a stone from their shared hearth, scaling knife, thimble and needle. He sails out to the deep water and lowers her into the water, weeps as she sinks into the ocean’s embrace. He sails back to land and gives his boat to his brother. He will not return to the ocean. It is a graveyard to him now. He finds a job in a logging camp, and for a year his feet are dry, his lips do not taste of salt.

incredibly emotional and beautiful fic. op wonders whether their execution of the concept is dull and pretentious in the opening notes and i think that is the worst part of this fic, only because it does such a disservice to it. RAHH i love it

wandering bee seeks the rose by clachnaben

rating: E words: 8.7k summary: Jamie Benn coaches a youth hockey team and Tyler is a determined Hockey Mom. Meet cutes and queer women and youth hockey

yk i had to shout out the lesbians to round it out. sexy hockey mom tyler lives in my head rent free and i dont even like women.

[silentsneezes]

HC that Remus is allergic to peppermint (smelling it makes him sneeze all day and eating it gives him hives) and super embarrassed about it bc he doesn't want to be seen as “weak” but Sirius didn't know and made their shared flat smell like peppermint for the Christmas holiday

thank you for the prompt anon! i’ll (hopefully) write another fic eventually that’s more specific to your request, but for now i hope you enjoy 2.1k of a very sneezy R/emus L/upin at the P/otter’s Christmas party

The Potter’s have always been known to throw extraordinary parties. Between James’s charisma as a host and Lily’s beautifully charmed decorations, every ‘Potter Party’- as Sirius calls them- is extravagant. Their Christmas party this year is no different, despite the ongoing wizarding war.

Their house is filled with enchanted garlands that drift through the air, shifting colors through a spectrum of festive hues. A few paintings have been charmed to sing carols when people pass by, whereas others wish people ‘A Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.’ There are candles suspended mid-air, casting a warm, flickering glow in every room. The candle’s soft, elegant glow is accompanied with the scent of peppermint. A sweet, sharp aroma with a hint of menthol.

The guests- who are mostly members of the Order- have forgotten about the chaos existing outside of the Potter’s household. Tonight is a night for celebration, nothing else. They’ve all lost so much to the war, and refused to lose Christmas to it too.

Which is why Remus Lupin is walking hand in hand with his boyfriend Sirius, approaching the Potter’s home with an expensive bottle of wine. He’d thought about bringing a different gift, but he and Sirius had both been too busy with missions to get something in time. So he supposes a bottle of Chardonnay will suffice.

Remus lets Sirius knock, watching his boyfriend’s excitement with a little grin. He isn’t necessarily looking forward to spending the night at a party only a few days after the full moon, but he rarely gets to see his friends anymore. Besides, seeing Sirius so happy is reason enough.

As soon as James opens the door, Sirius pulls him into a hug, smiling ear to ear, “Prongs! It’s been too long.”

Remus can’t help but grin, especially when James drunkenly exclaims, “Pads! Moony! My old friends, oh I’m so glad you could make it,” keeping an arm slung around Sirius’s neck.

“Well, I guess you won’t be needing this,” Remus jokes, holding up the bottle of white. James guffaws at the joke, proving Remus’s point as he hiccups after laughing.

Remus steps into the bustling home, smiling as he looks around. It’s relieving, seeing all his friends celebrating and happy; he’d become accustomed to only seeing people at meetings for the Order of the Phoenix, and those were downright depressing.

Tonight, however, is quite the opposite. James pulls Sirius away to get a drink, leaving Remus by the entryway. Remus walks to the kitchen, setting the bottle of wine on the countertop and admiring the decorations.

As a candle floats by, Remus is greeted with an overwhelming scent of peppermint, mingling with the warmth of the festive atmosphere. His eyes immediately start to water, and he can’t help but cough lightly, a telltale tickle forming in his throat.

“Remus! It’s good to see you,” Lily exclaims as she makes her way through the crowded room, “How’ve you been?”

Remus smiles, his discomfort temporarily forgotten as he sees Lily. He accepts her hug, replying, “I’ve been well, all things considered. How are you?”

“I’ve been good, honestly,” Lily says with a smile, a hand placed habitually on her stomach, “We’ve almost finished the nursery, and…”

Remus tries his best to listen as Lily keeps talking, but his body has other ideas. He ducks against his shoulder slightly as he stifles two quick sneezes, “ngt! ngk!”

“Oh, bless you!” Lily says before continuing on, “It really is lovely seeing everyone again.”

Unfortunately, the stifles did nothing to relieve the itch in his nose- an irritating, persistent buzzing. Still, Remus tries to reply, “It is, it’s not often we- hh.. hHngk! ngxt! Excuse me. It’s not often we get together anymore.”

“Bless you Remus,” Lily says with a hint of concern. Sure, Remus sneezing isn’t uncommon, but Lily’s well aware of the full moon cycle and how frequently he falls ill after his transformations, “You’re not sick, are you?”

Remus offers Lily a wry smile, “No, not sick. Just a little sensitive after the full moon, I suppose.”

Lily nods, seemingly buying Remus’s quick dismissal. “So, what’ve-,” she starts, but then Marlene McKinnon spots Lily and shrieks happily.

“Lils!” Marlene exclaims, and a moment later Lily is frisked away into an embrace.

Remus doesn’t mind. In fact, he’s rather grateful for the opportunity to slip away into an unoccupied hallway. His nose has already started twitching again, and he can feel the sharp scent of the peppermint coating his throat.

Remus pinches his nose between his thumb and forefinger, his head bobbing towards his chest as he stifles a series of sneezes in quick succession, “hhnGxt! hd’gsh! ngxk!”

He waits a moment, releasing his nose and taking an experimental breath. Wrong choice.

“hgXxt! hngt! nkXT! hh…. hhGDsxh!”

Remus lets out a little sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before searching through his pockets for a handkerchief. He almost always carries one, especially leading up to or following the full moon, when his nose is particularly sensitive.

“Hey love. You hiding out over here?” Sirius teases with a smirk, “Or is this just an especially interesting hallway?”

Remus turns around to see Sirius leaning against the wall, a drink in hand. He looks undeniably beautiful, his hair pulled back in a bun and his shirt partially unbuttoned.

Remus rolls his eyes, “Why, are you trying to escape the spotlight Pads?”

Sirius grins, about to quip back when Remus cups a hand over his nose, his shoulders shuddering as he stifles another little fit of sneezes, “hhNGxt! hnxt! hhN’gxt!”

“Bless you, bless you, bless you baby,” Sirius says in a slightly sing-song tone.

“Thanks,” Remus mumbles, but he’s more preoccupied with holding back. His nose is twitching, and he turns away from Sirius slightly as his breath hitches.

Sirius’s smile fades a little, replaced with concern, “You alright Moons?”

“Yeah just- hngt! j-heh-hgt! hxkch! Snf, just a little itch,” he dismisses. Admittedly, it’s much more than that. There’s a constant tickle in his nose and throat, his eyes are itchy and watery, and he can’t keep his nose from twitching.

Sirius raises an eyebrow at his boyfriend, his expression making it evident that he doesn’t believe Remus’s dismissal, “C’mon love, what’s up?”

Sirius moves closer, resting a gentle hand on Remus’s back, “You feeling okay?” He murmurs.

Remus bites his tongue for a moment, debating between admitting his allergy and potentially ruining Sirius’s Christmas, or powering through. Unfortunately for him, his nose chooses something else entirely.

“tschHh!-kKTSch! hh-hNgxt! hhN’Kgtsch!”

“Bless you,” Sirius murmurs as he rubs Remus’s back, “Something setting you off?” He asks, knowing Remus well enough to recognize an allergic reaction.

Remus just nods, knowing he won’t be able to deny it. He keeps a finger curled under his nose, hoping to dissuade the itch.

“How bad is it?” Sirius asks, his worry evident.

“I’m okay, just… c’mon, not agaihhhnGXt! nnG’DSch!”

“Bless you, bless you,” Sirius blesses each stifle as he wraps an arm around Remus’s waist, guiding him towards the backyard to get some fresh air.

Unfortunately for Remus, they pass by not one but two of the floating candles on their way out, and the finger curled under his nose becomes useless in preventing another fit.

“hh- hDtsch! hn’Gxt! hhHGDsch!”

Remus stifles against his finger, letting out a little cough after the triple. On top of the persistent itch in his nose and throat, his eyes are starting to become increasingly irritated and watery. He resists the urge to rub them, knowing it’ll only worsen his discomfort.

“Bless you love,” Sirius says as he opens the back door, keeping his other hand on the small of Remus’s back.

Remus feels a little relief as he steps into the brisk air, a flurry of snowflakes drifting downwards, but he knows the damage has already been done. He’s had a few encounters with peppermint in the past, and he has no doubt he’ll be sneezing all night.

“Better?” Sirius hums, wrapping an arm around Remus’s waist. The werewolf nods, pressing his handkerchief to the base of his nose and sniffling.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s setting you off?” Sirius asks, smirking at his boyfriend, “or are we going to have to play Guess That Allergen.”

Remus rolls his eyes, but he can’t help but grin a little, “You’re an ass.”

“Now now, Moony, we were talking about your sneezy predicament, not my ass,” Sirius teases, “So, what’s-”

“n’Gck! hngXt! hhHDTsch!”

“Bless you, bless you, bless you. What’s setting you off?” Sirius asks, not minding the interruption.

Remus hesitates before letting out a little sigh, realizing there’s no use in trying to dismiss the reaction or imagine an excuse, “The peppermint,” he answers simply. His nose twitches, as if his body is even sensitive to him saying the word, “hhHGXt! hNG’tsch!”

“Bless,” Sirius says with a little frown, suddenly remembering Remus’s last run in with the scent of peppermint at a potions store- it’s safe to say Remus doesn’t go to that store anymore, “Baby why didn’t you say something when we got here? You must’ve realized right away you were allergic.”

Remus lets out a defeated sigh, shrugging and answering, “It’s Christmas, and you’ve been looking forwards to seeing everyone for ages. I figured I… hh… could dhhdeal with-hhGNSxch! hhHtschew! ktsChh! with a little allergic reaction.” Remus lets the last two sneezes out unstifled now that he’s only in Sirius’s company, catching them in the folds of his handkerchief.

“Bless you love,” Sirius murmurs, gently rubbing circles on his boyfriend’s back, “You do realize this is more than a little allergic reaction, right? You look downright miserable.”

Remus doesn’t have the energy to argue with that, and he’d only be lying. The effects of being in the peppermint filled house have already set in, despite him only being inside for eight minutes.

“Let me guess: itchy eyes, itchy throat, and incessant sneezing?” Sirius asks, grinning at the way Remus’s eyes narrow in annoyance, “I’ll take that as a yes. Any rashes?”

Remus shakes his head, holding the handkerchief over his nose again as he feels the itch return with a vengeance, “Not y- hhKTsch! hhtxchew-tscCHh-kkDSch!” The last triple comes too rapidly for him to draw a breath between each of the sneezes, leaving him slightly breathless, “Not yet,” he finishes lamely.

“Bless you,” Sirius says as he presses a kiss to Remus’s cheek, “Why don’t you wait here, I’ll let Lily know we’re heading home,” he suggests gently.

Remus frowns, looking at his boyfriend with a guilty expression, “You don’t have to, I’ll just stay out here for a while. Go enjoy yourself.” He insists, gesturing to the festivities inside.

Sirius grins, rolling his eyes playfully, “Remus Lupin, if you think I’m going to leave you sneezing outside in the cold on Christmas, then you’re poorly mistaken.”

When Remus’s guilty expression doesn’t change, Sirius softens a little, “C’mon, we’ll pick up some food on the way home and we can watch a movie. I’ll even let you pick which one.”

“Sirius-” Remus starts to protest, but Sirius is already opening the door to go back inside, “Don’t move. I’ll be back in a few minutes and then we can head home.”

As guilty as Remus feels, it’s hard to ignore the flush of affection he feels towards his boyfriend. He knows Sirius has been looking forward to this party for ages, but here he is, ready to leave in an instant all because of Remus’s discomfort. Sure, it’s not an ideal situation, but to be loved so unconditionally is something Remus can’t help but cherish.

Before Remus can even reply, Sirius slips back into the bustling house, on a mission to find the hostess. The door remains open for a moment, and Remus is hit with a waft of the intense, biting scent of peppermint. To anyone else, it might be perfectly sweet, but to Remus, it means a night of incessant fits.

“hhTSxchew!-ktsxch! tsxg’t! Ktsch-etschiew!”

Remus’s shoulders shudder as he lets out a series of rapid sneezes into the handkerchief, grateful he’d remembered to bring one with him. Each sneeze is itchy and desperate, tumbling out after one another with no hesitation.

Remus spends the next few minutes caught in a cycle of hitching breaths and little fits, his nose becoming increasingly pinker as he waits for them to subside- though he knows they won’t, not yet, at least.

Luckily for him, Sirius returns before long, leading Remus around to the front of the house and apparating the two of them home.

They spend the rest of the evening curled on the old sofa in their living room, watching Christmas classics and sharing a bottle of wine- Sirius insists that it wasn’t really Christmas if he doesn’t at least get tipsy. Remus keeps a handkerchief in hand the entire time, sneezing every few minutes in quick, rapid fits until they finally start to die down. Sirius, of course, blesses him each time.

All in all, it’s not a terrible Christmas for the couple. After all, they have each other.

The End

i hope someone enjoys this, sorry for the rushed ending and any grammatical/spelling errors!

[sky-snz]

another cold weather scenario, but you just missed your bus and a girl laughed at you 

(f, illness)

-

Your shins complain as you speed-walk from the escalator, dodging people around. The sign said that your bus had just arrived. As you step through the doors, you see it at the end of the terminal, and break into something of a sprint. As you reach the right platform, the doors close - and off it goes.

You stand there at the salty platform’s edge, watching it roll off. Swaying, panting into the frigid air, creating vapour that swirls out to where the sunlight can find it. Ghostly at that point, golden hour tinted. You glance up at the sign again, still panting heavily.

Someone chuckles behind you. You blink and turn. The end of the platform had been empty, presumably onto that last bus. She must have been right behind you. A grin breaks on her stiffened lips, and then she lets out a snorting laugh.

“Sorry, I…” She averts her eyes, poorly suppressing a grin. They’re glassy, but she looks away, and then they’re in shadow. As you properly step around to face her, she shakes her head. Her cheeks have quickly adopted a deep shade of pink, lined and dimpled. “You just really looked like a fire-breathing dragon there for a second,” she says. 

Her voice is cheerful, but- hoarse? It’s hard to tell for a stranger- but then she lifts the sleeve of her jacket and coughs, the sound wheezy, heavy and utterly ill. Your gaze politely finds the concrete ground, and slowly drifts back up. Her eyes are definitely teary, but she just sighs and snuffles, shrinking into the warmth of her coat. She doesn’t look too good. Not at all that she isn’t good-looking, but the cough and the circles under her eyes remind you of winters before. Unforgiving schedules and even more unforgiving weather. You could add the local transit to that list. Something about the government, about tax money…

“A dragon?” you repeat after a bit. The smile sparks again on her face.

“Yeah. *snrff!* These apps are so idaccurate though, it’s crazy.” she rasps in a calm, lower register.

You share a knowing grin. She leans against a concrete pillar as she waits, eyes absent and tired. You stare in the direction of the bus entrance. A thick, lazy snuffle reminds you every so often that she’s still there, waiting with you in the cold for the next bus. The humble transit app tells you that the next one will arrive in six minutes. Great. 

“… *hsnrffh*…”

You spontaneously find yourself wondering if rings might be possible given the breath-vaporizing circumstances. 

“*snrgk! ak’hmm~*”

There was a way. You’d seen someone do it while smoking, so breath vapour couldn’t be all that different, could it? Yeah. You just purse your lips, and roll your tongue, and-

“AESSCHHiue-!!”

And then jump nearly out of your skin, and pretend like you weren’t just duck-facing.

“hUHd’ESSCHHIUE-!! -ughh, god. *snrk!* Sorry, ooh.” She snuffles and huffs a bashful laugh. “Talk about fire-breathi’g…”

Her reflexive, muttered apology attracts your shy gaze. You look over in time to see the resulting spray of that pair of sneezes, or at least the ghost of it - before the particles vanish under the warm tinted sunlight like fairy dust.

“Bless you,” you say, but the words are drowned out by the noise of the bus arriving.

Or so you thought- she gives a tiny nod as she detaches from the pillar. You see her pink nose wrinkling as she walks past you and onto the bus.

[whaleofatjme1920]

My Version of Eyeless Jack

So, there's no cohesive narrative here I just wanted to infodump a bunch of stuff about how I write my EJ. I'll put it in headcanon form but know whenever you read my newer EJ fics (or whenever I get an inkling to talk about him), this is exactly how I envision him and want him to be seen as.

EJ grew up in a Polish somewhat American household. He's a second generation, with his parents both being from Poland and most of their extended family in the old country. His mother is from a smaller city in the southwest, and his father from Krakow. His mother instilled in him a deep love of the natural world, and a hunger for learning.

Jack's obsession for medicine and whatnot came up because his father was just a bit insane about keeping him healthy. Any cough or sneeze was instantly investigated. He was a bit sheltered in that sense, and was prone to sneaking out to experience a normal adolescence and whatnot as he grew up.

While Jack is not averse to getting his hands dirty and doing jobs no one else would even THINK of, he's still gotta go through a full cleansing and decontamination when he's done.

I like to think that, as a kid, he was deeply in love with Slavic mythology and he was, surprise surprise, really into Chernobog. That wasn't Chernobog whispering in his ear he was just always interested whether he realized it or not. This kinda faded out around 12 years old but as a guy that's literally possessed by him now, fused to make an entirely new being, he finds it just a hair ironic.

Yeah, he did have to go to Polish school on the weekends. Sometimes he loved it, other times not at all.

He was his parents only child so he was kind of under a magnifying glass from them both.

He was actually quite close with his grandmothers!

Jack has always had a biting, sarcastic wit. He can balance professionalism with clinical sarcasm fantastically. His humor is very deadpan and he'll dupe you multiple times if you're not careful.

Jack doesn't always understand why people insist on social politeness. He actually favors bluntness, but will be polite if the situation calls for it.

He has three tongues. Yes, he's choked on them before. This mostly happened in the beginning when he was first getting used to his new body.

He doesn't like sweet foods, but certain organs are sweeter to him than others. He can't quite explain that, but he favors certain parts of people over others.

He can eat human food, but it's like junk food for him. He will always need to feast on humans from time to time to keep himself well. Also this is NOT a constant thing with him. He has like a major feeding once or twice a month, and smaller feedings ever 7-10 days. He can get by just fine, he's not always starving.

Most of his work is him just preparing in case he's in a situation he can't hunt.

His body can heal at an accelerated rate!

Because he's possessed by/permanently fused with Chernobog, he has 'starfish' tendencies. Meaning, if he loses a finger, in about 6 months he'll have a new one. Anything bigger might take years but he's never been in a situation where that's needed to happen. This does not mean he's invincible.

Slender Man, who has been around for way longer than any of us can conceive, finds it funny that Chernobog is fused with a socially awkward young man who couldn't even ask a girl out normally and forewent his survival instinct just to hang out with her.

Slender Man, when just with Jack, will speak with him in Polish or older forms of Slavic languages when more directly addressing Chernobog.

Jack is physically HUGE. He's like 6'8, because his merging made him bigger. He was already tall at 5'10, but Chernobog required a bigger vessel. So, he painfully grew bigger. He's quite muscular, not overtly so but you know he has physical strength.

He's,,,,, human-like in appearance. Gives off uncanny valley at times.

He's actually quite funny and does take some joy in making people laugh.

He's not besties with Jeff but they are, more often than not, together doing things.

He actually prefers Jane's company!

It takes so, so long to gain his actual trust. He has varying levels of it, like anyone else, but it's difficult to even breach his first layer.

Has a deep fondness for birds, specifically vultures.

Doesn't like dogs. He has never liked dogs. Smile is his one and only exception. Does like cats.

His body has a stupid tattoo on his thigh he got when drunk one night at uni. He's still mildly embarrassed by it.

He occasionally smokes weed.

He won't admit it, but anyone that looks like Jenny brings back terrible, terrible memories. When he was younger, those types of women used to trigger panic attacks. He's much better now, but seeing women that look like her make him very uncomfortable.

He doesn't enjoy strong smelling perfumes or colognes. He thinks the scents themselves are nice, but they give him migraines. His sense of smell is very strong and well.

He can actually function quite well in normal society, he just doesn't physically fit the image. And even using his glamour-he sticks out from his height alone.

Jack wouldn't say this to anyone, but he sometimes hangs around in his glamour just to remember what he used to look like before. It's not a 100% match, but he sees himself as older. A bit more jaded and weathered. He wonders what would have happened if he listened to his roommate and didn't go.

[aller-geez]

Snow Daze (part five [last chapter!])

Written & illustrated by: allergeez

(If you missed them, you can read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 here)

Finally, here’s the last part! Drunk, strip Never Have I Ever, almost 8k words. If you can’t tell, I had a ton of fun writing this series even if it wasn’t read by many people. So if you have read it all, you deserve an award 😂

@thekinkyleopard owns Kalypso as always 🖤

Vaelyn exhaled sharply through his nose, trying—begging—to will away the insufferable tickle that had been plaguing him for the last several minutes. It wasn’t working. His breath hitched subtly between words as he passed out full cups of top-shelf liquor, his voice coming out airy and uneven, barely managing to hold onto some semblance of control. "Dow, rules—if you’ve dode it, you dridk. If you haved’t, you take sobethi’g off—hhihh—" His nostrils quivered, betraying him as his already pink-tinted nose twitched in protest. He sniffled sharply, the sound thick and utterly useless, his lashes fluttering as his breath hitched again. "Ugh—fugk—adyway, we go arou’d id a circle, do repeati’g stateb—hhihhh'iehh—"

Kalypso, who had been watching him struggle with no small amount of amusement, rolled her eye. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Without hesitation, she reached over and smacked him lightly across the back of the head, just enough to throw him off balance. “Just fugki’g sdeeze before you talk.”

The sudden jolt shattered his already threadbare control. His entire body lurched forward, his breath catching sharply as the sneezes tore through him. “EISHH!-ISHH!-ISH!-SHH!!” The rapid-fire fit left him gasping, his chest heaving as he barely had a second to recover before the next one built up. His head tipped back, his nostrils flaring as he hung in miserable limbo for a second too long. His damp, swollen breath hitched violently before one last, massive sneeze ripped through him, shaking him to his very core. “HHH'EEIISSHHHHUH!!”

A moment of silence.

Then Vaelyn groaned, sagging forward as he scrubbed at his nose with his sleeve, bleary and obviously done with the entire situation. His blue eyes were glassy, his breath still slightly uneven as he sniffled wetly. "C'bod, I HAD that ode…" he muttered, voice thick and defeated.

Kalypso simply smirked, looking entirely unbothered as she scooted away slightly, using the edge of the blanket to wipe off the fine mist of spray that had landed on her hand. She let out an amused "Tch," and took a lazy sip of her drink before finally raising it into the air. "Alright, let's get this shit started.“

Kriia, already flushed from fever and alcohol, wiggled a little in Rexar’s lap before raising her cup with a dramatic, sniffly flourish. Her hood slipped slightly off her head, revealing her messy crimson hair as she smirked mischievously at the group.

“Alright, alright—Dever have I ever…” she started, pausing for effect as she wiped her nose against her sleeve.

“…Dever have I ever sdeezed byself awake so violedtly that I thought sobeode attacked be...”

Rexar was already laughing before he even grabbed his drink, shaking his head as he nudged her with his elbow. “C’mod, it was ode tibe!” he snickered, his voice thick with congestion.

Meanwhile, Vaelyn let out a long, exhausted sigh, his head tipping back against the headboard as he grabbed his cup. “I wish I could say do,” he muttered before taking a slow, begrudging sip.

Kalypso arched an eyebrow at him, leaning in with an amused smirk. “Wait—whed?”

Vaelyn groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. “There was this ode tibe on tour,” he started, voice stuffy and rough. “Bus was parked. I was asleep. Allergies were already kicki’g by ass, right? I sdeeze so hard I flidg byself off the fugki’g budk add hit the floor so fast that I thought sobeode had sucker-pudched be.”

Rexar was practically wheezing at this point, gripping his chest as he coughed out a laugh. “B—Bro—”

Vaelyn ignored him, waving his free hand tiredly. “I wake up swi’gi’g. Dearly take Kriia’s head off ‘cause she was just tryi’g to check od be.”

Kriia, who had been taking a drink, nearly choked before bursting into laughter. “I rebe’ber that! You looked so fugki’g codfused—like you thought you got kid’dapped or sobe shit.”

Vaelyn sighed dramatically, tossing back the rest of his drink. “Yeah, well. You try waki’g up bid-air add tell be how it goes.”

Kalypso sighed through her nose, already regretting her choice to play this game. With a shrug, she grabbed the hem of her oversized sweater and pulled it over her head in one smooth motion, her dark hair ruffling wildly with static as she tossed the fabric to the side of the bed. “There, happy?” she muttered, reaching for her drink again.

Meanwhile, Kriia, ever the dramatic one, waggled her crimson eyebrows and slowly, deliberately, glanced around the room as if preparing for some grand reveal. Then, with all the flair of a magician about to perform a mind-blowing trick, she peeled off her socks.

Rexar let out an exaggerated, scandalized gasp. “Oh, come od.”

Kriia smirked, instantly tucking her now-bare feet back under the thick blanket as if she’d just pulled off some master-level loophole. “What?” she said innocently, blinking up at him with feigned surprise.

Rexar shook his head in mock disappointment, clicking his tongue. “You absolute bedace. Strippi’g in the bost Kriia way possible.” He sniffled sharply, rubbing a knuckle under his nose before giving her a fond, amused look. “Y’dow, at this rate, I’m godda have to start checking your cards for cheati’g.”

Vaelyn, still recovering from his drink, arched a tired brow. “You’re just dow realizi’g she’s a little shit?”

Kalypso snorted into her cup, while Kriia only grinned wider, winking dramatically. “Gotta keep you boys on your toes~.”

Smirking, Kalypso makes eye contact with Rexar from across the room before lowering her cup. “Okay thed, dever have I ever beed an overgrowd flabethrower with aba’dodbent issues.”

Rexar, already mid-sip, almost choked as well. His attempt at a comeback was immediately cut off by a harsh, grating cough that made Kriia wince from her spot on his lap.

“Wait, does that bean I have to dridk?” she asked, eyes a little glassy, but focused.

Kalypso blinked. “What? Do? You’re dot a—”

“I ab ki’da fireproof,” Kriia cut in, wagging her finger as if she had just uncovered a government secret. “Like, id theory—because of hib—” she gestured vaguely to Rexar, who looked far too entertained, “—so I feel like that techdically coudts—”

“Babe, you’re dot—” Rexar tried to interrupt, but Kriia had already taken another sip, nodding sagely to herself.

Vaelyn squinted at her, shaking his head like he was trying to physically process whatever the hell just happened. “Okay, I dod’t dow if you’re drudk already or just really fugki’g sick, but you’re so wrodg—”

“Do, do,” Kriia insisted, gesturing dramatically with her cup, completely unfazed. “Like, thidk about it. If I were actually flabbable, I would’ve beed dead a lodg tibe ago.”

Rexar nearly choked on his drink again, his broad shoulders shaking with laughter, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he barked out another wheezy, fever-warmed laugh, his flushed nose scrunching slightly before he swiped at it with the back of his wrist. “God damn it, HOW ARE YOU THIS CUTE?” he crooned between wheezes, already reaching out with both hands to cup Kriia’s cheeks. His large, calloused fingers were warm and rough against her feverish skin as he squished her cheeks together, forcing her lips into a ridiculous little pout.

Kriia let out a flustered, congested little squeak, trying to shove at his chest in protest, but the attempt was half-hearted at best. A sleepy, stuffy giggle escaped her as she sniffled softly, her nose twitching against the press of Rexar’s palms. “I’b dot cute,” she whined through her squished-together lips, her voice muffled and hopelessly nasal. But the small, lazy grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth said otherwise.

Rexar grinned, pressing a sloppy, tipsy kiss to her forehead before finally letting her go, only to sling an arm around her and pull her back against his chest. “Oh, Pridcess,” he murmured, his voice a low, gravelly purr. “You’re so adorable when you’re drudk~”

Kriia scoffed, rolling her eyes as she nestled further into him, her fingers idly playing with the hem of his hoodie. "I'b dot eved that drudk," she grumbled, though the warmth in her expression betrayed her. She had it admit, that fancy shit Vaelyn bought might taste generic but damn, was it strong.

Across the room, Vaelyn groaned dramatically, rubbing at his temples before raising his own cup. "Cad we please get od with this before you two start baki’g out right id frodt of be?"

Kalypso smirked, knocking back the rest of her drink in one go before leveling Vaelyn with a challenging look. "What, feeli’g threateded?"

He shot her a tired, red-rimmed glare, but it lacked any bite. "—shut up."

Kalypso and Vaelyn exchanged a knowing glance as they begrudgingly reached for their next article of clothing.

“Well,” Kalypso drawled, slipping her hands under the blanket—but instead of reaching for her socks like Kriia, she peeled her shirt off in one smooth motion, flinging it carelessly across the room without a hint of hesitation. “Guess we dod’t qualify as oversized flabethrowers with daddy issues.”

Vaelyn barely had time to snort at the joke before catching the faintest tremor in her posture. The moment her shirt left her body, a chill crept over her, and before she even realized it, she was scooting a little closer to him, drawn to the warmth radiating from his fever-flushed skin.

He hesitated for only a second before huffing a quiet laugh and tugging his own shirt over his head, tossing it aside with just as much carelessness. It took everything in him not to stare at Kalypso. “Yeah, thadk God for that.”

"Wow, alright, Vee, I see how it is," Rexar chuffed playfully, lazily swirling his drink before flashing a smug grin. Then, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather, he dropped the first bomb of the night.

"Dever have I ever bet sobeode who chadged by life."

The room went silent.

For a game that had, up until now, been nothing but loud, drunken nonsense, the sudden quiet hit hard.

Vaelyn drank first. No hesitation, no second-guessing. Just a quiet lift of the cup and a long swallow, his expression unreadable. Rexar and Kriia both silently followed suite.

Kalypso, watching him, narrowed her eye slightly. Then, without a word, she took a sip as well.

A slow smirk curled onto her lips. “You’re so full of shit,” she mused, voice dipping into something softer, teasing but not sharp. “You dod’t believe id that ‘people chadge people’ bullshit.”

Vaelyn huffed a low laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah. I didd’t.”

Kalypso rolled her eye, but she didn’t push. She just tilted the bottom of his cup a little higher with her fingertip, silently prompting him to drink again. He did.

For a second, the room was too quiet. The kind of silence that felt like an unspoken cloud hanging in the air, thick and heavy.

And then—

A sharp wolf whistle from the couch.

Rexar, his voice still rough with congestion but way too smug for someone who was half-buried under a blanket, drawled, “Ohhh, get a roob, you guys! …Oh, wait… this is your roob.”

Kriia cackled, and just like that, the mood snapped back into chaos. Kalypso groaned, chucking a pillow in Rexar’s direction, and Vaelyn—flushed from either alcohol or something else entirely—shook his head with a smirk, downing the rest of his drink as the game went on.

“Okay, uh…” Vaelyn tapped his chin as he thought, his brows furrowing in concentration before he suddenly perked up, a huge grin stretched across his face. “Dever have I ever beed so sick that I forgot I was sick and tried to go do sobethi’g du’b.”

Kalypso raises an eyebrow. “That’s rich, cobi’g frob you.”

Vaelyn feigns offense, pressing a hand to his chest. “Be? I would dever be that stupid.”

Kriia snorted mid-sip, then quickly turned away to stifle a tiny, “Hh’Gxxt!” into her wrist before continuing like nothing had happened. “Vee. You walked out idto a blizzard last year to ‘get sobe air’—” She paused, nostrils twitching before sneaking another into her sleeve. “hH’GNxtch!—and thed passed out in a sdowbadk.”

Rexar, already wheezing with laughter, chokes on his drink once again. “Oh by god—THAT was that dight? I thought you were just bei’g drabatic.”

Vaelyn groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Listed. I forgot I had a fever. And techdically, I was odly out there for like… 20 bidutes?”

Kalypso narrows her eye at him. “You were bissi’g for two hours.”

Vaelyn shifts uncomfortably, suddenly very interested in the label on his drink. “...Tibe is a codstruct.”

Rexar wipes tears from his eyes. “Bro. You tried to argue with the mboon before you passed out.”

Kriia slams her cup down, giggling. “You did?! What the hell did you eved say?”

Vaelyn groans dramatically, grabbing the bottle for another swig. “I bight have told it to ‘fight be’ because it was looki’g at be fuddy.”

Kalypso smirks, leaning toward him. “Add did the mboon accept your challedge?”

Vaelyn glares at her, cheeks flushed—whether from the alcohol or the memory, no one could tell. “I don’t wadda talk about it.”

The room loses it, laughter echoing off the walls. Even Kalypso chuckles, shaking her head as she nudges Vaelyn’s foot under the blanket.

Everyone but Kriia had taken a sip from their drink, and as all eyes turned expectantly toward her, she let out a tiny, pitiful whimper. “Ugh, fide,” she huffed dramatically, peeling off Vee’s oversized hoodie with exaggerated reluctance. She held onto it for a second, pouting, before finally tossing it onto the growing pile of discarded clothes.

Almost instantly, a sharp shiver ran down her spine, and she curled right back into Rexar’s side, burying herself in his warmth. The temperature shift must have been just enough to set her off, though—her breath hitched, and she barely had time to bring her wrist up before a soft, rapid “Hh’tgxt!—ngsh!—Hh’nxgt’chh!” escaped her.

“Bless you, babygirl,” Rexar murmured, voice low and warm with amusement, still rough with congestion. His eyes lazily raked over her now that the hoodie was gone, lingering appreciatively on the way her bare shoulders disappeared beneath the blanket. He licked his lips slowly, gaze darkening as he gave her an exaggerated once-over, taking his time as he smirked. “Damn. Ki’da like the view frob here.”

Kriia, already sniffling into the blanket, caught the look and immediately flushed. “You’re ridiculous,” she muttered, aiming a half-hearted punch at his shoulder.

Rexar laughed, his smirk widening as he effortlessly caught her wrist and pressed a slow, teasing kiss to the back of her hand. “What? Just adbiri’g by girl. Cad’t help it if she’s sitti’g id by lap looki’g like a damn sdack.”

Kriia rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. She coughed softly into the blanket, then rested her head against his chest, her breath evening out as his hand traced slow, firm circles over her arms, warming her up.

“There’s by girl~,” he murmured, voice dropping to a husky rasp.

She sighed contentedly, “Always dow I cad coudt od you~”

Rexar smirked against her hair, pressing a lazy kiss to the top of her head. “Damn right.”

Meanwhile, Kalypso sits stiffly beside Vaelyn, her breath hitching just slightly as she fights a sneeze of her own. Her jaw tightens, and she presses the edge of her shirt sleeve against her nose, determined to keep it at bay. She hates sneezing in front of people—especially Vee, who’d normally take every opportunity to mock her about it.

She had barely brought her cup to her lips before the telltale itch flared up deep in her sinuses. It started as a dull, irritating prickle, but the moment she inhaled, it was like a switch flipped. Her breath hitched sharply, shoulders tensing as her chest rose in quick, shallow jerks.

No. Not now.

She swallowed hard, willing her nose to behave, but the the more she tried to ignore it, the more it seemed to only worsen the tickle. She turned slightly away from the others, nostrils twitching as her breath wavered on the edge of a release that refused to come. A sharp inhale—nothing. Another—still nothing. Her body rocked forward in helpless anticipation, her eye fluttering shut, but the sneezes wouldn’t fully cooperate, each one dying out before it could properly manifest.

The frustration made her throat tighten. They were stuck, painful and unsatisfying, leaving her feeling like her entire face was buzzing with irritation. She sniffled sharply, rubbing the back of her wrist against her nose, only for the sensation to intensify.

“H’GGKT!” The first one finally broke through, but it was weak and incomplete, barely clearing the congestion that plagued her. Another followed, and another, each one just as unrelieving. “Ng’KXT! H-H’gNXT!” Her breath kept hitching between them, her body practically begging for a full release, but her malformed sinuses refused to grant her even that small mercy.

Rexar and Kriia were still wrapped up in each other, Rex laughing hoarsely at something she’d muttered against his chest. They didn’t notice.

But Vaelyn did.

For once, instead of the expected teasing, he nudged her lightly with his elbow, voice low and uncharacteristically gentle. “You okay?”

Kalypso blinked, caught completely off guard by the genuine concern in his tone. She chanced a glance at him, expecting some kind of smirk, but there was none—just tired, glassy blue eyes watching her closely.

For a second, she forgot about the sneezing entirely.

Then another breath caught sharply in her throat, and she pitched forward again with another utterly unsatisfying stifle. “K’NgxT! h-H-H!!!” A low, frustrated noise escaped her, almost a growl, and she scrubbed at her nose furiously.

Vaelyn, still watching, tilted his head slightly toward the others. “They’re dot payi’g attedtiod,” he muttered, voice barely above a rasp as he shrugged nonchalantly. “Just let it out.”

Kalypso’s fingers twitched against her glass. It was unlike him—no mocking, no smug amusement, just a quiet, almost knowing patience. And maybe it was the fever, or the alcohol, or the sheer exhaustion of the fit dragging on with no relief, but she exhaled slowly and did something she rarely ever let herself do.

She reached up, moving all of her piercings to be able to stretch one of her nostrils slightly, adjusting the passage just enough to counteract the deformity. The effect was immediate. Her breath caught sharply, and this time, the sneezes came fast and unrestrained.

“Hhh’KSSHH! Hhh’NGSHHhh! Hh’TSSCHHhhUhh!”

The force of them rocked her forward, and she barely managed to catch them in the crook of her arm, her entire body sagging in relief as the tickle finally, finally subsided.

Kalypso sat back with a heavy, exhausted sigh, rubbing the side of her nose with two fingers, the aftershocks of her sneezing fit still tingling in her sinuses. The irritation had finally settled into something dull and manageable, but she could still feel the lingering itch deep inside, like a warning.

It wasn’t until she blinked away the haze of exhaustion that she noticed Kriia watching her carefully from the other side of the couch. Not saying anything. Just watching.

Kalypso raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, sniffing softly and flicking her gaze toward Vaelyn instead. He was already turning his attention back to the game, leaning forward slightly to grab his drink like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just been nice to her when no one was looking.

She wasn’t sure what to do with that.

She’d expected him to laugh, to mimic her, to make some sarcastic quip about how tragic it was that she couldn’t sneeze properly. That was what Vaelyn did—poke, prod, rile her up just to see what would happen. But instead, he’d just… nudged her. Quiet. Casual. Like it wasn’t a big deal.

And maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the alcohol was just making her think too hard about something that didn’t matter.

But the way her fingers tightened slightly around her drink said otherwise.

Leaning forward, she lazily swirled the liquor in her glass, the ice clinking softly against the sides. A slow, sly smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she spoke, her voice smooth and deliberate, like she was setting up a trap just to watch it snap shut.

“Dever have I ever sdeezed… and then had some jackass ibbediately bibic it right after.”

She pauses for effect, her eye flicking pointedly toward Vaelyn, her smirk widening as she lifts her glass to her lips. “But, y’dow… cad’t all be tre’dsetters.”

Vaelyn, already squinting suspiciously, sighs heavily as he reaches for his drink. “I hate you.”

Kalypso just shrugs. “No you dod’t. How could you hate sobeode who cad do this?”

Vaelyn’s glare sharpens as he watches Kalypso exaggerate every little detail—his breathy hitching, the way his head tilted back, the dramatic pause right before the sneeze actually hit.

Then she lets out an obnoxiously accurate impression of his signature rapid-fire fit.

"Hh’ISCHHh! EISHhh! H’ISHHhh! —ish! shh! —sh! ………………hh’EISHHhhhuhh!"

Vaelyn blinks.

Rexar? Gone. Absolutely gone. He’s doubled over on the couch, cackling so hard that his shoulders shake. Even Kriia, despite her best effort to stay composed, snickers into her sleeve.

"Oh, you thidk you're fuddy?" Vaelyn mutters, voice thick with congestion, setting his drink down with exaggerated care. "You thidk you're so dambn fuddy, huh?"

Kalypso just smirks, completely unrepentant. "Dah, I dow I am."

Before Vaelyn can shoot back a response, Rexar suddenly jolts upright, his expression shifting from amusement to urgency. His breath catches, nostrils flaring, before—

“heT’CHXOO!! het’CHXIEW!! Hh’EXSHhh’uhh!!”

The sneezes explode from him in forceful bursts, and with them, a thick cloud of maple-scented smoke billows into the room.

The effect is instant.

Kalypso and Vaelyn both cough as the heavy, warm haze washes over them, making their limbs feel just a little heavier, their thoughts just a little fuzzier.

Kriia, caught mid-sip of her drink, barely has time to register the smoke before she snaps forward with a stifled, rapid sneezing fit of her own.

"K’tchh! Nkch! Ktch! Nkcht! Hh‘gsch!!”

Rexar groans, still breathlessly recovering, as he wipes his nose against his wrist. “Ahh, shit. Bless be, by bad.”

Vaelyn waves a hand in front of his face, blinking sluggishly. "Dude, ward us dext tibe. Feels like I just took a sedative."

Kalypso, eyeing the dissipating smoke, raises an eyebrow at Rexar. "You sure you dod’t do that od purpose?"

Rexar grins lazily. “What, bake everyode a little bore cobfortable? Nahhh, dever.”

Vaelyn rubs at his face, still squinting at Kalypso. "You're still ad asshole, by the way."

Kalypso just raises her drink in a mock toast. "And yet, you're still here od this lovely hodeybood with be~”

Vaelyn groans dramatically as he takes a drink, shooting Kalypso a glare over the rim of his cup. Kriia giggles as she sips hers, and Kalypso just shrugs smugly, tossing back her own drink without hesitation.

Rexar, meanwhile, sits back on the couch, arms folded behind his head, the picture of smug amusement. “Mad, cad’t relate,” he drawls, watching as the rest of them drink. “Probably ‘cause whed I sdeeze, people are too busy dodgi’g for their lives to bock be.”

Kriia snorts mid-drink, coughing slightly as she sets her glass down. “You do have a te’dedcy to set thi’gs od fire,” she teases, sniffing and rubbing at her nose.

“Odly sobetibes,” Rexar says with a toothy grin before casually grabbing the hem of his shirt. Without a second thought, he pulls it off—except his hoodie stays perfectly in place. The group collectively pauses, watching as he tosses the discarded shirt onto the already absurdly large clothing pile.

Vaelyn squints. “…Did you just—how did you—?”

Rexar shrugs, stretching with a satisfied sigh. “Duddo, just taledted, I guess.”

Kalypso narrows her eye, reaching for the bottle again. “I hate that you cad do that.”

Vaelyn, shaking his head, mutters, “I really hate that you cad do that.”

Kriia leans into Rexar’s warmth as she lifts her drink, her feverish violet eyes shimmering with something softer than their usual playful mischief. “Dever have I ever thought I’d be where I ab dow.”

The words hang in the air for a moment, weighty yet gentle. She turns her head slightly, flashing a quiet, loving smile toward Rexar before taking a slow sip of her drink.

Rexar doesn’t hesitate to follow suite, his grey-and-red eyes locked onto hers as he drinks. The admiration in his gaze is unmistakable—not just for the woman in his arms, but for the journey that led them here. For all the chaos, all the bullshit, and yet somehow still finding something this good in the end.

Vaelyn, silent for once, lifts his drink and takes a long sip.

Across from him, Kalypso does the same.

She sets her cup down with a smirk, leaning toward him with a teasing glint in her eye. “What, you dever thought you’d be a washed-up rockstar with a drinki’g probleb?”

Vaelyn snorts, rolling his eyes as he swirls the liquid in his cup. “Didd’t thidk I’d still be here at all.”

He says it casually—too casually. The words slip out with that same sardonic ease he uses to deflect anything real, but this time, it doesn’t land like a joke.

Kalypso’s smirk falters.

The room doesn’t go silent, not entirely—Rexar is murmuring something low to Kriia, and the faint clink of ice shifting in glasses still lingers—but her world tilts just slightly. Just enough for the booze in her system to lose its grip for a second.

She studies him.

His posture is the same, that usual lazy slouch, one arm draped over his knee. But his fingers are tight around his cup, and his eyes—sharp, tired, too knowing—are focused on the swirling liquid inside rather than on her.

“You say that like it’s a joke,” she says, her voice quieter than before. “But it’s dot.”

Vaelyn doesn’t look up. He just takes another drink, tipping his head back, throat bobbing with the swallow. Then, finally, he meets her gaze, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Doesn’t batter,” he mutters. “I amb.”

Kalypso watches him, her chest tightening with something that has nothing to do with congestion.

Kalypso doesn’t look away, even as the conversation shifts around them, as Rexar leans in to murmur something low in Kriia’s ear that makes her laugh sleepily. The warmth in the room—booze-fueled, fever-heavy—still lingers, but for a moment, she and Vaelyn exist in a bubble outside of it.

Her fingers tighten around her cup as she searches his face, as if there’s something hidden beneath the drunken bravado, something she isn’t sure she’s ready to pull to the surface. But Vaelyn’s walls are practiced, and before she can decide what to say, he’s already moving past it, reaching for the bottle to top off his drink like nothing happened.

“Alright, by turn” he announces, his voice sliding back into its usual cocky ease as he leans back against the headboard. His grin is sharp, teasing. “Dever have I ever—”

A sharp breath cuts through his sentence, and his expression shifts in real time from smug to annoyed. His hand flutters to his face automatically, a deep inhale hitching in his chest before he turns sharply into his elbow.

“Hh’ISCHHh! EISHhh! H’ISHHhh! —ish! shh! —sh! ………………HEHHH!—EEISSHHUH!”

His whole body snaps forward with each one, knocking back against the headboard by the force of the last sneeze. The room is momentarily silent, the sheer violence of the fit demanding attention.

Then, predictably, Kalypso scoffs.

“You dow, I was just about to tell you to say sobethi’g actually personal for odce,” she says, reaching lazily for the bottle, “but I see your body has decided to betray you before I eved got the chadce.”

Vaelyn groans, sniffing sharply and dragging a sleeve across his nose. His voice is hoarse, irritated. “You could just be dorbal and say ‘bless you,’ but I forget who I’b talki’g to.”

Kalypso lifts an eyebrow, taking a slow sip from her drink before replying. “Bless your sorry ass, thed.”

From the couch, Rexar laughs, deep and rumbling, before smirking against the rim of his cup. “Mad, you are so fugked whed spri’g hits.”

Vaelyn grumbles something unintelligible under his breath and flips him off.

Kriia, half-draped across Rexar’s chest, giggles softly before curling in closer. “Your turn,” she reminds Vaelyn with a sleepy smile.

He sighs dramatically, rubbing at his face, but his lips twitch slightly despite himself. “Right, right. Where was I?”

Kalypso watches him for a beat longer, the weight of his earlier words still pressing at the edges of her mind. But he’s already thrown himself back into the game, the moment gone.

So, with a sharp inhale, she lets it go. For now.

She leans back against the headboard, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the hem of her blanket as she waits for his next move.

“Alright,” Vaelyn hums, tilting his head with a lopsided grin, mischief lighting up his still-fevered blue eyes. “Dever have I ever... beed id love.”

The room goes silent.

Vaelyn doesn’t even pause, reaching for the waistband of his pants and shoving them down in one smooth, practiced motion. He’s clearly drunk enough not to care that he’s stripping down in front of everyone, but it’s the Jaws-themed boxers that really cement the moment.

Kalypso? She hesitates.

Vaelyn catches it immediately.

His smirk is lazy, all amusement and sharp edges as he tosses his pants toward the ever-growing pile of discarded clothing. He settles back against the headboard, one arm draping over his knee while his other hand holds his drink, fingers tapping idly against the glass. His fever-warmed cheeks are flushed, but that’s probably just the alcohol. Probably.

“What?” he prods, tilting his head slightly. “You godda dridk?”

Kalypso stares at him for a long moment.

The air shifts.

Her fingers tighten around her glass, and Vaelyn is suddenly way too aware of how his own pulse pounds at his temples. He watches as she lifts the drink to her lips, her expression unreadable. And then, without a single word, she tilts her head back and downs the entire thing in one go.

Vaelyn? He stops breathing.

Rexar, completely oblivious to whatever the fuck just happened, lets out a loud, breathy laugh. “Holy shit, okay, I’b officially drunk now,” he wheezes, already starting to push himself up. “I thidk that I deed a fugki’g cigarette… you guys dowd?”

Kriia, still sniffling miserably, casts him a mildly confused glance but adjusts just enough to let him untangle himself from their shared blanket. “Okay, but dot close to adythi’g eved rebotely flabbable! I dod’t dow why you eved sboke those thi’gs… or weed, for that batter… they just bake you sdeeze— Albost like you’re cosplayi’g Vaelyn...”

Vaelyn groans loudly as Rexar bursts into obnoxious laughter.

“It’s dot that bad!” Rexar argues, waving a hand dismissively before immediately regretting it when the motion throws off his already questionable balance. He wobbles where he stands, blinking slowly like that alone will help steady the room. “It’s just the sboke bothers my dose, I cad’t help it! But I’b already so stuffed up, it’ll be fiiiiiiiiiide.”

His words slur together, thick with congestion and alcohol, and Kriia watches him with a mixture of exasperation and affection, adjusting slightly under their shared blanket as he fumbles through his pockets. Vaelyn, sitting on the bed, merely smirks as he leans over to grab his own discarded pants, fishing through them before pulling out his crumpled pack of cigarettes.

Triumphant, he taps the pack against his palm, glancing toward Kalypso with an arched brow. Without a word, he lifts it slightly in her direction, offering her one with nothing more than a silent, questioning tilt of his head.

For a second, she hesitates again.

But then, slowly, she nods.

Vaelyn doesn’t let himself think too hard about why that makes his stomach flip.

Instead, he grabs the half-full ashtray from the table beside the bed and collapses back onto the mattress, lighting his cigarette with a smooth flick of his lighter. The first drag burns just right, and he exhales slowly, watching the smoke curl up toward the ceiling.

“Yeah, I learded very quickly to keep by distadce from hib whedever adyode’s sboki’g,” he mutters, jerking his head toward Rexar as his best friend put the cigarette to his lips. “He just spits flabes at adythi’g in a ted-foot radius. And sobetibes that ‘adythi’g’ is whed you’re walki’g through stalls with hib at the flea barket and you pass hib the cigarette, and suddedly, you’re fradtically tryi’g to help save, like, twedty differedt ve’dors’ bercha’dise, and also dow badded for life.”

His voice is flat, but his smirk is sharp with amusement.

Rexar throws his head back with a loud, wheezy laugh, barely managing to get his lighter to spark between breathless chuckles. The second the cigarette catches, the thin stream of smoke curls up into his face, and his breath immediately falters.

“Hh’NGKXTchh’uhh! Hehh’NXGSSHh! …hh’IHHZSSCH’UEHH!!”

The first stifle sends only a few stray embers drifting harmlessly into the night, but the last one—completely unstoppable—erupts with a sharp burst of flame that momentarily illuminates the back door.

“Okay, okay—but that wasd’t eved by fault,” he insists between hitching breaths, voice thick with congestion. “Dude just—hhHihh’NGXXSSHhh’uhh!—why would you set up a stall selli’g dried herbs right dext to a food cart with oped flabes? That’s a safety hazard.”

Vaelyn stares at him, unimpressed. “You are a fugki’g safety hazard.”

Kalypso snorts, exhaling a slow stream of smoke as she leans back against the headboard, one knee pulled up to her chest. “Wait—wait—so you’re telli’g be you actually got badded frob a flea barket for cobbitti’g accidedtal arsod?”

Vaelyn gestures at Rexar with his cigarette, confirming, “He got us badded. I just happeded to be there whed he lit the whole place up like a goddamn bodfire.”

Kriia groans, rubbing at her forehead before giving Rexar a pointed look. “You probised be you wouldd’t get badded frob adywhere else!”

“I didd’t bead to!” Rexar insists through a grin, swiping at his nose before taking another slow drag—only for his breath to immediately betray him again. His nostrils twitch violently, breath catching with a desperate hitch before—

“hh’ZSSHH’UEHH!! hH’IHHZSSSHh’UEHHH!! HAHH’EGZZSHH’OOHhh!!”

This time, the fire is more dramatic, licking up into the cold air in a brief but brilliant burst before smoldering out just as quickly. Rexar blinks dazedly, dragging the back of his wrist under his nose as the cigarette dangles precariously between his fingers.

“In by defedse,” he continues thickly, like nothing happened, “that lady was super drabatic about it. ‘Ohhh, by ha’d-carved statues are ruided forever!’ Like, girl. Chill. You were selli’g driftwood sculptures. They were already, like, halfway burded by the sud.”

Vaelyn groans, dragging a hand down his face before inhaling a deep, slow pull from his cigarette. He exhales through his nose, watching as the smoke curls lazily in the air before muttering, “I fugki’g hate you.”

“No, you dod’t,” Rexar singsongs, voice wrecked with congestion.

Vaelyn just flips him off.

Kalypso watches him as he flicks the ash off the end of his cigarette, the glow of it casting faint shadows across his already fever-flushed face. He still hasn’t said anything about what just happened—about her drinking when he didn’t—but she can feel his thoughts running wild behind those stormy blue eyes.

She’s not going to give him the satisfaction of bringing it up first.

But she also knows him well enough to recognize when he’s spiraling.

So, before the tension can settle too thick in the air, she raises a single eyebrow and smirks. “So, Jaws boxers, huh?”

Vaelyn exhales sharply through his nose, flicking a glance down at his own underwear like he forgot about them before shaking his head. “You wish you could pull these off,” he says smoothly.

Kalypso grins, tilting her head. “Oh, I could definitely pull theb off. Just dot in the way you bead.”

Rexar immediately howls with laughter, but the sound gets cut off halfway when his breath catches again—

“hH’GZZSHhh’OOH!! Hh’NXGZZSHh! hAH’ZZSCHhh’uehh!!”

Kriia snickers, shaking her head with an affectionate smirk as she watches her boyfriend sniffle miserably, his cigarette burning forgotten between his fingers.

As the conversation carries on, Rexar stands by the back door of the room, cracked open just enough to let the smoke drift outside. The freezing air does little to help his already miserable congestion, and the second he takes a deep drag from his cigarette, his breath shudders—eyelids fluttering as his nostrils twitch.

“Hhh’ETSHCHXIEW!! heT’CHXOO!! et’tCHOO!!”

The force of the fit bends him slightly at the waist, embers briefly flaring in front of him before settling. Kriia, tucked against the couch, pretends to be unbothered, but every single sneeze is making something inside her stir. She glances away, swallowing down whatever weird warmth is pooling in her chest.

Vaelyn, however, is already grinning. “Oh, buddy,” he drawls, flicking ash into the tray, “add here I thought I was the delicate ode.”

Kalypso hums in agreement, smirking as she exhales smoke through her nose. “I dod’t dow, Vee. Rex bight actually have you beat.”

Rexar, recovering with a rough sniffle, flips them both off before stubbornly taking another drag, only to immediately lose the battle again.

“Hh’ESSHH’iUE! hh'ieXSHHH! Hhh’ETSHCHXIEW!”

The last one is so strong it nearly jolts the cigarette from his fingers. He barely manages to steady it in time, his other hand braced against the doorframe as he sniffles thickly, smoke curling lazily from his mouth. Kriia watches him from the couch, hiding a fond little smile behind her drink.

Vaelyn gestures vaguely with his cigarette. “At this poidt, ban, you’re the odly ode who should be badded frob flea barkets.”

Kalypso leans into the joke. “Yeah, this whole roob is about to be up in flabes frob seco’dha’d exposure.”

“Fugk y-you. Damn, d-does do ode say ‘bless you’ a-adybore!?”

Rexar barely manages to get the words out before another sneeze wrenches through him, forcing him to turn his head toward the open door.

“Hh’ESSHH’iUE!! Hhh’NGXXSHH! H—hH’IHKTSCHHHH’UE!!”

The first sneeze flares to life with a crackling burst of embers, and the second sends a fresh puff of dark smoke billowing out into the night. He barely recovers before the third tears through him, sending an extra burst of flame flickering down toward the floor.

“Jesus,” Vaelyn laughs, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the smoke. “You sure you’re getti’g ady nicotide out of that, or is your cigarette just collateral dabage at this poidt?”

Kriia, smirking against the rim of her glass, tilts her head at him. “See, baby,” she teases, “sbokin’g a cigarette caddot be that edjoyable whed you cad’t eved take a seco’d to feel it betweed sdeezes.”

Vaelyn nods in agreement, gesturing vaguely with his drink. “If that were be? I’d quit ibbediately. Do way I’m putti’g byself through that for fud.”

Rexar shoots them both a pointed look, smoke still trailing lazily from his nose as he squares his shoulders. “I dod’t deed to feel it. That’s what separates the weak frob the stro’g.”

Vaelyn lets out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Oh, by bad. Didd’t realize we were id the presedce of a true warrior.”

Kriia hums in agreement, tapping a finger against her chin. “Yes, how brave. Pushi’g through your... very debilitati’g handicap.”

Rexar narrows his eyes at her, exhaling sharply through his nose as he takes a slow, deliberate drag—just to prove a point. He holds the smoke in for a long moment, making eye contact with Kriia like he’s daring her to challenge him further. But before he can say anything else, his breath catches hard and his expression crumbles.

“hEH'NKXSHH!! H’NXGtCHHHhh!—fuck’s sake—Hhh'ihGZSHHhh’UE!!”

He barely has time to aim the last one toward the open air before the force of it nearly doubles him over, leaving him hunched forward, blinking bleary-eyed and dazed.

Kriia bites back a laugh, watching him sniffle miserably before finally lifting her drink in mock admiration. "Yeah. So strodg."

Vaelyn grins, reaching all the way over Kalypso and clinking his glass lightly against hers. “Udstoppable.”

Rexar sniffles thickly, rubbing at his nose as a thin, steady stream of smoke curls lazily from his nostrils. The irritation never quite left—his entire face felt hot, his sinuses packed tight with congestion, but that goddamn cigarette was still hanging between his fingers like he refused to be bested by it.

Just as he lifts it for another drag, his breath shudders, and he barely has time to shove his wrist against his face before—

“hhH'IHNXGSHh’UE!! Hh’NXGTSSH’HHUE!! hAHH’NGXXTCHHhh!!”

The first two are tightly stifled, forcing embers to flicker through the air in soft, glowing sparks, but the third? The third erupts from him before he can stop it, sending a sudden burst of flame straight toward the door.

Kalypso throws up her arms as the fire flares just a little too close. “HEY! You fugki’g blowtorch, aib that shit sobewhere else!”

Rexar barely recovers, coughing and sniffing thickly, his eyes watering as another stream of smoke drifts from his mouth with each exhale. He looks mildly dazed, like he just knocked some brain cells loose, but still somehow manages to shrug it off.

He sniffles roughly, adjusting his stance, clearly unamused but too stubborn to give up. “You dow what? You guys cad burd in hell. Look, I cad’t codtrol it. Fire’s gotta breathe too, y’dow?”

Vaelyn, who had been lazily flicking the ash from his own cigarette, suddenly freezes.

His expression goes slack for half a second, like his brain just short-circuited, before his eyes widen in something almost maniacal. Without a word, his cigarette slips from his fingers, hitting the floor with a barely audible thnk.

“That’s it…”

The words leave his mouth in a stunned whisper.

Kalypso, who has seen exactly this brand of unhinged creative revelation before, immediately stiffens. “Oh, do.”

Rexar, still dazed from his sneezing fit, furrows his brows, rubbing aggressively at his nose. “What the fuck are you od about?”

Vaelyn doesn’t answer.

Instead, he launches himself to his feet so fast that the sudden movement nearly sends him crashing back down. He stumbles, bracing a hand on the bedpost, but it doesn’t matter—his brain is on fire.

“FIRE’S GOTTA BREATHE! THAT’S FUGKI’G IT, REX! YOU GODDAMN GEDIUS! I COULD KISS YOU ON THE MOUTH—”

Kalypso flinches. “Jesus, ward a bitch before you go duclear.”

Rexar, still looking like he just got hit by a truck, wrinkles his nose before flicking his cigarette butt out the door. “Please don’t kiss me on the mouth, bro. I mean, I love you and all, but geez—”

But Vaelyn is already across the room, practically ripping open his guitar case to grab Michelle. His notebook gets flung open on the table, pages flipping furiously as his fever-ridden brain blazes with inspiration.

Rexar just stares, still sniffling, then finally sighs and trudges back toward the couch, flopping down beside Kriia with a miserable groan.

Vaelyn, preoccupied, mutters fragments of lyrics under his breath, his fingers twitching with barely-contained excitement as he scrambles to jot down whatever’s buzzing in his head.

Kalypso watches, unimpressed. “Okay, but what the fuck does ‘fire’s gotta breathe’ have to do with adythi’g?”

Vaelyn doesn’t even look up. “That’s the sodg, Kal. That’s the title. That’s the fugki’g hook.”

Rexar, still dazed and visibly congested, sniffs pitifully from his spot on the couch, rubbing aggressively at his nose before groaning. “So I’b a gedius add I’b dyi’g. Love that for be.”

Kriia, suppressing a smirk, reaches over and gently brushes a stray piece of red hair away from his face. “Poor baby, you just had to have your cigarette, huh?”

Rexar sniffles again, this time so thick and miserable that even Vaelyn pauses mid-scribble to glance up at him. "I’b so codgested dow….”

Rexar’s voice is utterly wrecked, thick with congestion as he pouts dramatically at Kriia. But he doesn’t hold the expression for long—his nose twitches, his breath stutters, and before he can even think about bracing himself—

“hH’IHNXGSHHh’UE!! Hh’NXGTSSH’HHUE!! hAHH’NGXXTCHHhh!!”

The first two are barely stifled into his sleeve, forcing out a flurry of glowing embers that flicker through the air like fireflies before fizzling out harmlessly. But the third? The third erupts from him, a deep, guttural sneeze that unleashes a sudden gout of flame toward the floor, briefly lighting up the dimly lit room before it vanishes into curling smoke.

Kriia barely reacts, lifting her drink just enough to keep it from getting knocked over while Rexar hunches forward, groaning in absolute misery.

The force of the sneezes leave him momentarily dazed, blinking sluggishly, his nose still twitching as residual smoke trickles from both nostrils in thin, lazy streams. His next breath is thick and unsteady, and he drags his wrist under his nose with an utterly pathetic sniffle.

Kriia hums, amused, rubbing slow, soothing circles into his back.

Rexar, still reeling, just gives her a bleary-eyed, lopsided grin.

No regrets.

Vaelyn, still riding the high of his musical epiphany, grins at him.

Vaelyn was on fire. Not literally—thankfully, because Rexar had already put them dangerously close to losing the security deposit—but metaphorically, in the way that every line, every riff, every goddamn thing that had been just out of reach for months was suddenly right there, pouring from his fingers like he’d been possessed by the ghost of rock legends past.

His notebook sat open in front of him, pages filled with frantic scribbles and half-sketched chords, his guitar balanced on his lap as he plucked out the melody with an almost feverish intensity. It wasn’t just good. It was the song. The missing piece. The one that had been clawing at the edges of his brain for months, just waiting for some dumb, fire-breathing idiot to sneeze out the final puzzle piece.

Kalypso, draped in her blanket, watched from the bed with an unreadable expression—somewhere between amusement, exhaustion, and, dare he say, admiration. Kriia leaned into Rexar on the couch, looking like she was about three seconds from passing out, but even she cracked a small, proud smile at the sheer energy radiating off Vaelyn.

And Rexar? Rexar was having a moment.

The pyromancer, flushed from alcohol, congestion, and the warmth of the room, was sprawled dramatically across the couch, his arm slung over Kriia like some kind of medieval prince making a grand proclamation.

“Y’dow what?” he announced, voice thick and stuffy, “Kriia deserves ad award for putti’g up with our bullshit.”

Kriia snorted, hiding her laugh in Rexar’s hoodie, but he wasn’t done.

“Do, do, listed—she dragged our asses od this ‘hodeybood’ or whatever—”

���Vacatiod,” Kriia corrected.

“Right. Vacatiod. And look at us dow.” He sniffled dramatically, rubbing at his nose with the edge of his sleeve before gesturing wildly toward Vaelyn, who was still lost in his own world, humming as he scribbled down lyrics. “That’s the best sodg we’ve writted. We’d still be sitti’g od our asses, pulli’g our hair out, if she didd’t bake us cobe here.”

Vaelyn, finally looking up from his notebook, shot Rexar an incredulous look. “Are you actually sayi’g you’re glad we all got sick together?”

Rexar smirked, sniffling deeply before pressing a kiss to the top of Kriia’s head. “I’m sayi’g I cad’t rebe’ber the last tibe I laughed this hard. Or the last tibe we actually edjoyed each other’s cobpady without all the pressure. Baybe we deeded this, y’dow?”

Kalypso made a face. “God, you’re sedtibedtal whed you’re drudk.”

“And codgested,” Vaelyn added.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up.” Rexar waved them off, settling back into the couch as he exhaled another lazy stream of smoke. “Point is, sick or dot, this was a damn good weeke’d.”

The room fell into an easy silence, broken only by the sound of Vaelyn’s fingers idly strumming against his guitar strings, the soft rustling of blankets, and the occasional exhausted sniffle from someone.

And for the first time in six months, everything just… clicked.

The end 🖤