#fainting in 5; 4....

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

I took a screenshot of franks house from the recent update to test out your findings. It looks like (mayhap) that there are 3 franks. Its hard to tell though-

oh interesting! i haven't had the time or energy to do another Contrast Fuckery Sweep, but i would not be surprised if you're right! it's especially interesting considering the Red Envelope artwork included in the previous big update - yk the one where Frank is surrounded by copies of himself. inch resting indeed...

[faaun]

in the philosophy common room 2 friends both doing what they need to do i'm alive i'm here i'm ok okay

[ahalliance]

started a playlist dedicated to insuline & nicotine duo streams to cope with the lack of streams with them together recently

[rillabrooke]

sometimes i get really discouraged about my health, but then i remember that like 5 years ago i could wrap my hand around my biceps and touch my fingertips on the other side. i am, in fact, doing amazing.

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

This is a fill for this ask game for my friend @painful-pooch!!

right as rain: [character] says they’re fine right before collapsing. TWs: Fainting, accidental disordered eating

"Mariano, Bastian! This way!" Up ahead, Laredo waved. The black and white masquerade mask of his chosen character peeked out from under the tousled black wig he wore. "Thought we lost you in that crowd. The panel's in five minutes--eleven sharp."

Mariano had no idea how Laredo wasn't dying in the long black coat that Joker wore. He was already warm in the black SEES jacket his own costume needed, but at least he had short sleeves underneath it. His blue wig was the warmest part, really, but it was worth it to see how Laredo lit up further as he and Bastian rode the escalator up to the next floor of the hotel.

"What's this one for, again?" Mariano asked as Laredo grinned at him.

"It's about mock fights for LARPing." Laredo said, leading the way. "And after that is the Call of Duty tournament." He added, glancing at the schedule on his phone.

"Which you gotta go win." Bastian chimed in. "That won't even last two hours, right?"

"Probably two and a half, but there's that new movie screening afterwards in the same hall so it'll be chill afterwards." Laredo said, leading them into the panel room and to where the others were already seated.

"Cool, cool."

As Bastian took his seat next to Manuel, the medic with his silver wig and tarot cards, Mariano felt like they were forgetting something.

The panel was interesting, and Laredo did better than they'd expected in the tournament. It was loud, exciting, almost dizzying, Mariano thought as he watched Laredo's character sprint through the maps. He was moving so quickly, and picking off enemies that Mariano couldn't even notice. The crowd liked it too, and towards the end he found himself pulling his costume's headphones on to get some relief.

Thank goodness Bastian had insisted on springing for functional ones with noise cancellation. They didn't ease the headache that had snuck up on Mariano, but they made it less overwhelming. The lights had started to burn, too, but the movie wasn't too far away. Mariano could deal with it.

Laredo came in third, after a close last match. The movie melted into a blur. Something kept nagging at Mariano, even as he leaned into Bastian's shoulder to close his eyes. Somehow, even having to lean around his cape of coffins, Bastian managed to be entirely too comfortable.

Mariano dozed.

"Hey." Bastian said, lips against Mariano's forehead as he spoke. It was bright again, and the crowd's din was back. "C'mon, you still wanna do the photo shoot?"

"Yes, yes." Mariano said, standing and staggering as his vision was overtaken by black spots. "Whoa--" He muttered, leaning into the scaled hands that grabbed his shoulders.

"Are you sure?" Bastian asked, tilting his head. Behind his gleaming silver mask, Mariano knew that he was looking at him skeptically. "You look like you need to sit down."

"Yes, I'm sure, treasure." Mariano said, giving him a smile. "It's not far anyway, and some pictures won't hurt me."

They just had to go upstairs, to the roof. There was a photoshoot for people in Persona costumes. It was part of the reason they'd all dressed up, really, beyond getting to enjoy the benign attention of people getting excited about seeing a whole group.

It was a lively group, with people recognizing the "Jacked Joker" from the tournament and dragging Laredo in to chat. Dimitri and Izan were excitedly approached by the more hardcore fans, who wanted to talk about how they never saw Naoyas or Tatsuyas at these gatherings. People even tugged Bastian away, since Thanatos cosplayers were even rarer.

Manuel glanced at him as the other Makotos started to group up, Bastian having been chosen as the centerpiece for the picture. "Hey, Mariano, you okay? You're looking a little off."

"Yes, I'm fine." Mariano said as he started to join them, pushing off from the fence he'd been leaning up against. The ground tilted dangerously under his feet as he started to walk. "I'm just...just..."

The next thing Mariano knew, people were looming over him and his back was flat on the concrete.

"Hey. You with me yet, idiot?" Bastian asked, one eyebrow raised, and Mariano realized that he'd taken his mask off. "You fainted."

Mariano blinked hard, raising his hands to rub at his eyes. His tongue felt clumsy and heavy. His stomach was turning. Words fell through his fingers as he groaned. At least he had something soft for a pillow.

"Slow down, Bastian, it's okay." Manuel said, coming into focus next. "He wasn't even out for thirty seconds." Soft brown eyes flicked down to meet Mariano's next, and Mariano realized that there was a smooth pinky pressed to his pulse point as Manuel held his face.

"Heyyy." He said, in the voice that told Mariano he may not have been in trouble but that Manuel knew something was wrong. "So what was that?"

"Just...just got dizzy." Mariano said, wincing as he tried to sit up and was promptly pushed back down by two pairs of hands. "I'm--"

"Shh." Dimitri's sharp hiss sounded from behind Bastian, and he leaned over a strong shoulder to glare down at Mariano. "No you are not okay. When did you eat last?"

"...When did any of us eat last?" Izan asked, wonder filling his voice as though he'd only just realized he was feeling hungry.

Laredo started to speak before frowning and closing his mouth. "I think we missed lunch, guys."

Dimitri slapped his hand to his eyes, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Since civilian life has made us so soft, I'll call in a pizza order. Izan, there's a stall downstairs selling candy and soda, you know our favorites, go on, go on, five minutes. Laredo, go tell those other Makotos that ours isn't dead and doesn't need the hospital--I think that tiny one is going to cry soon. I'll be back with dinner." As easily as ever, Dimitri rattled off orders, pointing to Izan and Laredo in turn, before walking off towards the elevator.

"Ah. A con crash." Bastian said, and Mariano realized that Bastian's lap was his pillow as he shook with each laugh. "I almost fainted during my first one. We'll get some food in you." One of his hands came down to rest over Mariano's eyes, slipping his glasses towards his forehead. "Just relax."

It wasn't hard to listen to him as Laredo's voice melded into the worried chatter of the other cosplayers, Izan's footsteps followed Dimitri's, and Manuel's hands shifted to hold his own.

[jessmalia]

are you okay? did you hurt yourself when you fell?? get some rest and fresh air, if you can, for the rest of the day!!! and dont do anything heavy and avoid stuffy rooms and just

Thank you for this, you’re very sweet <3 Fell on my ass so that hurts a little but not too much. It’s actually 1am here so I’m just gonna turn on the dishwasher and then go to bed.

[actress4him]

June of Doom 2023

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Taglist: @painful-pooch

Day 4 - “Does that hurt?” | Delirium | Hypothermia | Stabilization

Day 5 - “It’s not as bad as it looks.” | Handcuffs | Swelling | Flinch

Also qualifies for @whumpawoman ’s Whump Girl Summer, Alt. Prompt - “Look at Me”

Contains: lady whump, graphic broken bone, restraints, fainting, brief emeto mention, captivity

.

.

Isa is still hunched over on her knees, breathing through the pain shooting up her arm, when a hand lands lightly on her other shoulder. Instinctively she jerks backwards, which only doubles the pain. She throws her head back and cries out hoarsely.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, hey, look at me, it’s just me. Just me.” Glancing over, she can see Lainey holding up her hands, cuffs jingling. “Are you…are you okay? That’s a stupid question, obviously you’re not okay, but…crap.” Her hands drop to her lap. “He just…broke your arm, like it was nothing. I don’t…I can’t…” She shakes her head. “I hate him!”

She can’t deal with the chatter right now. “It’s fine. I just…need some time.”

“It’s not fine, would you quit acting like all of this is fine? I know it’s what you're used to, but it is far from fine and you deserve far better than this, okay?”

She knows that being treated like this isn’t alright. Intellectually, at least. It’s hard to remember sometimes, though. In fact, if she’s honest with herself, it’s really only due to Lainey’s presence that she’s started remembering it now. This isn’t normal.

But that doesn’t help her situation any, so she can’t really afford to dwell on it. Maybe that’s why it’s easier to accept that it’s normal for her, at least, instead of worrying about what she can’t change.

Lainey sighs heavily. “Is there…anything I can do?”

Isa starts to shake her head no. She just wants to sit, and breathe, and cope. But she has someone here now who’s willing to help her, and she’d be stupid not to take advantage of that. “There’s a…the cabinet. On the far end.” She motions toward it jerkily before returning to digging her fingernails into her upper arm. “It’s unlocked. There’s a kit in there. And a, uh…a piece of wood.”

Immediately Lainey is up and crossing the room to look in the cabinet she indicated. She holds up the two items in her cuffed hands for Isa to see. “This?”

“Mm-hm.”

She comes back and sits cross-legged in front of her. There’s already a bruise forming on her cheek, matching the ones around her broken nose. “I’m kinda surprised he lets you have first aid stuff.”

“Yeah, well, he…wants me to stay alive…for whatever reason. We have to be careful with it, though. It doesn’t get replenished often.”

Lainey nods in understanding, opening up the kit on the floor. “So…use the wood to stabilize it and wrap these bandages around?”

“Yeah.” It’s good that she has at least a basic knowledge of first aid already. Means she doesn’t have to explain everything, and she can hopefully count on her to do things herself if there comes a time when she can’t help.

Clenching her jaw, Isa carefully moves her arm out where it can be better reached. Lainey sucks in an audible breath through her teeth at the sight of it.

“Ugh. Aw, man, that’s…it looks so wrong.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks.” Isa runs the fingers of her right hand lightly over the misshapen arm. She’s definitely had worse. “Most of it is swelling. Though this…” Her fingers stop on a slight lump in the skin. “This is gonna have to be pushed back into place.”

“Oh, man…”

She glances up at Lainey, who looks a bit paler than usual. “I can do it. I’ve done it before.”

“No, no way. I’m not making you do that yourself. I’m…you’ve got me now, I can do it.” She hesitates, hands hovering in front of her. “Just, uh…tell me what to do.”

“I usually do it against a wall. Makes it easier to brace.” Isa turns her body so that she can splay her arm across the wall, and Lainey scoots herself around closer.

“The fact that you have a usual method for this is…disturbing.”

Ignoring that comment, Isa points to the spot on her arm. “This is it right here. All I can tell you other than that is just…get in a sturdy position and push. And don’t stop if I scream or whatever.”

“Oh man. Okay.” Lainey moves in closer, shoving strands of messy brown hair out of her face. “I can do this. Okay.” Bracing both hands against the arm without pressing down yet, she glances over at Isa. “Alright. You ready?” While Isa nods, she sucks in a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut, then focuses in on the arm once more.

Looking away, Isa grabs a handful of her shirt and clutches it tight.

“Okay. Three…two…” Before she gets to one, she shoves with all her strength. The bone pops back into place and Isa screams even more hoarsely than the first time before everything starts to go dark.

She can faintly hear a surprised shout and feel herself falling to one side. An instant later, she opens her eyes and finds herself lying on her left side with her arm stretched out in front of her. Lainey is gingerly wrapping the worn, slightly bloodstained bandage from the kit around both her arm and the makeshift splint.

“Hey,” she says softly when she glances over and sees Isa’s eyes open. “You okay? Kinda freaked me out there. Good news is, having to keep you from smacking your head on the floor distracted me enough that I didn’t end up hurling everywhere like I thought I might.”

Isa picks her head up and looks over her bandaged arm. It’s so weird, having someone else do this for her. She’s not used to it, and part of her doesn’t want to trust it, but Lainey seems to have done a decent job. “How’s it looking?”

“Almost done. Wish we had an ice pack to get some of this swelling down, though.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t do fancy things like ice packs.” She glances up at the other girl, who’s tucking the end of the bandage as best she can. “You seem like you know what you’re doing, at least somewhat.”

One corner of her mouth quirks upward. “Softball, remember? We got hurt all the time. I picked up a few things from the medics like splints and recovery position. I’m no expert, though.” Sitting back, she looks over her work. “How’s that? Does that hurt?”

“Yeah,” Isa answers honestly. “But not as bad as it did when the bone was out of place.” She begins sitting up, slowly, moving her arm carefully into her lap. “Thanks.”

Lainey shakes her head. “You need a hospital, and some of those heavy-duty painkillers they gave me when I broke mine years ago.”

“He definitely doesn’t do painkillers.” Using her good hand, Isa scoots herself back to lean against the wall. “I’ll be fine. Like I said, I’ve done this before.”

“You shouldn’t have to, though.”

Isa doesn’t have an answer for that.

[loveryss]

it’s very interesting though how Safiya’s parents always visit right before rampaging...

[enniewritesathing]

... never thought this combo for facial would work on John and yet

[halfd3af]

can Dr. House please be real and diagnose me, I’ll let him call me slurs if it means he figures out what’s wrong with me

[watery-melon-baller]

woukd like to file a formal complaint for getting sick right now. I am in the midst of finals week. my project is due on Friday and I need to work on it. could i not have waited a few days. im drinking all the fluids and resting why is my body still unhappy. im doing all the things. please let me recover so I don't fail my fucking class <3

[selfshippinglover]

Vent

[29121996]

.

[tardis--dreams]

What I always fail to consider when I create my absolutely realistic to-do lists and plans is the fact that I'm just. So so tired

[lilac-melody]

hnm...

[carbonateddelusion]

I have. Thoughts. I am going to explode with cartoonish sound effects that accompany my demise. play the juggalo step song at my funeral and make my old-ass relatives dance to it