#he had no symptoms

[otterpuppss]

alfredo was a funny guy. we didn't know eachother long but I am so thankful we met. He was a true gourmet. A loving rat brother. I'll miss the way he laid on his back begging for kisses so much, but not as much as his brothers will miss him. sleep well alf

[stargirl230]

moonlighting 🌚✨

i’m so rusty from not drawing for a whole semester (sobs) but its ok now because kaito's here

(no reposts; reblogs appreciated!)

[essektheylyss]

It really is so fun that Essek started mentioning "my partner" like every three lines because he probably doesn't actually get the chance to talk about it that often.

I think there can often be an impulse when you really care about someone to want to shout from the rooftops all the great things you feel and notice about them, and Essek isn't really in a position to do that. The people who he can talk freely to already know him and Caleb, and the people who don't know them likely aren't safe to tell real personal details to. It's one thing to fabricate a parental relationship knowing that there isn't someone to trace that to, but it's an entirely different thing to tell someone honestly about the people you love when any small detail might put them in danger if it fell into the wrong hands.

The Hells are safe to say that kind of thing to—perhaps mostly on a meta level, in that the DM is aware that they are the protagonists—and they also characteristically tend to offer a listening ear to anyone they meet, and I think it's delightful that Essek actually recognized and responded to that.

[oidheadh-con-culainn]

one day people will write about doctors telling people to exercise more for literally any and all condition and regardless of the safety or efficacy of this advice the same way we write about arbitrary bloodletting in the early modern period

[ruegarding]

bonus! frank's dyspraxia coding (6):

[homosexualslug]

there are a lot of reasons already to love Everything Everywhere All At Once but in the year 2024 it's still the only media I've seen deliberately portray inattentive-type adhd and how it affects women and even how it coincides with depression. when I was growing up, adhd characters were always stereotyped as just the hyperactive male, comedic relief kid characters who talked too fast. but inattentive-type looks much different (spacing out, forgetfulness, poor attention, carelessness) and it flies under the radar as a result. which is why so many don't get diagnosed until they are an adult.

though to be fair, that movie raises the bar by a lot already because I don't think I'll ever feel as seen as I am seeing a woman whose parallel lives are just "me if I ever stuck with one single hobby or special interest and saw it through" or who feels like she's in different universes entirely when she zones out.

[dsnzfb]

Coming On Quickly (R18+)

Cactus/Rose (m/m), cold snz. Just under 5.5k warnings: sex, contagion talk, uncovered snz, cactus is doomed In which Cactus has to deal with some strange new feelings when Rose catches a particularly intense cold.

He felt fine. That’s what Rose told himself when shivering on the way to work. He picked up a cup of tea from his usual coffee shop, though a certain someone wasn’t working that morning. The cold air and steam from the tea was what was making his nose run, not anything else.

The morning was going well, even if he sneezed out of nowhere and dropped his keys as he was trying to unlock the door. Didn’t mean anything.

Another couple of sneezes when he was finally warming up and going through his morning checklist, and Rose finally considered the fact that he might’ve caught a tiny cold.

Just a small one. Not anywhere near bad enough to go home, it was just a sniffle. Besides, he had his tea, the shop was warm (for the flowers’ sake), and he was surrounded by handkerchiefs if he needed them.

His nose was running properly now, soft sniffles no longer enough to keep it at bay, which was definitely chalked up to the change in temperature.

It was a few days post-christmas. He wouldn’t even usually be open this time of year, but it was surprisingly lucrative, especially when his competitors were shut. You never know when someone needs some flowers! A last minute gift, or one ordered weeks in advance to be picked up on a day like today…

Rose sniffled again and rummaged for one of his own handkerchiefs. Didn’t wanna dip into his stock just yet, his nose was only a little drippy. And itchy-

“HheiH-KKSHh! Oh, goodness…”

He didn’t have to hold them back, he realised, but it’s difficult when it’s all you’ve known- ohgod, the itch was back-

“Hhi-KKSHhew! …Ow…”

Okay, that stung his throat. He snuffled into the handkerchief he finally found and flipped the switch on his kettle. He was going to need more tea to get through today, and the one he just bought was getting dangerously low.

His first customer of the day came in about half an hour later, wanting to browse and ask Rose his expert opinion on what flowers to get his mother-in-law to get on her good side for the upcoming year. When trying to offer up assistance, Rose’s nose of course decided that was the moment to start running like a freight train.

“snf! Goodness- please excuse me a moment…” He turned away to blow his nose, though he knew this wouldn’t be the end of it, “All this cold weather, you see…”

“There’s a lot of it going around this time of year.” The customer replied with a sympathetic smile, though Rose noticed them taking a subtle step back. He didn’t blame the guy. From all the dripping and blowing and sneezing he’d done, his nose was probably a cherry red.

“I sound worse than I feel.” He replied, unsure if he really believed himself. His muscles were starting to ache, “Sorry about that. Anyway, you were talking about her favourite colours? We can use it either as a base or as an accent colour.”

“I know she likes pink, but I think it’s the, uh, the really bright one that’s basically red.”

“Magenta?”

The guy looked confused. Perplexed, even.

Rose got out from behind the counter and took him to a bunch of brightly coloured carnations.

“This colour, dear.”

“Oh- yeah, that’s it! The bright pink!”

“It’s quite the bold colour, so I’d recommehhhnd… E-excuse- hhat’sSHHKk!! KkshHHEew!”

Rose realised as he sneezed into his elbow that he’d left the handkerchief at the counter, and that the double was very productive.

“Bless you!”

“My god- sorry- a moment please-” he mumbled into the crook of his elbow, hurrying back to the safety of his handkerchief. He felt mortified as he cleaned himself up.

“I’m so sorry about that, how unsightly, they snuck up on me…” He blew his nose with a slight honk, wincing at how productive even that was.

“Uh, it’s okay? Sorry to make you work when you’re feeling so bad.”

Well, at least this guy wasn’t an asshole. More customers should be like him.

“It’s not that bad, it’s just… Noisy. And annoying. What I was trying to say was that it’s a very bold colour, so it would be best as an accent against a more baby-pink or white bouquet.”

The guy nodded at him, looking now only a little confused. He seemed to get the idea.

“I’ll show you what I mean, if you like. Here- let me just…” Rose got out from behind the counter again, this time bringing his handkerchief with him. He picked out some white flowers – delicate things, big fluffy ones, some light pink roses, and placed them in his demonstrative vase, adjusting them so they were just so.

“So this would be the base…” He said, then going to grab a few more bright flowers, some lilies, carnations, and chrysanthemums.

“And these would be- b…be… Please hold-” he handed the flowers to the customer hurriedly, at least able to prepare his handkerchief properly this time.

“HhpSSHhh!! HhiITSHhew-aahSHOo! Goodness… Excuse me.”

“Bless you, sounds like it’s hitting you hard.”

“It wasn’t this bad earlier, I swear- hhaPSSHHh!!”

Rose sniffled pathetically, muffling a cough into his kerchief. “Sorry, I wouldn’t want you to catch this. Would you just- just put those in the vase?”

The guy followed Rose’s instructions, then the Brit adjusted the positioning of the brightly-coloured flowers so they didn’t overpower the rest of the bouquet.

“Like that. Is that sort of what you were looking for?”

“I don’t really know what I’m looking at, but, uh, yeah? It looks like a real bouquet, way better than what you pick up from the superstore.”

Rose nodded, hiding his streaming nose behind the now thoroughly-used white cloth. “Those bloody places… You know they use dye in the water to make their flowers different colours? Poor things, it’s not that hard to breed other strains… Anyway, thank you for the compliment! It’s words like that that make it all worth it.”

Giddy from the kind words about his work, Rose happily took payment for the bouquet, finished it up, and wrapped it in acetate and coloured tissue paper.

“I hope your m-muhh- hhGTShh! GgsHHh! -snf!- Mother-in-law likes it!”

“Thanks a ton, feel better!”

Rose deflated when he heard the bell on the door signify the customer was gone. How exhausting - and he wasn’t even a troublemaker!

He decided to rummage in his drawers to see if they had any medicine, brows furrowing as each one came up empty.

“Well, shite.” He cursed, blowing his ever-running nose again. He took a handkerchief from the piles in the store and made a note to write it off - it was at this moment he regretted making them scented. He wasn’t allergic to perfume or scents, but his nose was so sensitive from this accursed cold that-

“HhaPSSHHh!! PPSHhew-aashHiiee-iiISHHhoo! Hhat-TSSshh-SSHh-SSHHew! Oh my god!”

His eyes were watering now, and he dabbed at them with a dry corner of the cloth. Is this how Cactus felt when he gave him his number?

Speaking of Cactus, maybe he could swing by some medicine, maybe a box or two of tissues… Rose was fairly certain that if he kept using his handkerchief, his nose would violently protest all day long.

‘Morning sweetie 🥰🌹’ he sent the text. Cac had not long taught him how to use emojis, and he had great fun choosing the right ones for the occasion.

A few minutes later, he got a reply:

‘mornin, what’s up?’

‘I don’t always text when I want something from you, do I? 🗣️’

‘not always, you just sayin hi? heheh hi there cutie’

‘Well… Maybe a little more than just saying ‘hello’. Could you pop over with some paracetamol and tissues, dear? It’s not a big deal, I just can’t leave the shop unattended.’

‘ur sick?’

‘Just a sniffle.’

‘yeah, sure it is. gimme 20.’

‘Love you, dearest. 💓’

“There we are. I hope he doesn’t worry himself silly.” Rose spoke aloud to himself, noting the stuffy and almost gravelly nature of his voice. Gods, he really did sound worse than he felt. He sniffed experimentally and found that instead of dripping, one nostril was now utterly blocked.

His nose felt hot and itchy and- wait, like something was moving? Oh- he squished his nostrils up against the new handkerchief to find that it was starting to run, even while supposedly blocked. How kind.

Ugh, and the proximity to the perfumed cloth-

“hhaPTSH!! AahYISHH! Ha… Hhhuua-AIITSHHhew! My giddy aunt, I can’t stop sneezing… Maybe toilet paper will just have to do for now… This blasted scent is too much…”

Rose sipped at his tea, but even the warmth from that couldn’t stop a shiver washing over him, then another stuffy attempt at a sniffle. A mistake, perhaps, as it stoked the embers of a tickle in his nose into flames, and he ducked into a wad of toilet roll, scratchy against his red nostrils.

“iiHhaPTSHHew! AAESHOO!! …Guh… Unsightly…”

Another shiver to make him cross his arms, and he pulled up a chair at the counter. He wasn’t usually one to use it, since he always had something or other to be getting on with, but… His arms hurt, his chest ached from sneezing, and he couldn’t seem to get warm. Was the central heating on the blink, or something?

…He couldn’t be bothered to go check. He’d need all his energy for if a customer came in, to put on a smile and save face. For now, though, with soft jazz playing as his store's ambient music, he found himself zoning out. Then his eyes started to flutter closed. He had things he should be doing, really, but… He just ached so much, and he was cold. Moving would lose him the warmth he tried so hard to gain.

The bell chimed, signifying an entrant, and Rose jumped, quickly wiped his nose, and opened his mouth to greet them.

“Hey, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes?” came a low voice, warm like spiced honey.

Oh, he could cry. What an angel. What a darling. Here to save the day.

“Cac…”

“So… Just a sniffle, huh? Sure looks like it.” The blond approached with an eye roll, then side eyeing the flowers surrounding them, “You’re lookin’ pretty under the weather. Glad I trusted my gut.”

“What do you-” Rose was interrupted by a bag being set down on the counter in front of him.

“Stopped by a pharmacy, thought you might need some more actual supplies. Go on, you can look.”

Rose took things out one at a time: cold medicine, thank goodness, a decongestant spray, cough drops, several boxes of tissues…

“Aloe vera? You’re a saint.”

Cac laughed at that, “I just know what you’re like. Keep lookin’.”

Wait, why was the bag warm?

He pulled out a watertight container with a thick liquid in it, and blinked at his boyfriend.

“You got me soup?”

“The, uh… It’s… There’s a place right by the pharmacy, so it wasn’t outta my way or nothin’, and it smelled pretty good, so… Got you their soup of the day… Figured you probably hadn’t eaten. It’s minestrone.”

“It’s perfect. You didn’t have to do this for me- god, I’m going to cry…” Rose’s throat tightened, hot tears welling up in his eyes. He wasn’t exaggerating.

“H-Hey, don’t-! Uh- I can’t take it back, but- I brought this stuff to make you feel better!”

Scrubbing his eyes to wipe away the tears, Rose spoke with a wobbly voice, “I’m touched, dear… You’ve done so much for me…”

Cactus’s large blonde eyebrows furrowed in worry at this, “You’re pretty emotional, you must be feelin’ like shit… Just gonna check somethin’, okay?”

That was all the warning Rose had before a hand was placed on his forehead, which then moved to his cheek, under his chin, and finally, behind his neck.

“You’re runnin’ a fever.” the larger man concluded with a frown.

“Explains why it’s so bloody cold in here…”

“Yeah, cause it’s not. You always got the heatin’ on. But, uh… Look, you take your meds, do what you need to. Want tea?”

Rose motioned to his half-full mug, “I’m good on that front, but thank you.”

Cactus nodded and pulled his coat off, hanging it over Rose’s shoulders like he was some sort of heated coat stand.

“Put that on.”

“Cactus, no- I’ll get my germs all on it, and you’ll…”

“No ifs, ands, buts, or coconuts. Boyfriend cold. Boyfriend get coat. Gonk get club, ooga booga, whatever.”

Rose couldn’t help but snort with laughter, hurriedly plucking out a fresh and blissfully soft tissue to clean himself up. His cold wouldn't even let him laugh without making a mess of him?!

The redhead blushed when he lowered the tissue to find Cactus smiling at him warmly.

“W-What, do I have something on my face, or…?”

“Nah, just thinkin’ bout how cute you are.”

“In this state?!”

“Hell yeah.”

Instead of frying his brain further to think up a retort, the Brit instead busied himself with taking pills and opening his soup. He couldn’t smell it, but it looked totally homemade. He’d need to bug Cactus about the exact location of the restaurant later. He took a spoonful of it, the flavours experienced even through his dulled senses.

“…Sorry it ain’t, uh… I mean- if I knew earlier, I woulda made some soup for ya myself, but for you to actually ask me for help, I wasn’t gonna make ya wait…”

“Oh, stop apologising, you silly thing. This is delicious, it’s perfect. You can make me your soup next time, I’m sure this stupid body of mine won’t leave it too long before the next bout of illness…”

“How, uh… How long have you known you’ve been feelin’ bad?”

“It came on this morning, so it’s only really been a couple of hours.”

“So fast? You’re in for a rough one, huh… Hey, see if your cousin can cover you the next few days. Got a feelin’ you’re gonna need the rest.”

“I couldn’t do that to hiih-.. hii…iihhm- hhiIESSHOOO!!” He’d managed to move the soup away just in time, thanking the stars for his increasingly dramatic hitches.

”Oh my god, bless you! Geez, that was one hell of a sneeze! They all been like that?”

“Ow…. Owowow…. Not all, but they’ve been pretty strong…”

“Yeah, you’re definitely gonna need to take some sick days, jeez… Thought you were gonna fall off your chair!”

Rose spluttered, cheeks further reddening, “I-It wasn’t that big…”

“Are you kiddin’ me? Your usual sneezes are quiet, rapid, and there’s, like, loads of ‘em.”

“Well, I suppose ‘loads’ is still right… It’s just… Teasing me!”

“…Mm, I know that feelin’.” Cac rubbed at his own nose, smiling knowingly when he saw Rose’s eyes widen at the action.

‘I know what you are.’ said his grin.

“I’m… I… Suppose you would, wouldn’t you… Hhu-uuh- hhaAH-!”

“hhrRSSHHHOOOoh!”

Cactus’s booming sneeze interrupted the redhead, giving a cough and a sigh before paying full attention again.

“Jeez, sorry. All these flowers, then… Seein’ you all itchy made me feel itchy…”

Rose was silent for a moment, as if he was in shock, then groaned.

“You stole my sneeze away!”

“Scared it off, huh?” Cac sniffled, “Hey, uh… Why don’t you, uh, close for lunch? Sure would suck if someone walked in while you were tryna eat your soup…”

Rose looked up at him, mind foggy and thoughts muddled. It took him a moment to connect why his boyfriend was talking so suspiciously, and why he had a slightly nervous look on his face.

“F-Feel free to flip the sign and lock the door, sweetheart. It would be awkward if that were to happen, after all…” He dabbed at his drippy nose and kept eating. Even if Cac was suggesting what he thought he was, Rose didn’t want this soup to go to waste.

“Maybe we should go to the staff room, too… These flowers are really startin’ to get to me.” The American commented, enjoying the shiver that ran through Rose’s body, one he knew wasn’t from the fever.

“Is that so… Poor thing, so allergic. Tragic that this is my job, mmm?”

“Is it tragic? Could be worse if you found my allergies super gross, or something…”

Rose picked up his box of soup and a handful of tissues and brought them to the staff room. Cactus followed after locking the door, picking up everything else left behind. Rose was already burying his face into a new tissue with a wet, honking blow, followed by hitches, and hitches, and… Nothing.

Sympathy gripped Cac’s heart, to see Rose succumbing to his cold so quickly had him wanting nothing more than to hold his boyfriend close, to stroke his hair. To help him along.

He took a seat next to the redhead, rubbing his back, “I really did scare it off, huh? Sorry ‘bout that.” 

“It’s… Guh, it’s okay… You didn’t mean to. They’re my flowers, after all…”

“You finish up that soup, then I’ve got an idea.” The shorter man stood up again, making his way to a nearby shelving unit. It was there that he found a feather duster - real feathers, and real dust.

This, of course, would be overkill, so he carefully pulled out a single feather from the bunch. It would help Rose just the same.

Only when the sick brit had his fill of his lunch did Cactus approach him again, nerves twisting his stomach.

“This, uh… I wanna try and help you, but if I go too far…”

“I’ll tell you.” Rose assured him, a smile on his face, “Believe me, I won’t be quiet about it.”

He scrunched up his nose again, clearly very itchy. Shaking his head again in irritation, he scrubbed at his nose with his knuckles.

“Gghghghh-!! God, this is driving me crazy. If I’m going to sneeze, then just do it, you know? Bloody thing…”

“Heh, uh, that’s… Well…”

Cactus brandished the feather in front of him.

“Oh, I see your game plan, big boy.”

Without further words, Cactus traced the feather flat against Rose’s nostrils, watching them quiver and start to run at the new irritant. It didn’t stop the dust dislodging from the barbs at each tickly sniffle, and soon had Rose’s teary eyes shut as he hitched, and hitched, and…. Faded away again.

He groaned, so Cac tried another tactic – direct insertion. This time, his nose couldn’t dare fight back against the dusty, pointed, yet soft tip of the feather tickling what felt like every molecule of his nasal cavity.

“Hh-hhgh-eeh-!! C-Cactus, I’m going… Going to… HhaAAESSHOOOo!! AadsshhEW-AASHHHheEWw! Oh my god, sorry, please m-m-move- hhaSSHEW-ASSHHOO! ATTCHHOO! H-HAAAHH… AahSSHHYEWW!!”

As Rose finally sneezed over and over, rapidly, harshly, and spraying on anything in front of him, he couldn’t think of anything but the incredibly itchy tickle in his nose that had to get out, now.

Cactus didn’t care at all that he was being sneezed on. He signed up for this when formulating this plan, after all. If he caught it, he caught it, and since Rose would enjoy that anyway, it’s no loss.

He actually felt his cheeks warming as the man in front of him repeatedly lost control. Was this…?

He was definitely getting turned on by the situation in front of him, but he didn’t want to overdo things - Rose was clearly feeling awful, he didn’t have to deal with Cactus coming onto him as well.

Thoroughly a mess, Rose blinked up through tears at his boyfriend, barely able to read his expression.

“Bless you, holy shit… That’s one hell of a cold you caught.”

“It’s… H-ha-aah… HhuUUH-IISHhhEW!! Ghhwah… S-sou’ds worse-”

“-Than you feel, yeah. But I gotta say, it looks about as bad as you sound.” Cac tugged out a tissue from the box with one hand, cupping it over Rose’s very red and irritated nose.

“Blow. That’s it, good boy…”

He followed instructions. He was, after all, a good boy.

“Feelin’ any better?”

“Idt’s- snfk! … It’s not as itchy as it was before… My nose, that is. Still something up in there, like the cold’s doing a jig on my poor nerve endings, ready to set me off at any time…”

Cactus swallowed, trying hard not to stare as he pulled away the used tissue.

“That sensitive?”

Rose rubbed at his eyes as he nodded in return, “Mm-hhb.”

Cactus sighed. Poor thing, feeling so sick, and so suddenly… Stuck at work when tons of people were off for the holidays… He could make his-

“Hha-aah-KKSHhh!! HhaPTSHHYEWW!! Oh my god, see? Any bloody moment…”

-day better, at least? Focus, Cactus. Improving Rose’s day doesn’t automatically mean sex.

Rose had sneezed his glasses off the moment prior, the pair falling into Cac’s lap.

“Oh- fuck, I can’t see a thing…”

An exaggeration, but Rose’s lenses were pretty strong. Giving them a cursory wipe, Cac put them back on for him, trying to avoid hitting his nose with the bridge of his glasses, nostrils red and twitchy, like they had a mind of their own.

“Ah- thank you, sweetheart. Now I can see your handsome face properly. Ah- that being said, I’m… I’m so sorry, you’re going to catch this, and… It really is quite awful, you were right the whole time… And I’ve been sneezing all over you!”

“I made my peace with that ages ago. You…” Cac swallowed again, forcing himself to push through nerves and make eye contact with his boyfriend, “You know I don’t mind. Look, uh… So you don’t keep freakin’ out… Can I kiss ya? If it’s pretty much confirmed already, will you be able to relax a bit more?”

“I… I suppose it’s too late now, anyway…” Rose sniffled, then blew his nose again, “I’m stunned you’re not running a mile.”

“Shush, ain’t nothin’ could scare me off.” The blond closed the distance between the two, glasses bumping awkwardly as they kissed.

‘His mouth is hot. Fuck, that’s so sexy. It’s a fever though, behave.’

Mentally scolding himself didn’t do much to stop him, though, the intensity of the kiss growing deeper until Rose pulled away to breathe.

“…Hah… Phew… You’re doomed now, then- oh!”

At this point, Cactus was practically on Rose’s lap, and the Brit was staring down at him.

“Well, hello there,” Rose grinned, “Someone’s keen.”

Oh. Fuck. He had an erection, and it was definitely pushing up against his boyfriend.

“Shit- sorry, you’re sick, and- and all miserable, and- fuck, you don’t need this on top of everythi-”

Rose pulled him in for another kiss, this one needy and wanting and passionate.

“If I’m going to feel like this, why not enjoy it? I didn’t realise you got it this badly. Before, it was sort of… The situation. But this…? You’re finding me sneezing all over you sexy, mm? I should apologise, really. This is my fault…”

“Don’t… Don’t apologise, fuck… I wanna do it with ya, but… Feelin’ guilty as it is.” Cactus felt his face warming shamefully. He didn’t wanna be responsible for making his boyfriend worse.

“Orgasms can help clear your sinuses. Consider it a treatment, Doctor Asta.”

The shame Cactus had been feeling quickly left and was replaced with lust. Rose was as into this scenario as he was, it seemed.

“A treatment? Guess I’ll have to administer it for ya, then. It’d be cruel not to, right? Especially if my patient is askin’ it of me.”

A pause as he considered his next words.

“Do they turn you on?” He asked, “Your own sneezes, I mean.”

“It would be quite debilitating if they did, but… I have to admit, the grip this cold has on my poor nose is quite titillating…”

“Mm, it’s getting chapped already.”

“So the short answer is ‘no’, the long answer is ‘yes, sometimes, if I’ve got a big guy like you here to share them with’.”

Cactus grinned and kissed him again, “And ain’t ya glad I am?”

“Mm, awfully so. It’s quite the cold, you know… In a couple days’ time, you’ll be holed up in bed, I’m sure, making your way through several packets of tissues. Goodness, if it can make my sneezes this intense, I dare not think what it’ll do to yours…”

Cactus slid his hands up under Rose’s sweater vest to pull it off expertly, “We’ll just have to find out.”

“Ehehe… Mm, your hands are cool…”

“Your skin is hot. Only you could run a fever the first day of a cold.” Cac removed his boyfriend’s shirt as well, not bothering to unbutton it. His own hoodie was discarded swiftly after, Rose watching hungrily as more of Cac’s brown skin and white vitiligo was shown.

“My god, I love you… You’re everything… I just want to kiss all these… These gorgeous marks all over your body…”

“Mm, yeah? You’ll have a tough time.”

“Why?”

“I’ll be too busy kissin’ all your freckles.”

As if to prove his point, Cactus started placing butterfly kisses on Rose’s cheeks, then his shoulders, which made the Brit giggle.

“S-pff-Stoooop, that tickles! Okay, okay, you win! I give! Haah… Phew…” Rose coughed lightly and pushed his glasses back up his nose, then quickly returned to touching his boyfriend’s torso. Then lower, and lower… So soft, so warm. Even with a fever, Rose’s hands struggled to retain heat, so he loved to steal it from him.

“You playin’ with my tummy, or are we having sex?” Cactus questioned, tone light, “Though, if you’re having second thoughts-”

“Nope! No such thing! You really think I’d decide, ‘no, actually, I don’t want to have hot kinky sex with my boyfriend’? If that happens, call a demon hunter, because that’s a changeling.”

Now that was taken care of, Cactus traced his own hands over Rose’s sensitive body, cock twitching whenever his boyfriend reacted, whimpered, or whined.

“I… I want you inside me, Cactus…” The redhead pleaded.

A nod. “Mm, good choice. Wouldn’t want ya wearin’ yourself out.”

“Lube’s in… In the drawer… Second one down, under the- the… HhaPPSSHIEW!! …The plant encyclopedia… We don’t really use that book, so… It’s a good place…”

Cactus blessed him as easily as he breathed, following instructions to find the small bottle underneath a deceptively large book. Who knew there were so many flowers?

“Okay, ya ready?” Cac poured out a small handful, warming it in his palms.

“I’mb- snf! -always ready for you, darling.”

Oh, the seduction of it all. And yet it still drove Cac crazy.

“Good boy. Pants off, and spread your legs for me.” Cactus praised him again, knowing how much Rose loved it. His commands were followed immediately, and he almost got distracted by how red and needy Rose’s cock looked.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m goin’ in…”

He pushed a digit into Rose’s ass, eliciting a short gasp from the other man. Like the rest of his body, it was warm inside him, more than usual.

Expertly coating the inside before adding a second finger, Cac looked up at his boyfriend. He loved his expressions dearly, it was amazing how easily emotions showed on his face.

Just before he could add a third, Rose tensed, and tightened, and-

“Hhi-iih-… hiiih… Iih’SSHHEW!! IhpSSHh! Kktsh- hhaAH- AAHtsSHYEWW!!”

Cactus blinked, a deep blush growing on his cheeks. He wondered briefly what it was gonna feel like when he was actually inside Rose and he sneezed like that…

“…I, uh… Wow, bless you.”

���Guh, thank you, dear… This’ll be you, soon…”

“…Fingers in my ass, too?”

“If you want there to be.”

Once Rose was starting to squirm, greedily hoping that Cac’s fingers would hit his prostate, the blond pulled them out.

Rose whined.

“Just a sec, okay?” Cactus used his other hand to lube up his dick - not that it needed much help - and gently, carefully pushed in. Wiping his hands off on a nearby towel, he then held Rose’s waist, using the grip to start thrusting into him rhythmically.

God, it was so hot inside him, the sensation was incredible. They needed to fuck more often when they were sick, especially with Rose so eager.

“Just- nnh! T-tell me if… If it’s too much… I’ll stop whenever you-”

“Oh my god, Cactus Asta! If you stop, I’ll decimate you where you stand!!”

“Got it, no stoppin’.”

“Fffuck, I’ve missed this… I… Nnh… God, I love you… Hey, um…” Rose took his glasses off and haphazardly threw them on a nearby surface, “You can use that feather, if you want… It felt pretty… HhaANH~!! P-pretty good…! Maybe that’s an understatement, but-”

Before Rose could finish his sentence, Cac had needily grabbed the feather and was starting to tickle his lover’s sensitive nose with it, almost in a trance himself.

“W-Whoa- that’s… That’s reeeaahh… Really… HhaAH-!! HHAPt’TTSHHhewW! AAHGTSSHHOO! HH-…! …hhPSHHEW-AAHTSSHOO-AAYYIISHHHH!!”

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck, the way Rose clenched with each sneeze, the lack of any attempt to cover, spray glistening on Cac’s chest, it made the blond whimper with need.

“Nng-ghh… Bless you…” He swallowed the whine and almost growled instead, “Good boy… How’s your nose feeling?”

“Hhh… Hhgh-AAaahn..!! It’s… It’s itchy… snf! And drippy… Kind of sore… It’s hot, and that makes it tickle m-moohhre… And the… The d-dust… On that featherhh!! I-… I have to sneeeh… Eeehh… eeeze again…”

Rose was killing him here. He knew what it was like on the receiving end of this, so this teasing had to be on purpose…

It took one swipe of the feather under his quivering nostrils to set off another fit.

“HhaDSSHH! TTSHh-iiIISHh-iisHHEW! HHitSHh! Aah… Haaah… aaAATSSHYYEWW!! …Oh my god, this cold!”

Cac pulled him close, hugging Rose while thrusting into him now. It took all his self control not to bite the taller man, and he choked out another blessing.

“Nngh~ Cac, it’s driving me c-crazy- and… And… Ah- there!!” Rose called out, arms wrapping around his lover. He left scratch marks on Cactus’s back as he grabbed needily at him, something he would have to rub ointment into later.

Cactus kissed him again, fucking deeply and rhythmically, “There, baby?”

“MmhaaAAH~!”

“Yeah, that’s it…! Fuck- you’re so tight, so hot, I can barely take it! I… NnGGgh…” Cactus squeezed his eyes shut, starting to become overstimulated. He could hold out, but…

“Whatever you do, Rose… Nnhah… Don’t sneeze… O-or… Or I’ll cum…”

“What-?!”

As hot as that statement was, Rose couldn’t help but question it.

“I… You know me, how on earth do you expect me to not s-sneeze when I’m… I… T-this cold, it’s… And the dusty feather you-”

Cactus dropped the feather and clamped his hand over Rose’s mouth in panic.

“D-don’t-…!”

A mistake, as Rose then had to breathe through his nose, and with the dust from the feather now on Cactus’s hand…

“Mmgh-mmn!!” The Brit tried to warn him, but it was too late. Even if Cac pinched his nose now, it wouldn’t help. Tension built between the two, of the blonde trying to hold back his orgasm, and the redhead, his oncoming fit.

Slowly, worriedly, Cac removed his hand, allowing Rose to properly hitch.

“I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinkin’…”

“Hh-hhiIIH-!! I-it’s… It’s okay… B-but I don’t thiiiIIHHh!! …think I can h-hold back… for very long.”

All the while, they were still fucking at a good pace.

“M-Me neither… Fffffuck, is this what you were feelin’ the whole time? How the hell is it s-so- so niche?”

“Let’s not get into the iiih… HhaAH…! …ins and outs of… Fetish distribution right now…”

“R-Right, right…”

“Oh god, Cactus, I’m… I’m g-going to… Hhaa-AAah! Hh-iitSHHhhYEW!! aahTSSH-kktSHHh! Kktssh-SSHHYOOo!! HhaPTSSHHeww! Ohmygod-HHITSSHh! Iitshh-sshh-tsSHHh!! C-can’t stop- AATSHhOOo! H-hhaa-AAPsSHH! GGHTSSHUUu!”

As warned, Cac couldn’t take it anymore, and came violently during Rose’s fit. His partner was driven over the edge himself at the feeling of being filled while helplessly sneezing, making a mess of Cactus’s stomach.

“Oh… Oh my god… Fuck, bless you.” Cac panted, slowing down and pulling out of his lover, “Sorry for the mess inside ya… Couldn’t… Haah….”

“It’s… It’s okay… Wow…” Rose coughed, wheezing from the exertion, “I… Phew… Think I need my inhaler…”

Cactus fumbled around the desk until he felt a familiar plastic shape, then pressed it into Rose's hands, “I… hah~ I got it…” 

After gratefully taking a couple of puffs and feeling his lungs settle down, he felt something in his nose shift as well, and took a cursory sniff. “Oh, hey! See, I told you orgasms are a decongestant!”

“You sure did. When I get this cold’a yours, you wouldn't mind, uh, givin’ that treatment to me, wouldya? Got a feelin’ I'm gonna need it.”

[pancakeke]

doctors are annoyed when patients try to self diagnose by looking stuff up online but I've encountered multiple specialists who didn't know basic info that was available on wikipedia. so.

[cathalbravecog]

frost gets a little angst art. as a treat

despite being a silly character with a silly story - i wanted to explore this side of their character more seriously. even if the "built by brian using stolen code/assets/parts and he somehow managed to succeed" story came from a *inside joke* - it's been grounded as a genuine canon.

i always established they don't like him - but imagining reasons why as a "failed creation who went out of line" when their whole thing is being weird and out of the line is what lead me to drawing this. even if brian is deep down, a silly internet loser, frostbite suppressing their feelings made him quite scary to them.

i don't like writing long descriptions anymore, people don't read, clash fandom terrifies me, and it gets less notice - but it's oc art anyway so i don't care. enjoy! very proud of this piece.

[thebad-lydrawn-sanses]

Killer: so

Killer: i get you're having fun with character design buuuut

Killer: have you considered

Killer: that i don't need so many disabilities

Killer: oh. you're typing into the search bar okay cool that's fine this isn't distressing at a-

Search Result: Disabling cognitive symptoms of a TBI may include: Uncontrollable mood swings. Impaired short/long-term memory. Difficulty with focus, attention, or thinking. Depression and anxiety. Personality changes (often increased irrational anger and aggression) Lack of impulse control and poor decision-making skills.

Killer:

[frankiebirds]

reid's face when he sees himself in the mirror is going to make me sob. the things that must be going through his head. (am i really about to do this? who am i looking at?)

[lukecastellanshandholder]

Something, something, Percy telling Luke that the "Gods are trying their best" triggered Luke so much because he used to think that way. He sees so much of his younger self in Percy and knowing what he does now, it angers him so much that he fell for the lie that he was told/ told himself for so long. He’s angry at the gods, yes. However, he’s most angry and frustrated with himself for believing the lies he was told.

Yes, he was a little kid and it’s not his fault that he was lied to so much, that he was manipulated, but he still blames himself. Even if he doesn’t admit it out right, you can see that through his actions.

In this essay I will…

[tj-crochets]

I got my medical records back from my nephrologist that diagnosed me with salt wasting syndrome back in California, and I was excited to read it because that's kind of a generic term that could mean a few different things and I was very curious which one I had (definitely not SIADH, but I wasn't sure if he meant cerebral salt wasting syndrome or salt wasting nephropathy) Turns out he told me I had salt wasting syndrome but never actually diagnosed me with anything (: He did note in my file that I was a "very pleasant young woman" so. There's that. Just lovely. (for anyone wondering why I'd never read them before: I got this diagnosis like a month before the first covid lockdown and this doc does not have an online portal, then I moved cross country)

[dubiousdisco]

ingrid, sweetie, i'm so sorry

[bg3smash-or-pass]

In response to the recent (unpublished) anon I received:

(I won’t be answering the asks directly, to condense my response into one post)

Having now read Khalid’s Baldur’s Gate and Forgotten Realms wiki entries, I think it’s actually really neat that Khalid was deliberately given an explicit stutter and it isn’t just a shorthand to convey his timidness like I assumed it was, being a game from 1998.

But also.. Khalid is still anxious. That’s not just a “horrid ableist assumption,” that’s how his character is written. Many companions in Baldur’s Gate I are described as viewing him as “cowardly”. His whole character seems to be that classic idea of, yknow, bravery not being the absence of fear but doing everything heroic in spite of it.

I’m sorry you’ve seen enough bullshit ableism surrounding Khalid that your knee-jerk reaction to someone saying he sounds anxious is to feel that they are making fun of his disability and saying he’s cowardly and incompetent.

But coming into my ask box, insinuating I am making fun of his disability to make “myself feel superior”, asking if I ever get tired of “finding new lows to stoop to”, and demanding I take my post out of Khalid’s tag so you “don’t have to be forced to see how lowly I think of him” is just. Not it.

[petrichormore]

God q!BBH is fascinating. His paranoia especially. q!Bad has called himself paranoid in character btw. multiple times. but the one example that immediately comes to mind is when he was talking to q!Aypierre. When people call him paranoid he doesn’t really say “Nuh uh” (at least not seriously - he’s become a little more self-aware) he says “okay maybe I am, maybe I’m not. but don’t you understand why?”

for q!BBH the price of potentially overreacting and hurting his friends’ feelings with his lack of trust is significantly outweighed by the price of an egg fucking dying because he decided to relax. He has been the deciding factor in a life-or-death situation for an egg multiple times. And his overreactions have saved lives. Obviously his developing belief that he’s like the Lone Responsible Caretaker of the Eggs is like blatantly incorrect but it didn’t come into existence in a void. It isn’t just one of his inventions it’s a consequence of other parents putting (whether purposely or accidentally) a lot of pressure on him that he tried and failed to escape from.

So he doesn’t care if he’s paranoid, he doesn’t care if his distrust hurts people, he doesn’t care about what’s reasonable or not - he cares about the eggs being alive. And if being unreasonable has kept the eggs alive in the past then damn you better believe he’s only going to get more unreasonable. And he’s not going to be sorry about it either, not while he feels responsible for every single child on the island.