#i have to go get a cup of tea and make some chicken soup its sore throat time

[ofc-vi-writes-too]

a continuation of things that i think happen in my favorite fucked up silly little city (gotham)

• In hosptials in Gotham there’s another wing dedicated to super villain attacks Like how theres the ED, NICU, L&D, ICU, etc., theres another branch called Excessive Villain Attack Department (for) Emergencies. Also known as EVADE for short. it’s a brag to say you work in EVADE for doctors/nurses because A. the pay is ridiculously good, and B. how much extra stuff you had to learn to work there. People who work in EVADE have to go through weekly psych evaluations as well as physical testing to make sure they are still fit for duty.

• there are EVADE pop ups all around gotham so it’s citizens ares never more than 5 minutes away from medical attention. You have to work at a pop up before you’re allowed to work in EVADE in a real hosptial. People say working the pop ups is a lot harder and a lot nore stressfull, because people can come to you in really any condition out there.

• Similar to how kids in some areas cant wear certain colors like red or blue to school because of gang affiliation, gothamite students cannot wear anything superhero, vigilante or villain adjacent. No birds, bats, clowns, etc. Its a way for schools to try and stop kids from being targetted by their peers/ crazy adults who will attack them for supporting a specific person or party. Hero or otherwise.

• A lot of mom and pop diners/townie bars have foods named after vigilantes and specialty drinks named after villains. Some examples are:

Red Hoods Hot Chicken and Mac: bufallo mac and chicken with house hot sauce, so hot and tasty it will bring tears to your eyes! (this is true. jason tried it and he literally couldn’t feel his face. He couldn’t tell if he was blinking or not. Dick swears up and down he wasn’t.)

Nightwings: boneless chicken wings with a honey barbecue dry rub, with bleu cheese dipping sauce and chips and a blue corn dip. Dick can and will order 4 and eat them all by himself in one sitting.

Robins Eggs Breakfast combo: 2 sunny side up eggs, strawberry french toast, vegetarian sausage, house salad and an OJ. They tried to make it vegan but no one in Gotham wants breakfast without eggs. Robin said he appreciates the thought anyway. He is very smug and protective of his meal and the restaurant that made it. When he has the day shft he stops by there for breakfast, which isn’t often but still.

Signal soup: a classic squash soup, house focaccia and a garden salad. Its a seasonal meal that comes around every fall, and sells out almost every day for the entire season.

The Scarecrow: literally a long island iced tea with black liqueur in a martini glass with 3 olives. It tastes fucking horrible but will get you beyond hammered

Poison Ivy: shot of pochteca lime liqueur and pink whitney. Very tasty.

Regulator: its a blue margarita with coconut milk in it. Its a little sweet but its yummy. It’s common to black out on these because you cant taste the alch and by the time it hits you its too late and its the next morning and your naked in a strangers bed. Darn those regulators for a night you wont remember! at least the guy is handsome…

• See also the Condiment King challenge: A pint size glass of equal parts ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, mayonnaise, hot sauce, soy sauce, honey mustard, sweet and sour, bbq, salsa, fish sauce, vinegar, ranch, and wasabi. Hell in a cup! If you can drink it within 10 minutes without throwing up, you eat free at the dinner for a month and you get a t shirt that says “I completed the Condiment King challenge at Jimbo’s Dinner!” With a poorly drawn picture of condiment king on it. There has only been one winner: Timothy Drake. Jason dared him to try it after he hadnt slept in 3 days. Tim didnt puke, but Jason did. There were threats of violence if Tim ever told anyone that. Tim didn’t believe him, told Dick and magically ended up with a broken finger. “No AlfredI have NOOOOOO idea how it happened! Must’ve had a bad fall on patrol :3”

• taxes in gotham are shit-your-pants-when-you-see-it-the-first-time high. Gotham has to be able to pay for all the damages somehow, despite Bruce Wayne paying for about 15% of those damages out of pocket, its still not enough to stop prices from skyrocketing. To try and combat this, there is a Gala held anually for the top 10% of Gotham to fundraise for emergency city repairs. It helps a lot but doesn’t solve the problem.

[bbyurnogoodforme]

Some of my safe foods/meals just for myself to keep track of!

Popcorn! Air popped without any butter or salt is around 30 cals per cup! unseasoned popcorn just tastes better than popcorn with butter imo <3

Sugar free gum bc duh! I really like the watermelon flavored gums cuz they taste soso good and they fill my sweet tooth!

These low cal cookies! 50 cals each, love baking these and pairing them with black coffee <3

Cauliflower rice! 27 cals per cup, and super filling! I dont usually eat it by itself, I like to mix it with some protein or veggies!

Rice cakes bc you know the drill, 35 cals each yum yum, I usually pair plain rice cakes with greek yogurt and a few of these stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips!

Diet Arizona Green Tea! Tbh just any diet drinks, but this ones a personal fan fav! 0 cals, as all drinks should be <3

Shirataki noodles! Tons of fiber, only 5 cals, and filling! Make sure to look up a good way to prep them! I usually boil and stir fry them before eating them!

Boiled eggs! 78 cals each, but still super good for you <3

Teas, teas, and more teas! Theres a tea for everything from metabolism speeding to sleep aid, drink some tea!

Greek Yogurt! This isn't a revelation I've figured out by myself ofc but still! 100 cals per cup, and super healthy! Plus its a great substitute in a lot of cooking!!!!

Canaloupe! 19 calories for a WHOLE wedge! A whole medium sized canaloupe is 180 cals!

Pickles! 7 cals each and suuuuper yummy imo <3 cucumbers are also a major safe food of mine I have them almost every day for a snack!

Soup!!!!! Tomato soup has around 80-100 cals for a whole bowl and its so yummy imo!!!!

Casabella peppers! (yall know those little peppers at in-n-out?) 10 cals each, literally any peppers are my favs, but my friends love to go to in-n-out together with me and I always love getting a diet coke and some casabellas to munch on <3

Chicken! Just in general! 120 for a whole chicken breast is the best thing ever <3

Almond milk! I've always been lactose sensitive so I've never genuinely had regular milk, plus almond milk is 30 cals per cup and full of calcium which is super important for hair and nails!

Miso Soup! My dad's made this stuff for me since I was a wee little kid, its just one of my favorite foods, period! When i found out it was only 50 cals per cup I was absolutely THRILLED

Healthy Choice power bowl microwaved meals. Oh my goodness absolute godsend! 170 for a whole DINNER!!!! Super filling, high protein, literally just put it in the microwave and bam omgggg its so nice to have these when I need them <3

Strawberries, Watermelon, blueberries! Oh my! <3

Low cal versions of my favorite meals! I've been experimenting with a bunch of low calorie recipes of different stuff and they've all been great! If you like cooking, it can be a great way to keep busy and keep with your goals! My favs so far are low cal pancakes, low cal tortilla wraps, low cal margarita pizza, etc!

I'll add more as I discover more! Stay safe <3

[slashingdisneypasta]

How would your horror/slasher faves take care of you when you're sick? 🥺 (I know you've done a cheering up hcs before but maybe this is a lil different ^^)

Get well soon!! Take care of yourself <333

THIS IS SO SWEET! Thank you! ^^ <3<3<3 I hope you're doing better too with your life stuff or at least you will be very soon ^^

I took this opportunity to be super super self indulgent! XD 😅

Horror Villains x Reader || Headcanons +Imagines at the Bottom

Topic: Taking care of you when you're sick ^^

Includes (For HC's): Jim Bickerman and Otis B. Driftwood. Included (For Imagines): Bo Sinclair, Chucky Lee Ray, Drayton Sawyer, Freddy Krueger and Jeffrey Hawk/The Clown. (They aren't in this order, sorry 😅)

Warnings: Otis fucking Driftwood (Meaning nasty smut hc's and a liiitle dub con)

Jim Bickerman:

If you get really clingy when you're sick like me (Opposite to me when I'm healthy 😅😅) he is absolutely on board with that XD Honestly he loves having you sticking close to him, going to him for warmth, laughing a little too easy at dumb jokes, listening intently to whatever he's saying... he eats it up. You're like an adorable little puppy dog, hangin' onto him. He'll almost be disappointed when you get better and don't act like that anymore 😅😅😅

"... Do you need help gettin' changed? I'm happy to help y'out pumpkin, really! Ul-ulterior motive?? No... "

Usually he's a frozen meal kinda man; he's probably got a freezer just packed full of pizza's and little microwave meals, and the most gourmet thing he 'cooks' regularly is campfire sausages in the backyard- but he knows how to make chicken soup and mash some potato's and that's his first duty when you wake up sick as a dog.

You get to wear one of his flannels when you're sick (:(:(: Its big and thick and probably smells like spilled alcohol.

He's probably gonna get himself sick too because he can not stay away from you. He'll be sat next to you most of the time- watching tv with you and entertaining you, eating soup with you, having tea with you, napping with you- basically, this is not your sickness. This is both of y'alls sickness 😅😅😅

"Here, this'll help. Promise ya."

"... That is a bottle of bourbon."

"Exactly." *Shakes it in your face*

Otis B Driftwood (NSFW mostly)

You think a little bit of snot is gonna deter this freak man??? Uh, no. He's still going to try and fuck you if he can swing it. You look so fucking cute with your sore, sore red nose from wiping so much, the bags under your eyes are sexy as hell to him, and you're moving so damn slowly... you think he isn't gonna take that as an opportunity?

So yeah... he is actually quite into you when you're sick. And he'll probably exhaust you to the point that you'll be sleeping a lot and get through this much faster then usual!

He will kiss you, full on the mouth with a foul amount of tongue (Lets see if we can soothe your throat, baby), so I hope his immune system is good.

He is happy to just warm his cock in you while you sleep, or lay there and babble because you're half really unwell and halfway to an orgasm at the same time. You're just so fucking cute.

He is also happy to eat you out/blow you and overstimulate you for hours. What?? This way he wont get sick himself! Isn't that better, you gross, diseased little slut?

Otis also doesn't shy away from mess (Obviously), so if you have tissues everywhere he's not gonna look at you sideways or anything ^^ Which is such a load off my mind, at least! ^^

He's not gonna make you something good to eat, but he's not a total animal- especially when he gets older. He will make you a cup of tea, and you better like it XD

You need a ride to the bathroom? Otis will haul you on his shoulder the whole way and set you down right on the toilet seat 😅 You need someone to hold you up in the shower? Otis is on it- he needs a shower anyway.

+ Imagines

Another one who does not give a damn how 'gross' you might be when you're sick is Jeffrey/the clown. He'll have you set on his big lap snoozing against his shoulder or sniffling and coughing into tissues while he messes around with different potions in his trailer, just keeping you warm and comfortable there. He says if you can put up with him coughing and hacking all over ya all the time he can damn sure handle you're adorable fucken self whimpering into his shoulder all day.

If you tend to have bad dreams when you're unwell due to your fever like I do: Imagine frowning in your sleep, pressing your lips together in a tight line as the scenes in your head just replay or get worse the harder you try to get rid of them or distract yourself. But there's immediate relief as soon as Freddy enters your dream. Just his presence is comforting to you ^^

Imagine convincing Drayton to come to bed with you instead of back to work. It takes some convincing, but its no secret he likes you more then anyone else in the world- literally- and he gives in after a while. He gets back in, fully clothed, and delicately but purposefully gets in close so you can cuddle up to him, sayin 'just for a couple minutes okay??' very sternly, before he falls asleep to you stroking his surprisingly soft hair.

Imagine sitting on a bench in Bo's shop while he works, slowly just making your way through a roll of toilet paper there because you just couldn't bear to be away from him- even if he was paying little attention to you. Imagine him, though, taking a break eventually and standing between your legs, his hands warm on your thighs, to ask you how yer goin, doll?

Chucky's conscious of your illness and does not want to get it, but he'll sit out on the ground on the other side of your bedroom door and talk to you through it. Ask you if you're alive still, talk about whatever goes through his head just to hear you hum in acknowledgement, play 20 questions while he fiddles with a lighter... that kind of thing. And he'll also cook you some soup later (He's just an asshole- not an incompetent asshole).

[toomuchracket]

omg can we have you looking after flatmate matty when he’s sick?? maybe bringing him cold medicine and helping him shower and giving lots of extra cuddles🥺

so its like mid-morning you're like up and dotting around the flat and you're kind of concerned because matty still isn't up yet (this is before you're together btw). like you know he wakes up later the night after a show but this is pushing it. and you're hesitant to go into his room in case there's someone with him, but every time you've gone past it's either been him snoring or just total silence, so you figure he's alone. you knock and open the door slightly, and poke your head round to see matty wrapped in the duvet SHIVERING despite the heating being on. you go over and he's like "babe i really really don't feel well" and his voice is all scratchy, and he's SWEATING. and you feel his forehead and he's burning up so you get him up and like manoeuvre him into the bathroom (he's so weak he can't stand by himself) to the shower to try and shift his fever. and even ill matty's still joking like "you know, i didn't picture this being the scenario in which we first showered together, but ok" and you pointedly ignore the fact he's just admitted to thinking about you and him in the shower together and just try and get him undressed in the most dignified way you can. and you're like "if you can face away from me i can hold you up without you having to compromise your modesty. i'll have to see your bare arse but that's nothing new" and matty's like "annoying that you've seen my bum and i haven't seen yours" and you're like "stop thinking about me naked and focus on feeling better" and he's like "those two things correlate it's fine" and you're like "jesus christ" but internally you're all !!!!!!! and the heat of the shower seems to soften the congestion in his chest so he's coughing this like awful awful cough and all you can really do is rub his back while holding him upright and doing your best not to look at him naked (but because he's so ill your overwhelming feeling is concern, not lust, so you're fine). anyway, the shower seems to revitalise him a little bit, so you leave matty to dry off and get dressed in his room and run to make him a cup of tea and get some soluble paracetamol. he has a bit of a tantrum about the latter, and won't force himself to drink it unless you sit and cuddle him afterwards to make him feel better (which melts your heart), so you end up sitting on matty's bed with his head in your lap, softly blow-drying his hair (so his cold doesn't get worse) while you watch my neighbor totoro (aka the best film of all time if u wanna feel better). when matty starts to fall asleep, you manoeuvre him onto the pillows and let him nap, while you go to the kitchen and start to reheat a batch of chicken noodle soup you'd made and frozen especially for situations like these. forty minutes later, though, you hear matty literally crying out your name and run back in a panic. and you're like "what's wrong sweetheart?" and he's actually crying a little bit holding your hand like "woke up and you weren't next to me" and you have to hold onto the bedframe to stop yourself keeling over at how heart-aching that statement is before you say "i'm sorry, babe, i was just getting you some soup. give me 2 minutes and i'll bring it to you". and matty pouts and says "promise you'll only be gone for 2 minutes?" and you're like "yes, i promise" and he reluctantly lets you go and get it. and then when you come back he has the soup then he's like "can you just please stay and cuddle me for the rest of the day?" and you're like "ok. but if i get ill, healy..." and matty's like "if you get ill, i'll take care of you. i'll always take care of you" and then he falls asleep on you again, leaving you sitting there heart fluttering lol <3

[whoviandoodler]

Thanks for not being negative on my post, it was a 2am rant that i didnt intend to be read by anyone but those who themselves werent too happy w the book, so im glad that you heeded the warning (also, dont ever apologize for ur language skills when its not ur first lang, if someone picks at it they're being an asshole (it seems great, but im an english major who has a lot of Opinions abt the hegemony of english and the assumption that knowing english perfectly is some kind of bare minimum, so it saddens me when i see other non-native english speakers apologize unnecessarily- own the fact you know more than one language and never apologize for how well or badly you know your 2nd, 3rd, whatever; the people who matter will be glad you know at least some of their language and have put in an effort to communicate with them, and entitled assholes dont deserve attention))

That aside, I have a pretty bad case of post-exams woozy brain, so i hope my reply will be coherent, and i hope it doesnt sound rude, i dont mean it that way, im just giving my perspective. I mainly want to explain that while yes, calling someone queer solely for being flamboyant is stereotyping (dandies are, i suppose, the main argument that comes to mind lol, lots of them were straight and a lot of ppl in history acting in ways we would consider flamboyant now werent seen as queer then), a lot of queer culture is using stereotypes and assumptions to be visible- think if u see someone with blue hair and large earrings; yes, they might well be cishet, but i will assume they are one of ours, and ill give them a compliment that they, if they are indeed queer, will read as recognition.

Especially considering a history of queerness needing to be hidden and only being expressed through signals that other queer people will understand- languages like polari in britain, the handkerchiefs you'd put in your back pockets, saying someone does or doesnt speak latin in some english schools. And some signals are more well-known and have been a more visible signal throughout ages- men with higher voices, who were 'vain', who dressed a certain way-, and were used to queer code characters when they weren't allowed to be canonically queer. Think ryan from hsm- hes flamboyant, and he loves theater, and ashton cucher or whatever that guy's name is; yes, these are stereotypical traits of a queer man, but its those traits that helped 'those who know know' see themselves on screen, and they were purposefully implemented by the writers for that sspecific purpose.

My point is, yes, howl is flamboyant, and yes, flamboyancy is a part of why i read him as queer. He's the definition of a poor little meow meow, he has a college degree, he loves his earring and his hair and his suits and spends exorbitant amounts of money to make things beautiful. He also has ADHD, and the link between neurodivergency and queerness is another thing added to the list (and you could say much the same thing for him being nd- am i allowed to say he's nd bcs his house is a mess and he knows exactly where he put what and if u move it he wont be able to find it? and bcs hes an overthinker and anxious and has to lie to himself in order to get things done? none of these things mean he's nd, but i see my experiences and the experiences of my nd friends in him, and i hence identify him as such bcs he as a character cannot be consulted on his opinions- he exists not as a person, but a mix of traits that can be interpreted in dif ways) . He doesn't want to be a part of the mainstream, he doesnt want to do things other expect him to do. I see part of queer culture in him, and i compile them all unconsciously and read him as queer- a flamboyant university graduate with no real wish in life but to be free of capitalism and pursue his dreams? i'm going to filter that thru my experiences and knowledge, and im going to read him as queer.

I had certain expectations of the narrative, and I didnt get them from it, and i'm so jaded to the stories that end in marriage as the happy ending and have aspects of the kind of romance depicted in the book that i honestly dont believe that ill read it again, or that id have a dif experience if i did. I did come into it expecting a dif thing to the movie, and it wasn't the lack of kisses that discouraged me from getting engaged with their relationship, or that it was different and more real (as i said, they had teeth in the book, which id hoped coming into it since char flaws are what adds depth to a story and more interestingly moves it forward), it was the fact that a relationship made of arguing and snippets of attraction and peace ending in marriage and procreation has never appealed to me either irl or in stories, and tho not exclusive to cishet relationships, it is something that's seen as worth striving towards in some parts of that culture.

It was admittedly my fault that I hadn't checked the date of the book before id read it, and that i expected something of that book that it simply wasnt meant to be, pulled by the queer atmosphere of the movie (i cant fully describe to u how much that movie means to queer people in my circles, and how much we relate to it and see ourselves in it, either bcs howl is gender envy incarnate and has bisexuality vibes thru the roof (i have a bi trans friend who is, essentially, howl), or bcs the vague magical atmosphere of it is inviting).

With that all said, i want to add a disclaimer that ure free to read the book as u like, and to see the characters as you like. The beauty of stories is that we all experience them differently, and i'm not going to knock your interpretation of it any more than i will my own; i will, however, contest the idea that reading a character as queer bcs they embody certain stereotypes of queerness is incorrect and somehow harmful or shallow.

I have and will go on to read a number of books written in times and places where queer rep wasn't and isn't allowed, or is/was stigmatized enough to be avoided outright, and reading those kinds of books with the fear of seeing a character as queer bcs they embody queer stereotypes but havent outright said it is a disservice both to myself and the author's potential intentions.

It's important to remember that chars arent real, living people, and that labeling them as queer or not queer based on what they do and dont do does them no harm like it would to a real, living person (think what happened with kit connor, for example, or what happens to cishet ppl who cant wear what they like bcs someone might keep questioning their identity and not believe their words bcs of it).

(this is a ramble and isn't complimentary, so if you're in this tag purely for positive stuff, please swerve around this post; you have been warned, so pls don't add negativity to this post either, thanks)

Just finished hmc (book) and i have so many conflicting thoughts about it. Like it was obviously very well written in terms of the worldbuilding and the characters and the plot but then with the romance it felt,,, so odd to me.

Maybe it's the fact that it's decades old, but it has that feeling of vagueness that classics and stuff often do, where I don't feel at all invested because it all feels surface level. Like Sophie and Howl clearly have a connection, but I felt like it was never explored in a way that tugged at my heart strings, it was more like they had the grounds for friendship and then bippity boppity they held hands and were getting married.

Which gets me to another thing- this felt very much like someone had taken a very interesting queer character and put them in a very heteronormative romance plot??? Like howl has such major queer vibes, but then he interacts with sophie and vice versa like they're the protags of every heteronormative straight romance book (if there weren't even making out to keep your attention on SOMETHING), and it just feels like they were done dirty even tho they are as the author intended them to be and saw them as.

Idk just... They're such interesting characters and I would have loved to see their love story if it weren't trapped in a heteronormative cage.

The rest of the story is just so incredibly fun and engaging that whenever this stuff popped up and they were forced to play into these roles it felt jarring and left me at the end wondering if I'd just ruined the experience I knew from the ghibli movie and wasted hours just to end up feeling neutral about the story.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #4

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. In my world, we've had a bit of a weird sickness going on around the world for the last several years now. People jokingly refer to it as "The Plague" sometimes. But it's not really a joke, because lots and lots of people have died from it, and still more have had to be hospitalized, and still others have suffered permanent effects because of it. It's really rather scary, so most everyone tries really hard to avoid getting it or spreading it around. On the bright side, there are vaccines for it now, and tests to detect it, so that really helps a lot, but the danger isn't quite over.

I don't have The Plague, thankfully; I checked. But even if I did, I'm vaccinated, so that if I do end up catching it, I won't feel like I've been hit by a truck nearly as hard. It's about time for me to get my immunity boosted for it though, so I'm going to go do that later today. It'll be lame, because anytime my immune system gets poked by a thing that it feels like it's gotta challenge to a street fight, I get really tired. Still, feeling a bit tired is better than the alternative.

I seem to have a generic and very mild case of the sniffles. The inside of my nose feels just a little weird, and it was really only annoying for one day, and it's already a lot better; I'll probably be fully recovered by tomorrow. All the same, I thought to make a batch of my famous (it's not really famous, except amongst my closest friends, haha!) bone broth:

Ahah... I know it probably looks really bad right now, but that's because it's not all done yet! It's made of leftover chicken bones, fruit and veggie scraps, and various herbs and teas. You have to simmer it for a day or so in water with a little bit of vinegar to help everything break down nicely, so that all the juicy nutrients can seep deliciously into the water! Once it's all done with simmering, you have to use a cheesecloth to squish the water out of everything, strain it, and then season it. It'll be very good when it's ready, and the resulting concoction will lend a body a bit more strength and energy, which speeds up recovery time from illness or stress by just a little bit, and makes the waiting to become well again a bit more bearable. You can use it to make soups, make rice with it, or just drink it straight from a cup; it's good stuff!

It's certainly not like the potions and elixirs and whatnot that are available in your world, which can instantly revitalize a body, ahaha! But this sort of thing, made with love, is imbued with a very weak (but still meaningful!) kind of magic, which makes it the next best thing, in my book!

There will probably be a lot more here than I can use on my own, so once it's ready, I'll put a bunch of it in jars and give it away to my friends, if they want some. I wish I could give you a jar; I know you're doing lots of very difficult stuff where you are, and so I'm sure you could use all the passive buffs you can get! Maybe you could have a few sips, and then feel just a little happier or a little more at ease. Or maybe you could have it as a nice soup or stew; when's the last time you've eaten anything, anyway? I imagine you're being sustained by SOMETHING, but that doesn't mean that you don't need basic creature comforts like a good soup from time to time; for all your phenomenal power, you're still human after all, and you deserve nice things.

I wonder if you've ever been sick with the sniffles, or with generic gut yuck, or anything similar. I wonder if you've had someone nearby to bring you soup when you're feeling unwell. If you've not had these experiences, I hope you can have them someday; even if mild illness is unpleasant temporarily, to experience it and to be cared for in its duration is good medicine for the soul in the long term.

Tell you what: if you're ever feeling icky and you're in my neighborhood (unlikely to the point of being absolutely and utterly impossible, I know, haha! but still...), pop on by for tasty snacks, a good nap, random conversation, and wholesome stuff to do; it'll set you to rights lickety-split, without a doubt - I promise.

Please be safe out there, won't you? And remember to take good care of yourself while you're doing whatever you're doing; too many people are counting on you to allow yourself to break down from stress and overwork. And please remember to ask for help should you find yourself struggling; you might be surprised by just how many hands are willing to reach for you and lift you up.

You are loved. Please come back to us in one piece.

Your friend, Lumine

[thepaladinstrait]

hiiiiiii its this time of day again!!!!

today was okay!! last day of the term which i have. mixed feelings about. idk holidays arent really too good for me but im soo close to burning myself out with schoolwork so im ready for two weeks off

uhh i had peggy (mini highland cow stuffed toy) with me again today!!

we played scattegories in my english class and my team won the first round!!!!!! and i got some mentos :))

uhhhhh and then i stole some of ellis' chicken noodle soup!!

THEN my math/science/tech teacher put despicable me on and i sat there on tumblr reblogging about 60-ish posts in the span of an hour (when i was planning on writing a fic) listening to my comfort songs playlist <33

AAAAAAAND THEN idk i basically just sat there with ella in drama and scrolled tumblr again a bit more

uhh then just spent some time with ellis and it was. just really really nice and he gave me xir hoodie for the holidays and im just so so so in love with xem its insane okay my ramble about how much i fucking love him is done now sorry for being sappy on dash yall (im not sorry)

THEN i went to the mall with ella and ellis and got bubble tea and hot chips and stuff and organised some stuff for the weekend (hopefully)

overall it was a really good day!! i just. dont want it to be the holidays bc i hate the holidays and im gonna really miss ellis :((

uh GOAL UPDATE!! my goal was to have a cup of water when i get up and one before i go to bed and i. did not have a cup of water when i got up BUT i will have one before bed and i actually ate a decent amount today so even tho that wasnt my goal, im gonna count it as making up for not having that cup of water bc i ate something!!!!!!!!!!

goal for tmr issssssssss uh. write or at least plan some of my new fic!!

arch photo!! <333333

july 2022 arch <33 idk what this position is lmao i don’t remember this

[keefwho]

January 01 - 2024 Monday

10:35pm

Today I did not work because I was going to use today to get groceries and set myself up for the month. I woke up with a swollen throat for some reason, more than is normal for when my throat get irritated over night. It looked splotchy too like strep but if it was that then I have no idea where I would have gotten it. I took a long hot shower and made chicken noodle soup with a grilled cheese for breakfast. I almost ruined the grilled cheese completely while flipping it because I was trying to flip it with a ladle to cut down on dishes but I salvaged it. The soup was very good on my throat. I watched an episode of Bojack while eating. Afterwards my dad knocked on my door letting me know he was going to town 2 hours early so him and my sister could do some things. I was irritated by this because I was going to go to town despite my throat but not if it was going to be 2 hours longer than planned and with more company. I feel like I still should have gone to prove I can handle it. Since I was staying home I joined TDS for a little bit and played KSP for 2 hours. Some awkward guy joined and didn't really say anything even thought I tried making conversation. He also thought I was asking if he had sex last night when I asked "Did you get fucked up last night?" which was weird. He said he never pulled. I left after playing and took the next hour to wipe down my kitchen, organize my freezer, and wrap my last gift for Evie. Its an 8 inch toy model car out of it's box so I wrapped it in bubblewrap and just wrapped that up. I also had to steal a roll of wrapping paper from my parents. For lunch I made a birria Tapitio ramen bowl with some mixed veggies which I found out is a great thing to put in these noodle bowls. Its kinda like how cup noodle tries to put little veggies in theirs but it's way better. Daisy was on the road and asked me to call while I cooked and put away groceries. I found it very nice and relaxing to chat with her while I was handling my groceries. After a bit she had the idea to put something on to listen to so we listened to 3 episodes of Geno's Chris Chan documentary. I on and off played KSP and Cities in the background. While playing Cities I was able to relax and build what my heart told me without the stress of doing things "right". The entire call was very long and chill, I sort of felt like I was riding in the car too since I wasn't really doing anything. After a lot of Chris Chan we just chatted for a little until she got home. I made chicken fries and french fries for dinner as usual. I saw a video about potato soup I wanted to watch so I did and got inspired to make something similar. I called Daisy in bed and played Neopets where we found out I can't go back to wrap up the side quests I had even if I loaded a slightly older save. After she fell asleep, I watched Day 0 of Adriene's 30 day yoga challenge and did my nightly routine. I accidently brushed my teeth before finishing my tea so now it tastes weird but I gotta get hydrated.

Today was okay but I felt very stressed thinking about all the things I want to do and how I'm going to do them. I realized I need to cultivate more focus and put some things off until another time. I need to be able to switch gears between things instead of giving everything attention all at once.

[moon3unny]

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

Christmas update 24.12.2023

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

Please just block dont report

-

Alright so this morning I was still 54,kg same weight but at least I didnt gain right so thats a win. I was feeling really shitty but I pushed through with cold brew and cooked a whole lot of christmas dinner. I had to eat obviously but Ill use it as my metabolism day! ate lasagna but I only ate half of one piece because I legit could not eat any more like i was so full I was starting to feel sick.

ate some sausages a few chicken nuggets- but overall I am so full that its uncomfortable and I feel sick. but this will be a huge metabolism day so im trying not to cry about it.

Im not going to weigh myself tomorrow for my own sanity

theres so much food left over I cooked that I dont need to cook tomorrow which is pretty slay. so I can start low restricting tomorrow again :3

I got an eyeshadow pallete, a kuromi plushie and a thermal coffee cup so I can keep tea,soup or coffee hot when im upstairs since I drink stuff so slowly it gets cold quickly

anyways heres some tea:

my sister right. I dont fatshame I dont give a single fuck ab anyoens weight only my own but shes an emotional binge eater and shes been medically obese for most of her life now which is no problem as long as shes healthy just repeating this: I DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSES WEIGHT BUT MY OWN. if u fatshame then respectfully: block me.

the problem is: that she tries blaming how much she eats on everyone else but herself. she asked me to hand her the chicken nuggets on the other end of the table so I did, and then I handed her a sausage too thinking she would want it too- I only HANDED IT TO HER and she GRABBED IT. I DID. NOT. place it on her plate she could have said no and I wouldve just put it back.

later when she was full she complained about "having to eat this sausage" as if I forced her to. she kept going on about how I put it directly on her plate. so we kept going back and forth ab how I did NOT put it on her plate I offered it and she TOOK IT WITH HER HAND?? NO SIGN OF NOT WANTING IT WHATSOEVER and then she kept going on and on ab with that self centered tone and audacity to blame me for making her eat more so when I told her thats not what happened like 3 times like it didnt happen legit 10 min ago she kept denying it and lowkey trying to gaslight me??? OVER A FUCKING SAUSAGE? "thats not what happened (deadname) wdym" AND SHE HAD THE FCKN BALLS TO SCOFF TOO???????

LIKE I COULDNT GIVE LESS OF A FUCK IF U DONT WANT TO SEEM LIKE U ARE EATING TOO MUCH BUT DONT BLAME IT ON ME????? I LITERALLY SPENT HOURS IN THE KITCHEN TO COOK ALL OF YALL A WHOLE MENU WHILST FIGHTING THE DARK SPOTS IN MY VISION U FUCKING BITCHBAG. anyways that pissed me off so much because she only acted like that bc our dad was sitting right in front of us at the dinnertable and she doesnt want him to comment on her eating which is very valid and relatable but ur fucking horrible if u make ur literal YOUNGEST SIBLING suffer for it.

Hi. Im the youngest sibling yet Im basically the oldest sibling bc they both cant cook for shit. I handle every argument that breaks out in the house andI protect both of my older sisters whenever my dad gets in a screaming fest with them. me. the. youngest. I never had any older siblings because Im the one handling them.

Ill rant ab her in another post this is basically already too long sorrayy

[sylviareviar]

"Yes, that's right," she said, cutting him off before he could continue his thought. "Well, you're coherent enough, which is good." She didn't know how to continue while speaking in a foreign language, so she naturally switched back to English as she muttered her thoughts aloud. "You don't have any visual or auditory hallucinations, and judging from how you were squirming when I bandaged you, you haven't lost any feeling in your limbs or parts of your body, either. Now we've just gotta work on getting your body to detox those drugs..."

Knowing Ren's mental state was clear like this was certainly helpful. He wasn't too far gone. The issue with his name could wait-- it could be a personal issue that she didn't fully understand yet, since she wasn't as close to him as the other Phantom Thieves-- almost everything else was perfectly sound and clear, if a bit groggy. This was a good sign.

"Earlier today, I did my best to make bulyon, a Russian-style chicken broth," Sylvia said. "I brought it in a pot, and it's waiting downstairs. I made it because it's flexible, and you can put whatever you want in it to make it taste better. Boss should have finished heating it back up by now, so I'll get you a bowl of soup and bread. If you're still hungry after that, there's rice, and I could make you a cup of tea, or Boss could make some coffee. Just wait here for about five minutes, okay? I'm not leaving the building; I'll be right back. If you need anything before then, send Morgana, okay? Don't stand up."

Carefully, she draped Ren's blanket over his shoulders, trying to move gently so that it didn't brush against any of his bruises and bandages, then as if moving automatically, she pressed her lips against his forehead and patted his shoulders and walked down the stairs.

...she tried not to think about how her body moved on its own like that. What the hell possessed her to kiss Ren's forehead like that? Ugh, forget it. She'd just chalk it up to her being relieved Ren was alive and leave it at that.

For some reason, she was reminded of when she was younger, and she'd get so frightened of the thunderstorm her brother would sit her down in the basement, wrap her in blankets, and kiss her forehead before going up to grab some snacks and keep her company. Except somehow, she was the one taking care of the big brother now...

"Okay, good... I think," he mumbled. At least he could still make out faces and voices.

Now as for the date, that he didn't know. He wasn't good at dates to begin with. He also wasn't really sure how long he had spent in that interrogation room to begin with, let alone how long he'd been out of it. Any answer he gave would be little more than guessing.

"Um... I don't know. We were in Sae's Palace, and I got caught, and... it all hurt so much..." He reached up and held his head in his hands, trying to steady himself. Truly, Sae had gotten lucky when she questioned him. She managed to get him right in the sweet spot, while his adrenaline was high enough to make his thoughts clearer, and before the worst effects of the drugs had hit him.

"It hurts... And Akechi... Akechi..."

[pankowperfection]

Kiss it Better

Summary: You just can't seem to get better but JJ has an idea of how to help

Warnings: smut, oral (fem receiving), slight daddy kink, ring kink, 18+

Day three of being sick and god were you tired of it. Sweat lingering over your skin from your fever wreaking havoc on your body as you slept, tickling cough that just wouldn't go away no matter how many cough drops you swallowed. JJ hated seeing you like this, unable to offer much comfort other than making you your childhood favorite chicken noodle soup for dinner each night. He rounds your shared bed, brushing the sweaty strands back off your face and grimacing when he feels your head it still warm. "How you feeling sweetheart?" You try to clear your throat, wincing when you feel just how raw it is. "Still feel terrible J. Just want to be better."

"Why don't you take a cool shower? I'll make you some tea." Reluctantly you peel yourself out of bed, knowing in the back of your mind a shower will do wonders to make you feel like a new person again. When you emerge you find one of his t shirts waiting for you, smiling to yourself as you pull on the soft, faded fabric that still smells like his skin. As you walk into the kitchen you find your steaming cup of green tea in your favorite mug, a smiling JJ standing behind it. "I'm staying home with you today baby. We can snuggle and watch whatever you want on TV. I am here to just make you feel better." "Aw J, you didn't have to do that." "Anything for you cupcake."

You spend most of the afternoon drifting in and out of consciousness, trapped between JJ's muscular thighs with your back resting against his chest. A fit of coughs wakes you up, unable to get comfortable again afterwards. JJ rubs soft circles into your back, desperate to help you somehow. "What can I do baby? Anything?" You shake your head, knowing the only thing that will help is time. "Will you just come lay in bed with me? Its more comfy in there." He follows you down onto the plush mattress, snuggling into your back and laying soft kisses over your neck. "Mmm J, feels good." He smirks into your skin, loving how even when you don't feel well you respond to his touch. "Oh yeah?"

His right hand trails down your frame, teasing the elastic of your pajama bottoms as his soft lips reattach to your neck. "Baby I'm sick," you groan, not wanting him to stop but worried he'll catch whatever you have. "Your pussy isn't sick, is she?" Just then his fingers dip down to your folds, lightly tracing over the outside skin, pleasure dancing through your system at his simple touch. He gently rolls you onto your back, fingers exploring your sex as you can't help but moan. "Let me make you feel better baby," he coos, kissing down between the valley of your breasts as you give in to the sensations. Your panties are quickly discarded onto the floor, the fabric of his shirt pushed up to reveal you to him.

He lays open mouthed kisses up each thigh, driving you wild as he narrowly avoids where you need him most. "J please," you groan, nails digging into his scalp as you pull on his hair. "Relax. Daddy's gonna make you feel good." With that he latches onto you, tongue tracing from your entrance to your clit as the pleasure burns through your veins. "Shit baby," your body is trembling already, his talented tongue working wonders to make you forget about your sickness. Two fingers tease your entrance before plunging inside, the cool metal of his rings adding to the sensation and making your hips jolt up into his face. He sucks your clit into his mouth, giving it soft flicks before releasing and repeating the motion again and again. Your thighs threaten to close on his face, the pleasure almost too much to handle. "Oh J, don't stop."

You feel him smirk into your skin, a moan leaving his mouth creating the perfect vibrations to bring you closer to that edge. You yank on his hair and he moans again, loving when you get so lost in your pleasure. "Come on baby, want you to cum all over my face." He gets right back to work, flicking your clit up and down as his fingers slowly thrust in and out of you. The contrast in tempo is perfection, your back starting to arch off the bed as your high takes over. He feels you trembling and doesn't let up, licking more forcefully as you cum with a chant of his name. He licks up the mess you made, slowly kissing his way back up your body before laying down with his head on your chest, listening as your heart beat returns to normal. "Feeling better now baby?" You smile, tracing gently through his hair as he settles onto you. "Much better J, thank you."

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[nothoughtsonlynat]

Cold Vodka, Warm Hands (N.R.)

Words: 1.6k

The icy wind whipped across my face as I peered through the scope. The frigid metal of the Barrett M82A1 felt comforting in my hands. The cold never bothered me, of course. Due to my pyrokinesis, I had complete control over my own body temperature.

There wasn’t a sound for miles and, somehow, it was both peaceful and unnerving. The snow crunched with any and all movement, so we were staying unbearably still. I slowly scanned the abandoned factory for our target; a Russian arms dealer who was planning on stealing some alien tech and selling it for profit. We were about 1,500 yards from the factory. There’s not much cover out here, so our choice of positions was very limited. The shot would be a difficult one, with the distance and the crosswinds, but this is my specialty. Well, it used to be, before I discovered my ability to manipulate heat and fire. I’m one of SHIELD’s best sharpshooters.

As I checked once more for the target, a chattering noise distracted me from my task. I pulled my face away from my rifle to look at my partner, who was laying next to me, prepared to range the target and gauge the wind. Her lips were turning a shade of purple, and her teeth were chattering from the cold.

“Are you okay, Agent Romanoff?”

“Mhm.”

“Sure. Aren’t you Russian?” She leveled me with a hard glare and I slightly raised my hands in the air and went back to my task.

I noticed some movement through the scope. “Target, 11 o’clock.” 

“Oblique wind from the left, 8 miles per hour,” she called out.

I adjusted the scope accordingly and took the shot. Clean kill. No witnesses. Objective complete. I quickly unloaded the rifle and slung it over my shoulder as Agent Romanoff packed up. To say I was relieved the mission was over would be an understatement; this woman is practically a walking gay panic, and the mission had done nothing to help with my not-so-small crush on her. I risked a glance at her as we walked side by side. She looked freezing. Her right hand was in her pocket, but her left was exposed since one of her holsters blocked the left pocket.

“Is there any particular reason you’re staring at me, Agent y/l/n?” Shit.

“Oh, I- uh, I- um, can I hold your hand?” Her head snapped around to look at me as I realized what I said. “I just mean that, um, you look really cold and I can, you know, warm up your hand, at the very least. With my p-powers.” She didn’t say anything as she blankly stared at me, and I was worried that I had crossed a line until she abruptly stuck out her hand. I stared at the appendage for a second before realizing what she meant. I grabbed her hand in mine and focused on my powers, being careful to not let my hand get too hot.

We walked hand-in-hand the whole way to the safehouse. I could hear her sniffle every once in a while, but I didn’t say anything out of fear of getting punched. As we entered the safehouse, I realized it was more of a shack than anything. The walls were plywood and the whole thing was only one room. The kitchen area had a couple of cabinets and a small gas stove, and there was only one fairly small bed, as well as a small fireplace.

“Huh. This is…”

“Horrible. This is really horrible,” she finished for me. I couldn’t help but notice how nasally her voice sounded. 

I slid the bags off her shoulders and set them down next to mine. She sent me a questioning look as I walked her to the edge of the bed and sat her down. I said nothing as I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Sit here. Don’t move. Please.”

I walked around the room, lighting the oil lanterns. I grabbed some firewood from the pile and stacked it in the fireplace, using my powers to light a fire. I went into the ‘kitchen’ and rummaged through the cupboards. I heated a can of soup in my hands and poured it into a bowl. I found some teabags and heated some water the same way, since it was faster.

I brought the tea and soup over to Natasha, placing them on the stand next to the bed. She made no move to grab either item, too busy looking at me with a bewildered expression.

“What? You need to warm up. You’re already getting sick.”

“Why are you taking care of me?” She asked as I helped her move up against the headboard and under the covers.

I handed her the soup and said, “Well, you’re my partner— on the mission, I mean. It’s my job to protect you...on the mission.”

She hummed and I left to hang up our clothes to dry. I grabbed the second bowl of soup and sat in the bed next to her, as far away as physically possible.

“I don’t bite, you know. You can sit closer. You’re gonna fall off the bed,” she said amusedly.

“Right, sorry. Just didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything.”

“I’m perfectly comfortable, minus the fact that it’s still freezing in here.”

After we finished our soup, we went to bed since there was nothing else for us to do. I was woken up in the middle of the night by Natasha’s fit of sneezing and coughing. I sat up and patted her back as she coughed. That sounded painful. I got out of bed and brought her a roll of toilet paper since there were no tissues. I made her another cup of tea before getting back in bed. I could see her shivering as she sipped the hot beverage, and I had an internal debate with myself. Before I could chicken out, I slid closer to her and wrapped my arms around her, focusing on my powers.

“What are you doing?” She asked through her chattering teeth.

“Warming you up,” I replied simply.

“You’re gonna get sick.”

“I’m not gonna get sick, you baby. Just let me hold you.” She stopped protesting after that and continued drinking her tea. Once she was done, she set it on the stand. She snuggled further into my arms and we moved to lay down. I felt her breathing even out as her muscles relaxed. I fought off the exhaustion; if I fell asleep, my body would return to its normal temperature. I tried not to freak out at the feeling of having in her arms, knowing that after this mission, we’d go back to being just teammates.

Morning rolled around and I watched the sky lighten through the only window in the safe house. I hadn’t left the bed all night, aside from the two times I added wood to the fire. As the sun peaked over the horizon, Natasha stirred in my arms.

“Morning,” she rasped out. Oh my god, her morning voice is gonna be the death of me.

“Uh, morning,” I replied, clearing my throat. She sat up and looked over my face, suddenly making me very self-conscious.

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Uh, no, not really. I stayed awake to keep my body warm for you.”

“You didn’t have to do that, y/n.”

“No, it’s— I didn’t mind. Do you feel any better?”

“Well, I don’t feel like I’m dying anymore. It’s still cold as hell, though. You know what I really need?”

“What?”

“Some nice, cold vodka,” she said with a small, genuine smile.

“Oh! I have some of that!”

“You brought vodka on a mission?” She raised an eyebrow as her lips curved into a smirk.

“Yes— no, well, kind of. I bought it on the way here. Nothing like Russian vodka, right?”

I walked over to my duffel bag and pulled out the bottle of vodka. I grabbed two mugs from the kitchen, as well as a package of crackers. I slid back into the bed and she raised an eyebrow at the crackers.

“What? I’m not letting you drink vodka on an empty stomach. I don’t wanna get puked on,” I said with a joking grimace, although I really didn’t want to get puked on. 

She laughed as she poured some vodka into the mugs. I opened the crackers and set the package on the bed, and she handed me one of the mugs.

“It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” I said, then we clinked the mugs together and I grimaced at the burn.

“Ugh, why does it have to be so cold? Can we just stay in bed?” That is definitely the closest Natasha Romanoff has ever gotten to whining, and it was adorable.

“Well, our extraction isn’t until this afternoon, so yeah, for a while.” She pushed herself back into my body, and I wrapped my arms around her after recovering from the brief shock.

Three hours later, we were packing up and getting ready to hike to the extraction point. I put out all of the lanterns before leaving the safe house. Natasha stuck out her hand and I wrapped it in mine without hesitation. It wasn’t all that cold out anymore, but I didn’t say anything about it. We made it to the extraction point in about thirty minutes, her hand never dropping mine. The SHIELD jet came into view and landed in the clearing in front of us. I couldn’t stop the twinge of sadness at the fact that we were leaving. It was selfish, but I loved taking care of Natasha these past two days.

As the gate of the jet dropped, Natasha spoke in a sultry voice, “Thank you, Y/N, for keeping me warm.” She kissed my crimson cheek before sauntering onto the jet. I snapped out of my daze and followed her, trying and failing to keep my composure.

[the-witch-of-one-piece]

Marco x Herbalist Reader: Taking care of him

A/N: Hello my Dears! I have another one for my FAVORITE character OP Marco <3 . Now that Marco is living in Sphinx he is taking care of the villagers. He is worried about everyones health and tends to lack proper care for his own since being in Sphinx. The reader is a herbalist and has very good knowledge of herbs that will make him feel better. He enjoys the attention from the reader and doesn't mind him getting taken care of for once.. Enjoy.

Cancelling clinic was something Marco never done. One of the villagers came to the shop buying some items when they told you. They were unsure of the reason why he cancelled clinic today. You yourself were thinking the worst. What if something was happened horrible or if he was with someone. Your heart felt like it fell to your stomach.You and him aren't dating but you both did tend to flirt with one another you both felt the attraction to one another but never jumped on it. He was always at your shop keeping you company when clinic was slow for the day. The single women in the village showed him a lot of attention or trying to get his attention. You would get a bit jealous of it. I should check up on him just to make sure he is okay. You closed your shop up early making your way to his home. As you knocked on his door waiting until you seen the tall man he looked tired. Shirt was unbutton more than usual he have his glasses on. “Hey yoi.” He said a little groggy his arm resting on the door frame.

“Hey everything okay? I heard you canceled clinic.” You responded in a concerning tone.

“Under the weather right now I shouldn’t be around anyone.” He said.

“Did you take anything?” your hand was placed on your hips.

“No...I’ve been asleep since this morning thinking it would clear up. So I cancel clinic for today so I can recover yoi” Marco was very healthy person always took care of himself but he is allowed to gets sick it was bound to happen sooner of later when he over worked himself.

You sighed pinching the bridge of your nose. “I’ll be back go inside and shower. I'll be back.”

With a surprise look “Your a Doctor now yoi?” The corner of his mouth curled up he did still have his humor.

“Trust me okay.” Pushing him back in the door.. You walked home grabbing some items herbs and food and Tea infuser. Walking back to his home. The door was open he knew you would be back soon since you didn't live far from him.. You heard the shower going. Good he listened to you. Walking to the kitchen and began to get the items ready. Boiling the water in the tea kettle. You heard the shower go off. Few minutes later Marco comes out drying his hair his shirt was undone. You couldn't help but just stared for a moment longer than needed just seeing his tone abs and the big chest tattoo sent you into your own fantasy stop being a perv. Averting my eyes going back to cleaning the chicken and the veggies. He leaned over the island counter seeing me cleaning the items.

“So your taking care of me yoi.” He smirked.

“yes you take care of people all day its time for someone to take care of you for once. ” You pinned your hair back as you began to cut the veggies.

Marco was touched by your statement. He wasn’t going to decline any help from you or having you take care of him. He honestly like it. He observed you prepping the soup. “You are too sweet for your own good yoi.” He said then clearing his throat. “I appreciate it.”

Small smile with a dust of pink tinting your cheeks was on your face. once placing the specific herbs Estafite, Gordolobo, and mint in the infuser the placing it into the mug then adding the hot water in, you waited for a moment to lets the herbs blend with the water. You walked to him. “Let me feel your forehead.” Your hand was against his forehead. He still felt slightly warmer.

“Your hands feel nice against my forehead yoi” closing his eyes for a moment. Your hand was cool against his forehead.

"I've blended a few herbs together from my shop that should help." brining the mug to the island counter removing the infuser and adding the honey and lemon to the tea. “Be careful its hot... the herbs in this tea help clear your throat, body aches , headaches and reduce your fever.” Handing him the cup as he thanks me. Taking a small sip.

“Well look at you who would have guessed a herbalist taking care of a Doctor." taking another small sip.

Few hours past it gotten dark out. Marco kept his distance still not wanting to spread his germs. He seemed to be feeling a bit better he wasn't clearing his throat often like he was. Walking to his room to check on him he was fast asleep. A medical book laid on his chest . You admired his sleeping figure for a moment before walking quietly to his bed side. You removed the book from his chest placing it on his night stand. Checking his temp once again your hand rest against his forehead he wasn't warm. He was really exhausted he didn’t move at my touch. Your hand caressed his cheek your thumb swiped softly against his cheek. Your cheeks slightly blushing. If I'm doing this and he has not woken up. You did a bolder move. Leaning down you kissed his temple softly. He didn’t stirred nor move. You sat on the chair next to his bed. Your fingers running through his hair. “If you only knew...I would do anything for you...” You whispered softly. You watch his sleeping figure. You didn’t know how long you were there just running your fingers through his hair until you felt your eyes grow heavier until they closed.

[theloversthedreamersandme82]

The sigh of the weary

Tumblr prompt from @grilledcheesebandit of Lucien and Jean literally bumping into each other

“Oof!” Jean exhaled heavily as she collided with the person in front of her. “Oh I’m so sorry,” she cried as the gentleman’s paper bag broke and spilled its contents onto the floor. As she bent to pick up the dropped items she glanced up to see who she’d bumped into. The man hadn’t moved apart from turning to see who had bumped into him and now he stood staring blankly down at her and the scattered shopping. Jean frowned worriedly. “I really do apologise." She stood, her arms full of groceries.

“Yes,” the man finally answered, “I’m sorry, I’m not quite myself.” He retrieved some of the items from Jeans arms, dropping a celery in the process. The man sighed wearily and closed his eyes.

Jean bent to pick up the celery and shot a glance at the mans tired eyes as she heard his sigh. He looked exhausted, lost and sad.  She mentally changed gear and went into mothering mode. “Can I help you back to your place with these?”

The man held his eyes closed for a little longer, then opening them, fixed his red, watery eyes on Jean. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”

She smiled at him gently and followed him out of the grocery store.

They walked in silence for a while and Jean wished she’d remembered her coat. A bitter wind blew, and with her arms full of groceries, she couldn’t wrap her cardigan around herself for warmth.

“I haven’t seen you around before?”

“I’m… I’ve been away,” the man said simply and the silence continued.

“What brings you back here, Mr…?”

“Blake. Doctor Blake. But I really would prefer you to call me Lucien. My father passed away recently. I’ve just arrived back in town today, and thought I’d better grab a few things on my way to his place to try and deal with things. I think he had a housekeeper, but who knows what kind of woman she is. Probably some fat old biddy who over boils the vegetables until all the colour is gone.”

Jean’s eyes had widened with every word the man had said and she stopped short and stared at him with a small smile. “You’re Doctor Blake’s son?”

“Oh did you know him? I’m sorry for your loss.” The man stuck his hands in his pockets and kept walking.

Jean frowned with confusion. “Shouldn’t I be saying that to you? He was your father.”

“On paper, maybe. But he never really acted like a proper father to me.” Lucien sighed as he continued walking. “And I’m afraid sometimes I didn’t really act like a proper son should. Part of the reason that all of this is so difficult.” Lucien glanced at Jean who was staring at him. “I’m sorry. Here I am rambling to a complete stranger.”

It began to rain. Not softly and light. But the big heavy drops that immediately soaked through clothing. It was slow and lazy at first, but steadily turned into a downpour, which quickly put an end to any conversation as Jean and Lucien ran through the rain.

Finally reaching the house they went in and after depositing the groceries on the kitchen table, Jean set about making them a pot of tea.

“Um, just how well did you know my father?” Lucien asked suspiciously as his eyes followed her around the kitchen. “You seem to know your way around his kitchen alright.”

“You remember that ‘fat old biddy’ of a housekeeper you mentioned?” There was silence as she smiled and pointed toward herself. “Jean Beazley. I live upstairs”

Jean saw his eyes widen in understanding. “Oh! I do apologise!” He covered his face with embarrassment.

Jean waved him away. “You weren’t to know. Now. While the kettle’s boiling I think we would both be wise to get out of these wet clothes, or we’ll both catch the influenza” She turned on her heel and left Lucien wide eyed and slack jawed staring after her.

As Jean peeled herself out of her wet clothes, she thought about the golden haired man downstairs. With his beard and casual approach he couldn’t be more different to the old Doctor Blake. He had hardly spoken of his son in all the years Jean had worked for him. But she knew Lucien had been in the army and had been taken as a prisoner of war. And it showed. Doctor Blake Junior was thin, his face was taut and gaunt as if he hadn’t had enough to eat and his eyes were bloodshot and sunken in. Jean wondered how long it had been since this man had had a good meal and a decent sleep.

Once dressed she headed back down the stairs to find the younger Doctor Blake still sat at the table in his wet clothes. She raised her eyebrows, but said nothing. Crossing to the kettle she called over her shoulder. “How do you take your tea?”

“White with two thank you kindly.”

“Ah a sweet tooth, like your father.”

Lucien said nothing as Jean spooned two sugars into his tea cup. She stirred it and placed it in front of where he sat at the table. She arranged a few pieces of her homemade shortbread on a plate and joined him at the table.

“Didn’t feel like changing into dry clothes Doctor Blake?”

“Ah, Well I don’t exactly have much with me right now. My trunk was delayed. And please, I thought I asked you to call me Lucien. It must be odd for you to have another Doctor Blake in the house.”

Jean ignored his correction. “Well you can’t be comfortable in wet clothes? Why don’t you go find something in your fathers room, for now.”

Lucien looked uncomfortable. “I haven’t set foot in my fathers room in over 20 years,” he mumbled.

“What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid? I’m not afraid!”

“Doctor Blake…” He threw her a dirty look and she reached out to touch his hand. “Lucien" she spoke quietly and gently… "Your father is gone. He’s not going to tell you off for entering his room. You’re going to have to sooner or later.”

Lucien looked at where her hand rested on his. “You’re right Jean, of course you are. I just…” his voice trailed off.

“Shall I come with you?”

Lucien stopped staring at their hands and met her eyes, “You wouldn’t mind?”

“If it gets you out of those cold wet clothes I would be more than happy to.” Jean stood. “Come on.”

Lucien followed her down the hallway and they stopped outside a closed door. Jean turned to Lucien and was surprised to see his hands were shaking.” “You alright Lucien?” she closed a hand over his shaking one and somehow ended up with her hand enveloped in his.

Lucien didn’t answer, just took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Once inside the room he paused, and there was silence as he surveyed the room. Then all of a sudden he dropped her hand and started for the wardrobe. Pulling out a shirt he began to unbutton his wet one.

Jean's cheeks flushed and she instinctively looked away. “I’ll uh, leave you to change shall I?” But he didn't answer, or even acknowledge that she had spoken. It was almost as if he’d forgotten she was even there. She risked a glance back at him, as he pulled his wet singlet over his head and Jean gasped involuntarily as she glimpsed the silver criss-cross of scar marks over his back. Shocked, she turned her back to him and moved toward the door.

“Bring your wet things back with you and I’ll put them with mine to be washed,” she called over her shoulder as she closed the door and leant against it. ‘Were those marks from his time in the camp?’ Jean wondered. She exhaled heavily and tried to push the image out of her head. She headed back to the kitchen, where she warmed her cold hands on her tea cup and waited.

When he returned a few minutes later Lucien was dressed in brown slacks, a white shirt and a mustard cardigan that Jean recognised all too well. She smiled nervously at him after his erratic behaviour in his fathers room. But he didn’t seem to even think anything of it. “That cardigan was one of your fathers favourites too.”

Lucien looked down and picked at the cardigan but said nothing.

Jean sipped her tea and decided to change the subject. “So. What was the plan with the groceries?"

“I’m so sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to offend you. You’re obviously a capable cook.” He took a piece of shortbread from the plate she had prepared earlier and bit into it. “A very capable cook.”

“Thank you.” Jean looked again at the groceries. There was a celery, some carrots, a loaf of bread, a jar of strawberry jam, some apples, a box of tea, some eggs and a block of cheese.

“What on earth were you planning on making with all of this? It’s the most curious assortment of items.”

Lucien looked at the groceries. “To be honest I really had no idea what I was going to do with any of it. I just bought things that I wanted. I haven’t bought groceries for myself in years.”

Jean smiled “Well then, Lucien. Maybe a cooking lesson is on the cards for this afternoon. Unless you just want to eat cheese on toast for dinner?”

Lucien met her eyes and smiled softly. “It wouldn’t be the first time, I’m not ashamed to admit it. Nothing wrong with a good grilled cheese sandwich.”

Jean’s stomach flip flopped as she felt his warm smile flood her senses. The first true smile she had seem from him, one not tinged with sadness or exhaustion. She forced her eyes from his and drained her tea cup. “Well I’m sure that along with the cheese on toast, we could put together a soup from the celery and carrots, and I know there’s some leftover roast chicken in the fridge that could easily be added. And for dessert we could probably make a passable apple tea cake with a strawberry jam filling.”

“Mrs Beazley, you’re amazing. To create some kind of order from my chaos.”

Jean felt her face flush at his easy compliment. She’d have to be careful. Lucien Blake could be trouble.

Also on

Ao3 and ff.net

[jaskiers-sweetkiss]

The 4 Times Luke Got Sick + The 1 Time He Got Julie Sick

Pairing: Julie x Alive!Luke (college AU)

Word Count: 2.9k

Warnings: light swearing, non-fatal illness

Summary: Luke was always getting sick. It was probably the worst things about being roommates with him, Julie decided. That, and when they’d first moved into their dorm Freshman year of college he’d tried to hit on all her friends. It seemed like every year the poor guy went through at least one serious bout of illness that Julie would have to practically nurse him back to health from.

A/N: I got 2 anon requests for sick!Juke this week, one for a College Roommates AU where Luke constantly gets sick and Julie takes care of him and another where they’re friends and neighbors but have crushes on each other that don’t come to light until they both get sick together feat. Mothering Rose. I decided to combine them since they had a similar theme, I hope that’s alright! As per usual, let me know what you think and send me a message if you’d like to be added to my taglist! Also, I am taking requests right now so feel free to send those in!

Masterlist

___

1 - Freshman Year

“Juuuulie,” Luke called from his bedroom.

“Whaaaat?” Julie called back from her own room, making no attempt to get up from her bed.

“Can you come here so we can stop yelling?” He whined and she rolled her eyes but rolled out of her bed unceremoniously.

Given the coed nature of the dorms, they were each provided a small separate bedroom connected with a combined living room space that currently could use a good vacuuming, she noted as she walked through it before pausing at Luke’s door. It was only about three months into the semester and while Luke and Julie had become fast friends through their love of music, she hadn’t really been in his room before.

She raised her fist to give a hesitant knock, not really sure what the protocol was.

“You can come in,” he laughed but for the first time in their conversation, Julie noticed that his voice seemed a little off.

When she stepped into the room she immediately knew why. Luke lay in bed, slightly propped up by his pillow. She immediately noticed how red his face and nose, in particular, looked and the pile of used tissues next to the bed.

“Woah, dude, are you sick?” Julie exclaimed, immediately taking a step back in an attempted to put as much distance between herself and the sick boy as possible.

“Yeah,” he croaked sheepishly, “Sorry, I guess I should’ve warned you.”

“Ya think?” She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest but smirking to let him know she wasn’t that mad about it. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Um, yeah, actually. I was gonna ask if you could run down to the market and get me some chicken noodle soup?”

Julie nodded, happy to be able to help her sick friend.

“Sure! Is there any medication I can pick up from the pharmacy for you or anything?” She offered but he shook his head, pulling open the top drawer of his bedside table revealing that it was full of various medicines.

“I, uh, came prepared,” he said with a self-deprecating chuckle. “My immune system is pretty shit.”

Julie nodded.

“I better get you that soup then, huh?” She said kindly, starting to feel awkward lingering in the doorway.

“My wallet is in my jacket pocket,” Luke offered, pointing to the coat hanging in his closet.

Julie nodded in silent thanks as she pocketed the piece of leather, closing the door on her way out. Despite the sunshine, it was a short but chilly walk to the campus market, which was fortunately only a couple of blocks away from their residence hall. She located the soup fairly quickly but stopped to look through the tea options, grabbing a box of peppermint and chamomile tea bags. The check-out process was fast and she was back in her dorm only a few minutes later.

Before even taking off her coat or slipping off her shoes, she put the soup in the microwave and started up her electric kettle. While she was waiting she then busied herself with hanging up her coat in her own closet and leaving her shoes in their designated spot by the door.

“What are you doing out there, Molina?” Luke groaned from his room when the kettle started whistling.

She quickly switched it off, bustling around the designated “kitchen” area of their dorm for a mug to start steeping the peppermint tea. No sooner than she placed the teabag into the mug had the microwaved beeped, signaling that the soup was ready. Bowl in one hand and mug in the other, Julie pushed the door open with her shoulder, slowly stepping into the room in an attempt not to spill either of the hot liquids in her hands.

She gingerly set the mug on a cleared space on Luke’s desk before handing him the chicken noodle soup.

“What’s that?” He asked, gesturing to the mug with his spoon before eating some of the soup.

“It’s peppermint tea,” she answered factually. “My mom always makes it for me when I’m sick, it supposed to help with congestion and should soothe your throat.”

“You’re the best, Molina,” Luke said graciously, slurping another mouthful of soup.

“Damn right I am!” Julie laughed, “Let me know if you need anything else, I’ll be in my room.”

___

2 - Sophomore Year

Julie wasn’t entirely sure why she hadn’t anticipated this. Maybe she’d hoped that all the elderberry and echinacea tea she’d made him drink last year had actually helped his immune system, but nope. November had rolled around and with it, cold season and cold season meant that Luke would undoubtedly get sick. He wasn’t lying, his immune system really was shit. This year was worse though. While last year it had been a series of bad colds, this year it was the flu.

She’d found out when he’d vomited in the middle of a rehearsal with the band they’d formed at the end of the previous year with two other guys they’d met in one of their music classes.

She’d been keeping an eye on him all day as he’d been shivering a lot and seemed especially pale but she had figured the boy knew his immune system better than anyone else and would say something if he was feeling sick. Obviously not.

“Oh my gosh, Luke! Are you okay?” She gasped, rushing over to rub his back soothingly as he bent over the trash can in the spare music room they’d occupied for rehearsal.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, waving her off as he stood back up with the intention of picking his guitar back up.

However, Julie stopped him, placing her hand against his forehead with a frown.

“You have a fever.” She said disapprovingly and he sighed.

“It’s fine Molina, we gotta practice.”

“Nuh-uh.” She insisted sternly, sticking out an arm to hold him in place. “You are not gonna get the rest of us sick. I’m driving you to the campus health center and then we’re going home.”

Luke huffed and rolled his eyes but relented, moving to slide his electric into its case and grab his jacket.

“Whatever you say, boss.”

“We’ll see you guys later,” Julie sent Alex and Reggie an exasperated smile before following the boy out.  

The campus health center confirmed Julie’s suspicions, it was the flu. They picked up his prescription medicine at the campus pharmacy next door before heading back to their shared dorm.

“Will you make me soup?” Luke pleaded as Julie made sure he was settled comfortably in his bed, his lip stuck out in an irrefutable pout. “And Mama Molina’s special tea?”

Julie smiled at the nickname which Luke had coined last year as Julie often referenced her mother when taking care of the seemingly constantly sick boy. The name had stuck and then been made official when the guys had visited her over the summer break and Luke had accidentally called her mother it. Rose Molina fell in love with it instantly and now Luke, Alex, and Reggie all exclusively referred to her as such.

“Of course,” she said, rolling her eyes lightly. There was nothing special about Mama Molina’s tea, it was just a cup of peppermint tea with a little bit of honey but it had seemed to work wonders for Luke last year and he much preferred it to the cocktail of cough syrup and sinus pills he’d normally take.

As she delivered the steaming soup and tea, Julie prayed that her superior immune system and flu shot would keep her safe from contracting her roommate’s illness while she took care of him. Still, she tried her best to keep her distance while keeping an eye on him.

She started him on a new Netflix series in an attempt to keep him from going stir crazy in the dorm while she was in class. She picked up all his missing work and made sure he had plenty of soup and tea (peppermint in the daytime to clear up congestion and soothe his cough, and chamomile in the evening to help him sleep).

“You’re too good for me, Molina.” He said sleepily as she tucked him into bed one night.

“I know,” she responded with a smirk, patting his cheek lightly before leaving, turning off the light as she went.

___

3 - Junior Year

Luke’s annual illness came later the next year. All November and December Julie was on high alert, ready at a moment’s notice to grab a can of chicken noodle soup from their cupboards and start up the kettle, but the moment never came. They’d finally moved out of the dorms this year, now living in an off-campus apartment with Alex and Reggie, which meant they had more room for Julie to store her supply of soup and tea and she had two backup caregivers.

When the new year rolled around and Luke still hadn’t shown any signs of getting sick, Julie had remarked,

“Maybe you’ve finally built up your immune system enough.”

The next week Luke was calling for her from his room across the hall.

It was the flu again but this time it was easier.

Julie, Alex, and Reggie took turns taking care of their sick roommate while the others were in classes, though everyone agreed that Julie had to be in charge of the tea. Despite Julie’s insistence that it was easy to make, Alex and Reggie refused after their first attempts had been scorned by Luke who insisted they did it wrong.

“You are such a drama queen,” she’d said, rolling her eyes at the boy as she delivered the tea.

“You’re the best, Molina.” He’d said as he took a sip, ignoring her comment on his dramatics.

“Shut up and drink your tea.” Julie laughed, brushing off the compliment as she turned on Netflix, taking a seat on the other side of the living room.

___

4 - Senior Year

After what all their friends had insisted was years of tension and pining, Luke and Julie got together just in time for Luke to catch pneumonia. It was the worst virus Luke had caught yet and Julie was silently glad that their relationship was new enough that they hadn’t kissed yet. Judging by Luke’s state, she hoped she never got pneumonia.

He had a fever for the first few days and Julie, Alex, and Reggie did their best to keep their distance, only coming into his room to deliver soup, tea, water, and medicine. Once the fever had disappeared, Luke was allowed to rejoin the rest, though only from a distance. The four roommates spending the afternoons in the living room together to keep the boy company as he laid on the couch. Still, even with the fever gone Luke spent the next week and a half nearly hacking up his lungs every time he coughed and with stabbing chest pains.

“You’re not eating your soup,” Julie noticed one afternoon as she did her homework on the opposite side of the living room, Alex and Reggie both in class.

“I’m not hungry,” Luke whined, pushing the bowl farther away on the coffee table.

Julie frowned, getting up from her armchair to perch across from him on the coffee table, picking up the bowl.

“Babe, you’ve gotta eat,” Julie said pointedly and Luke frowned at the term of endearment, knowing she was using it to convince him to do what she said. “The doctor said you’d have a loss of appetite, but you need to eat.”

“C’mon, open up,” she instructed, holding out a spoonful of soup.

Luke huffed, glaring at his girlfriend but opening his mouth anyway, allowing her to spoon-feed him.

“Wow, I did not think Luke could get any needier,” Reggie remarked as he stepped into the apartment, Alex coming in behind him.

“Don’t get used to that,” he added, “Cause I will not feed you while Julie’s in class.”

Julie laughed, ruffling her boyfriend’s hair affectionately before feeding him another spoonful.

“I don’t deserve you, Molina,” he said affectionately between bites.

“Don’t you forget it, Patterson,” she smiled.

___

+ 1 Year Later

After graduation in May, Julie and the Phantoms released their first full album and began their first tour in the fall thanks to the large following they’d accrued through their posts on YouTube since sophomore year and the success of their album. They’d had been touring for a couple of months before they finally took a break, just in time for Christmas.

Alex, Reggie, and Julie had all made plans to spend the break with their families, Reggie staying with his older sister and their family and Alex and Julie with their respective parents. However, Luke’s parents had found themselves on a business trip out of the country which is how the boy ended up spending his first Christmas at the Molina’s. Ray and Rose had been more than happy to have the boy stay with them when Julie explained the situation, though Ray had insisted on a strict policy of the two never being alone in the same room before Rose reminded him that Julie and Luke had been living together for five years and were grown adults.

The Molinas and Luke had a lovely Christmas together but when Julie woke up two days later she wished they had instituted her dad’s No Alone Time policy. She groggily made her way to the kitchen, rifling through the pantry for the peppermint tea to soothe her sore throat and hopefully clear up her sinuses. Before she could get very far though, her mom walked into the kitchen, immediately catching on to what she was doing. Julie rarely reached for tea on her own, hot chocolate being her hot beverage of preference, so Rose knew something must be up when she found her daughter rifling through the tea shelf.

“Go lay on the couch, Niña,” she insisted, ushering her daughter out of the kitchen, “I’ll take care of this.”

Julie did as she said, finding her favorite blanket from the basket in the corner and cuddling up on the couch. Her mom came in a few minutes later with her favorite mug in hand, setting it down on the coffee table in front of Julie.

“Don’t burn yourself, it’s hot,” Rose warned, placing a soft kiss on the top of her daughter’s head and patting her shoulder gently before returning to the kitchen to start on breakfast for the family.

It was only a couple of minutes later that Luke stumbled down the stairs calling her name.

“Juuuulie?” he pouted as he made his way into the living room. “Will you make me some tea?”

Her eyes went wide with the realization of how she’d gotten sick as she clutched her own mug of tea in her hands.

“So this is your fault,” she gasped, voice thick due to the congestion.

“What?” Luke asked, tilting his head in confusion, the fogginess in his brain from having just woken up and being sick preventing him from connecting the dots quickly.

“You got me sick.” She accused, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend who’s eyes widened in response.

“Oh my gosh, seriously?” He asked, concern immediately filling his voice. “I’m sorry Jules.”

“I haven’t gotten sick in over four years and all it takes is one germy kiss from you,” she whined and Luke barked out a laugh before wincing at the pain it caused his throat.

“Well, the good news is we can recover together,” he said, plopping down on the couch and snuggling into her side.

“Luke, honey, do you need a blanket?” Rose asked as she returned to the living room, another cup of tea in hand, the woman obviously having overheard them from the kitchen. Luke nodded sheepishly and Rose smiled, setting the tea down in front of him and crossing the room to grab a blanket.

“Thank you, Mama Molina,” he said graciously, wrapping himself in the fleece material and picking up his tea.

“Anything to get the two of you better before you have to go back on tour,” she said, patting both their shoulders lovingly before going back to her cooking.

Julie groaned at the reminder. They were supposed to start back on the road in a week, but with Luke’s track record of illnesses, there was no knowing how long either of them would be sick this time.

Fortunately, thanks to a diet of Rose’s homemade chicken noodle soup and tea remedy as well as medication, Julie and Luke were feeling better in a couple of days.

“I’d always known, but now I really see where you got your nursing skills from,” Luke remarked on the first morning he’d woken up able to breathe through his nose.

Julie grinned.

“You sure are lucky to have the Molina women in your life,” she teased.

“Damn right.” He nodded sincerely.

___

JATP Taglist: @meangirlsx @morganayennefertyrell

[ladyanaconda]

Helluva Dad Vol. 5: Mom

Hey, guys! We'll start getting more info on Striker's wife and Jake's mother from here on out, though they'll mostly be tidbits. It might be a while before we fully learn what happened to her.

*HB*

The next morning, Jake awoke with a throbbing migraine. His body and joints were sore to the point he didn't want to move, but the acidic, bitter taste of vomit sent him on a beeline straight to the bathroom.

"Good, you're awake." His father was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. It's almost like he had been waiting for him.

"D-Dad…?" Jake threw up into the toilet again.

"You feel like shit, right? That's what happens when you drink a little too much."

"D-Drink..? What are you…?" Jake brought a hand to his head. "Ow, my head…"

"You and Moxxie got thrown inside a beer barrel during yesterday's job. Evidently, you two drank too much."

Jake shrank a bit. "Am I in trouble, dad?"

Striker's frown softened. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Nah, it wasn't really yer fault this time 'round, pup." He watched as Jake threw up for the third time. "'Sides, I think the hangover is punishment enough. Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Carefully, Striker undressed Jake and lifted him unto the warm bath he had previously prepared for this moment. Once Jake was fully clean and refreshed, Striker carried him back to his room to dress him in his pajamas and tuck him back in bed.

"Are you going to work, dad?"

"I'm leavin' ya alone in this condition, my boy. I took an absence for the weekend while you recover." Striker ruffled his son's hair. "Chill out, Blitzo and the others can survive without us for a few days."

Jake shivered. "I'm cold." Striker touched his forehead.

"Yer boiling hot, kiddo. You'll need lots of water to make up for the shit yer body is going through right now."

Striker left the room and returned sometime later with a tray, which he placed on the bedside table. Jake glanced sideways to see its contents: A cup of tea with a strong smell and a bowl of soup. Striker picked the cup and held it close to his son's lips.

"Drink." Jake took a small sip. His face scrunched up at the bitter taste.

"What's this?" He asked, sticking out his tongue.

"Ginger root tea. It ain't tasty, but it's good for hangovers."

It took Jake a considerable amount of willpower to actually drink the whole thing, forcing himself to swallow the bitter beverage despite the urge to spit it back into the cup. It left an awful bitter taste in his mouth, but his stomach had settled down somewhat and he wasn't as thirsty anymore. The soup, a plain and simple chicken broth, was more enjoyable. Jake couldn't help but feel like a baby, though. Dad would even tease him with the 'little plane' as he carefully gave him spoonfuls of soup.

"How're ya feelin', kiddo?" Striker once he was done with the meal.

"Tired and sore, but at least I'm not nauseous anymore."

Striker spent all morning dabbing Jake's forehead with a humid cloth to break the fever. Jake felt a little better by midday, though his head and body still ached. He didn't want to be stuck in bed all day, though.

"Dad, I'm bored," he complained.

"What are you complainin' about, boy? I'm doing all the work here." Striker said simply.

"Do I have to stay in bed all day? What if I want to pee?"

"Don't exaggerate, yer not disabled. But if you want to get better soon, you need to rest."

Jake shifted under the covers. "How long do hangovers last?"

"A day or so, dependin' on how much alcohol you consume and your age. In yer case, you should be as good as new by tomorrow if you rest properly."

With no other choice, Jake closed his eyes and did his best to fall asleep. Surprisingly, he managed to drift off after twenty minutes, in part because he was tired.

With Jake asleep for the time being, Striker took some time to himself and to do the chores around the house. The first thing he did was go to the closet near the doorway and open it; Blitzo, tied up and gagged, dropped out. The piece of cloth used to silence him slipped off his mouth.

"Come on, Striker! You didn't have to put me in there!" he protested.

"What did ya expect when I caught you about to sneak into my kid's room at three A.M. like a pedophile?" Striker murmured as he cut him free.

"I wasn't going to miss Jakey's first hangover! You only get to witness those moments once, you know."

"I'd thank you if you kept yer volume down, Jake is sleepin'."

Blitzo slipped a few envelopes from his pocket. "Oh, by the way, you got mail. Why didn't you tell me you got job offers? I.M.P. could get more clients!"

"Really? Now yer goin' to check my mail too?" Striker snatched all the envelopes from Blitzo's hands before he could pry any further. "Good thing I don't have a diary or you'd read it."

"Can you make one? Moxxie's diary is boring me and Loonie hid hers where I can't find it." Blitzo seemed to remember something. "If you'll excuse me, I have to change the bird's water!"

Striker didn't dignify Blitzo with a reply and instead focused on checking his mail. A few killing job offers, this month's light, and water fees, and… His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the seal on the envelope. Striker set the other envelopes aside for the time being and opened that letter.

"Ah, that's so much better!" Blitzo stepped out of the visitor's bathroom, a small piece of toilet paper stuck to his foot. "Maybe I shouldn't drink that much lemonade next time…" He trailed off when he noticed Striker's expression had darkened. "Strike? Are you okay?"

"I need to go out. Keep an eye on Jake while I'm gone."

Striker didn't give Blitzo an explanation or time to protest as he picked up his jacket and hat and walked out the door, whistling for Bombproof to come for him. Wordlessly, he climbed unto the saddle, clicked his tongue, and rode away in a quick canter.

*HB*

Jake woke up to a purring sound right above him. Shifting a bit under the covers, he opened his eyes and found none other than Blitzo's face inches away from his.

"Hi, Blitz." the impling said simply.

"Any interesting dreams?"

"Not really. Where's dad?"

"He had to go out for some errand and asked me to look after you while he's gone. We're going to have so much fun!" Blitzo rubbed his hands together. "Do you have any horse movies?"

Jake sat up. "Running Free and Black Beauty."

"Which version?"

"1994."

Blitzo's eyes lit up. "I love that one! Let's watch it!" Jake didn't quite understand why Blitzo was so obsessed with horses, but he didn't really mind. He, too, loved horses ever since he could remember. From what dad said, he'd learned how to ride before he could even walk.

Jake felt more alert and less sore, so he could walk downstairs to the living room. Blitzo made some popcorn and they spent the next hour and a half watching Black Beauty. Blitzo cried a couple of times whenever a horse got hurt, but he completely lost it when Beauty saw Ginger's dead body being carried away.

"Why, Ginger?! Whyyy?!"

"Have you read the novel? It's got more content that wasn't put in the film." Jake pointed out.

"Black Beauty is a novel?"

"No way, you didn't know?!"

"Jakey, the only things I read are Moxxie's diary and the Hellquine magazine."

Time went by. Blitzo sniffed around the house until he came across an old photo album. To Jake's chagrin, it contained baby pictures of him.

"Aww, you were so cute! Who would have thought your old man could take decent photos? Oh, look, you're with Striker and Bombproof on this one!" Jake groaned, trying in vain to hide in the cushions. "Oh, shit, what a big dick you had!"

"Okay, that's enough humiliation for a day!"

Jake tried to pull the album away from Blitzo, cheeks red. They fought over the album until something slipped out and fell down to the floor. Blitzo picked it up.

"Hey, this one wasn't in any of the pages." Blitzo couldn't contain a wolf-whistle. "What a lovely lady!"

Curious, Jake leaned in to take a look at the photo: a tall woman with dark red skin and gold-green eyes sat on top of a fence, running a hand through her long black hair as it was blown back by the wind.

"Is this your mommy, Jakey?"

Jake pondered on it, eyes fixed on the photograph. He's never seen that woman before, be it in a photo or in person. He looked through the album but found no more pictures of the woman. If this was his mother, why are there no signs of her anywhere?

The door swung open at that moment. "Blitz, I'm home."

"Hey, Strike, who's this pretty lady?"

Jake felt a shiver down his spine as he saw his father stop in his tracks, face pale. He knew what was coming. The shock became anger. But it wasn't like those other times dad had grown mad at Blitzo; this time, there was a darkness in his eyes as he stomped towards Blitzo, tail rattling, and wordlessly snatched the photo from his grasp.

"Where did you find it?!" he shouted, making Blitzo realize he had unintentionally reopened an old wound.

"It slipped from that album…" he stuttered, pointing at the forgotten tome.

"Why can't you keep yer bloody nose away from my privacy, Blitzo?!"

"D-Dad, calm down, he didn't mean to-!"

"Stay out of this, boy!" Striker hissed, startling Jake into stepping back.

"Whoa, whoa, there's no need to yell at Jakey! It's me you're pissed at, remember?"

Striker clenched his fists. "Get out."

"Wait, what?"

"Get yer shitty ass out of my house!" Striker didn't even wait for Blitzo to reply; he simply pushed him towards and shoved him out of the door, slamming it shut; Striker panted heavily for breath as he leaned against it.

"Dad, that was uncalled for!" Jake quickly regretted having spoken when his father shot him a frown. The rings around his pupils were thick, another sign that he was pissed.

"How many times have I told you not to look through my things without permission?!" he growled.

"I was curious, dad…!"

"That's no excuse, boy! You wouldn't like me to go look into your own stuff, would you?!"

"B-But dad…"

"I don't want to hear it, boy." Striker pointed to the stairs. "Go to your room, I don't want to see you for the rest of the night!"

Jake was close to tears now. "Daddy…"

"NOW!"

Jake didn't dare to talk back to his father this time. He ran up the stairs and into his room, tears in his eyes. The impling climbed into his bed, hid under the blankets and cried himself to sleep.

*HB*

He hadn't meant to yell at Jake. It's not him he's mad at, but… Seeing her photo in Blitzo's grasp and hearing him ask so casually as if he'd done nothing wrong really pissed him off... That, plus the rather unpleasant encounter from earlier… Great, now he'd have to apologize to Blitz when things calm down.

Striker couldn't sleep that night. There were too many things on his head, and he had to think of what he'd do now that Jake had seen the photo. There's no way he can weasel out of it now, the boy was too smart for that. And deep down, Striker wanted to tell his son about the wonderful woman who was his mother, the woman that he'd…

Striker closed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to push the painful memory away.

He waited until the next morning until he was certain he had calm down to go upstairs to his son's room with a jam and peanut butter sandwich, Jake's favorite treat. Striker tentatively knocked on the door.

"Jake?"

There was no reply. Slowly, he opened the door and walked in. Jake was still on his bed, hidden under the covers. He had seen him shifting just before he peeked in, so he knew he wasn't really sleeping, but it was evident that Jake didn't want to talk to him either. Striker sat down on the edge of his son's bed, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"I… I brought you a sandwich in case you were hungry." He was met with silence again. "I know you're not really sleepin', kiddo." His suspicions were confirmed when Jake opened his eyes, but his back was still turned and he still did not speak. Sighing, Striker placed the place on the bedside table and ran a hand through his white locks. "Jake, I… I'm sorry for yellin' at you. I had a… complicated day and seein' that photo in Blitzo's grasp reopened an old wound, so I… I took it out on you."

"Who's that woman?" Jake asked curtly. Striker took a deep breath.

"...Her name was Jane. She's your mother."

Jake sat up on the bed this time. "That's mom?"

"Yes…" Striker slipped the photo out of his pocket, smiling forlornly as he stared at it. "She was a wild-spirited, passionate woman, my killin' partner, and the love of my life. We'd travel and take killin' jobs throughout the seven rings together."

Jake stared at the photo. The question that had been bugging him since Millie brought up the topic on Loo Loo Land left his lips. "What happened to her?"

Striker's smile vanished. That's the one, inevitable question that he didn't want to answer. But he had to tell him something, anything.

"...She got ill and passed away shortly after you were born," he told Jake. It's a half-truth, close enough to what actually caused her death. "You were just a baby, so it's normal for you to not remember her." Jake looked like he'd cry again at any moment now. Striker smiled sadly and wiped a lone tear trickling down his cheek. "But she left me the greatest gift she could give me: you, son."

Jake sniffled and threw himself into his father's embrace. "I wish I could have met her."

"She'd be proud of her little man, no doubt. You remind me of her quite a lot, my boy."

"Really?"

"You have her same spirit, the same fire in yer eyes, her determination." Striker smirked. "And her knack at gettin' in trouble, I may add."

"Hey!"

Striker laughed and pulled his son closer to playfully ruffle his hair. Sadly, the sweet moment was brought to an end as he caught a pair of yellow eyes peering through the window. With an annoyed grunt, Striker went to the window and tapped loudly on it, startling Blitzo into losing his balance and falling back with the stair.

*HB*

Blitzo should have started a stalking company, since he's so good at it XD-

Before I forget, I'd like to let you know that Helluva Dad has a TV tropes page now! Yaaay!