#writing challenge day 22

[noa-de-cajou]

Day 22 : Long distance/say goodbye

Celyan belongs to @thal-ent

____

“... What the fuck.”

“Well, hello to you too, Cel.”

“It’s seven in the morning, Cyane. Couldn’t you call me, like, an hour later?”

Aaah, the half-asleep, full-asshole greeting. My favorite. Celyan really hates it when I call them early. Well, it's already evening for me, so, let them suck on it. And I don't mean my dick.

“Well someone needs to get your horrendous sleeping schedule back on track.”

“And it sure as hell ain’t going to be you,” they groan. “Is being on the other side of the globe fucking with your head? It’s empty enough as it is.”

Heh. They know they're the only one who can actually make it empty. I hear shuffling sounds on the other side of the call, they must be getting their glasses. I guess they can’t put the camera on, which sucks ass because I kinda miss their sleepy face.

... I’m never saying that out loud.

“Nah, Jakarta’s nice enough. Just… You know, super rainy. It's messing up my hair.”

“Yeah, saw that on TV.”

“... You watched ?”

A silence.

“No. Just happened to see it on screen at the bar yesterday.”

Yeah, right. A texan bar broadcasting an indonesian program about politics. Let's pretend it’s plausible.

“Uhuh. You liked it?”

“Didn’t understand shit, even if the questions were in english.”

“I'll explain it to you later then.”

“Were they difficult? The questions they asked you.”

“Well, kinda? They were a bit wary about having an american politologist talk about their system, which, is, you know, fair. But I handled it fine, I think?”

“Sure hope so. Even if it would be hilarious to watch you mess up in front of the entire indonesian nation.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. I’m telling you, people are good to me here.”

“You going to stay there for a few months more then?”

Urgh. I knew this was gonna come up. This is why I called in the first place.

“No, but… I got an offer to go to New-Zealand after this, and, uh, I couldn't really pass it up. So I… won’t be in the US for Christmas. Or New Year’s.”

There’s a brief silence on the other side of the phone. With Celyan, it feels like hours.

“Your dad isn't going to like that.”

… Yeah. My dad. Of course.

“He already knows. He’s a bit sad but he knows that’s a good opportunity for me.”

“Sure sounds like it.”

Their voice feels really dry for some reason. It’s always dry tho. More or less. Just more than less right now. No use worrying about it, right?

“But I'll be back shortly after. Like… Second week of january. And I'll come by your apartment so we can, you know, catch up.”

“More like you want me to get your balls back to their original color.”

“Ha! And what if I do?”

“I’ll make you beg for it, you know, the usual.”

“Pft, like I'm the one who's going to beg! Anyways, I'll keep in touch about the dates.”

“You have the keys. Why bother telling me when you get there?”

“Wow. And here I thought you’d have enough tact to come pick me up.”

“Strategic error on your part.”

“I admit.”

I look at the time. Almost 8pm already. Shit. I’m supposed to go meet some people for dinner. But I don't wanna leave the call. But I have to. But I don't wanna.

“... I… kinda have to go, Cel.”

“Did the hotel catch fire?”

“No but my stomach is screaming and I have plans. Well. If you're not working when I get back.”

“I’ll make it work. And I'll put the camera on, if you behave well enough.”

“Bastard.”

“You want me so bad.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”

“I really gotta go now. See you later?”

“Yeah. See you later, sunshine.”

The call hangs up as my heart jumps. Nearly thirteen years and still that damned nickname has the same effect on me than when they used it the first time. I just hide it better.

I should probably get ready.

…

My room feels really empty all of a sudden.

Can’t wait to go back home.

[oros-ash3s]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⋆ Febuwhump 2025 ⋆˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*＊

Day 22 || “Grab the little one”

TW: Descriptions of violence and neglect, implied death, implied torture

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

It was by the third day that rescue came. 

The room reeked of death, mold and feces stretching along every visible surface inside the room. With only the faint gleam of moonlight filtering through the cracks of the desecrated wall, the child was submerged in darkness. Alone, the stench of blood and decay burning the insides of their nostrils, wounds reducing them to a shivering, curled-up ball. A sense of hopelessness had befallen the child, a hopelessness that only those that belonged to the Immortai were familiar with. 

It was with this very day that two hunters on a patrol stumbled into the rubble. 

Younger recruits, they were inexperienced, the true horrors of the job not having caught up to them yet. Naive, inept teens – some might even say foolish. Though, what better word to explain a soldier fighting a losing battle? 

“Oh my god.”

The sight of the scene before them brought a lump to their throats. The desecrated bodies, scattered throughout the room. Red pooling in every direction. The child curled up in the wreckage, silvery hair littered by the darkened red splatters of blood, a pure sort of innocence radiating from them. So small, so fragile. 

And still yet, in the very center of their chest, was a blackened, gaping hole. 

Who could have done such a thing?

The more courageous of the two, a short stringy boy who had a bit more control over his stomach, stumbled forwards first. Despite the shake inside his limbs, lip quivering with a sort of fear that most missions prior hadn’t brought – fighting demons and saving lives had always been something exciting, an adventure; this was neither of those things – he dropped down onto his knees, kneeling next to the wounded child. 

Shaking fingers pressed against their neck in a terrible desperation, a certain undeniable relief flooding through the boy at the beating of a pulse underneath his fingertips, however weak it was.

“Alive.” He gasped, voice nothing but a whispered hush. The thought of speaking normally while sitting in the remains of a room so horrific was a thought he could not fathom. “The kid’s alive.”

He turned to his companion then, eyes searching the slightly older teen for some sort of answer. “What are we going to do with her?” 

The boy, barely on the brink of adulthood, stared down at the little kid, bloody and starved, and a certain clarity fell upon him at once. “Grab the little one.” He said, swallowing down the rising bile inside his throat. The idea of staying inside this place, this symbol of terror and destruction, something he could not allow. 

But it was also one he would not allow this child, this poor innocent creature, to suffer through no more either. If he was sick after only mere moments here, he had no clue how the kid was feeling after god-knows how long.

“We’re taking her back to the Sector.”

masterlist || next

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

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[more-better-words]

Day 22!

🤲🏼

Ambassador T'Pol's desk was, unsurprisingly neat and orderly. She kept only what was necessary on its surface, and did not clutter it with sentimental trifles.

There was the rock, though…

Occupying a space directly to the left of her console screen was a solid little block of reddish Earth sandstone, approximately seven or eight centimeters square. It sparkled in the light, owing to its high gypsum content. It was an odd decorative choice, but few would have dared to question it, and T'Pol did not deign to explain it.

"Momma, I found this!" T'Mir thrust cupped hands at her mother, the stone glinting brightly in them. "Look how pretty!"

"That is lovely, T'Mir," she said gravely. "Why do you have it?"

"For you."

T'Pol accepted the gift in the spirit it was given, touching T'Mir's hair with a fond hand. "Then I will treasure it."

[that-dreaming-dragon]

Intentional Connection - the Linking Process

Sometimes I like to refer to my linktype shorthanded. Sometimes as either just heartlink, vaguelink, or if I really want, para-linked hearttype, and collectively linked vaguetype.

I like the extra denotation, because near everyone else is talking about linking as if only identify-as. The community does generally put more focus on identify-as identities.

Both our linktypes are important for different reasons. One is to bridge the different paratype feelings, and the other is for bonds with friends (and for general shenanigan).

How we go about linking the two are slightly different because of that.

For the three-tailed enfield, there's already something there, the paratype element from both myself and my hearttype makes for a good foundation, I didn't have much work but to build on top of whatever was already there, all I needed to do was to link them together.

The way we did it was taking more interest in fox related stuff, or more in particular multi-tailed kitsune. We plan to watch some kitsune focused anime eventually, and make a art for our heartlink. At the moment, we have a number of fox and spirit foxes pins around.

Honestly, we aren't sure if the linking started the process or if it was already a thing, and linking just strengthens the connection, which is probably due to the paratypes.

But I think a large part of it was just simply engaging it with a "I have this feeling of a spark, I want to retain that feeling, and fan it to make it large". It's sort of how it happens with a number of my shapeshifter forms. I go around, holding this thing close to my heart, and whenever something pops up that reminds me of the enfield, I will perk up. That sort of feedback loop is what makes the linking stick. I make it happen more via me actively engaging or seeking these reminder. I feel like it trains the brain to hold onto it that much longer, and eventually you just let it be, and it will be fine on its own.

Now I'm not actively looking for stuff, but I don't need to, I can probably take away the link suffix and the three-tailed enfield is there to stay as a parahearttype. But I like it, I like the reminder of where it came from, and I like being in that community, and exist as a reminder to other questioning alterhuman that yes, my way of linking exist.

With a linktype that came from a preexisting fictional source, you'd think all I had to do was to engage with said fiction. I mean, I could, but this whole thing happened after I long left the source environment. Or perhaps not quite.

I still retain the knowledge of the source. And because of this, when others within the alterhuman community engages with it, I took special interest towards the happening. What pretty much started the linking process, was the want to connect to others who are from that same source. Perhaps we previously held fondness towards the source, or the character in specific. We know we have things going on with what the character's "element" is--stars and cosmos. So that had helped our desire to link.

It's definitely not enough to help maintain the link. The failed dragonite hearttype link was also made happen due to the desire to form stronger bonds with other pokemon alterhuman.

I suppose when put side-by-side like this, my successful linktype are due to either paratype element, or other factors to reinforce the overall linktype structure.

Furthermore, the Aurelion Sol vaguelink was a collective decision, something both Akumu and I(Ryuu) are interested in linking. The linking could have fade without both of us there at the same time, and Akumu tends to disappear to places half the time. It made linking this specific identity a little trickier.

What made it start to grow and "stick" properly was perhaps when I put it on as a proxy, for a bit of a joke. It felt wrong without Akumu there during that time, but trying to be Aurelion Sol for a day has done wonders for the linktype. It felt right, it felt like it could really work.

We kept the proxy.

After that, it's like a little tug at the back of our mind, telling us that it's still there, all we need to do is pick it back up. We also aren't really active with this linktype. We never are all that active with our alterhumanity. But at the same time, it's like a tab opened on the browser, whenever draconity or prompt topic came that we can talk about our relationship with Aurelion Sol in, it's like another boost to the linking process--active discussion with the alterhuman community while keeping in mind of this connection. It makes sense, we wanted to link this 'type because of connections to others, so to make it stronger, we need to connect more with others.

Maybe that's how our method works, going in full circles. Start the desire to link, try around for other stuff, and then go back to what first prompted the linking desire.

The fact that we are gaining noemata for this vaguetype tells me that, like the enfield, this one is here to stay. Because when thinking and talking about it, and the rare noemata, the link became self-sustaining.

I feel a bit uncertain to call this linktype done, but it seem to be doing alright. Perhaps more writing and pondering will help more.

[topsyturvy-turtely]

turtely's otp challenge

now on ao3!

read day 22 here: (prompt: competing)

(this is a sequel to day 21! read it on tumblr or ao3!)

summary: After John finds out who his secret admirer is, him and Sherlock go to a fair and it's the perfect date.

Gen, 1,572 words, AU - High School. First Dates, Holding Hands, Fair, Roller Coasters, Cotton Candy Fluff, they are so in love it hurts, Flowers, First Kiss

here is a snippet:

At the fair, it was loud: people screaming on the rides, children laughing, and music from everywhere. Sherlock was unsure of where to go, but John already headed purposefully to the highest roller coaster.

“The highest right away, John?”

“Duh. I am not wasting my money on the small ones. This gives just the adrenaline kick you need for the start,” Once again – it was the third time (yes, Sherlock had counted) – John grabbed the taller boy’s hand. Sherlock was pretty sure he would follow John if he jumped off a plane, if he only held his hand. Oh, no. Sherlock realised his crush on John Watson was intensifying with every minute spent together.

“Come on! Look, look at it and tell me this doesn’t look fun!”

Sherlock glanced at the roller coaster, it even had a loop in it. Then his eyes landed back on John again and, yep Crush Intensified. John looked up in the sky, the sun making his eyes sparkle, a childlike look of excitement and fascination on his face.

Still staring at John, Sherlock said, “It looks breathtaking.”

John looked back at him, realised Sherlock was staring at him with an intense look in his eyes and blushed. Was he talking about him or…?

“Hey, you two!” A woman with short purple hair yelled at them. “Get on, love birdies, or you have to take the next ride!”

continue reading -> tags ✨

tag list! (tell me if you wanna be added or removed please 💚) @justanobsessedpan @helloliriels @catlock-holmes @fluffbyday-smutbynight @inevitably-johnlocked @hisfavouritejumper @rhasima @forfucksakejohn @ohlooktheresabee @turbulenttrouble @so-youre-unattached-like-me @totallysilvergirl @peanitbear @train-mossman @loki-lock @smulderscobie @timberva @grace-in-the-wilderness @chinike @jawnn-watson @whatnext2020 @escapingthereality @missdeliadili @kettykika78 @musingsofmyown @francj15 @speedymoviesbyscience @astudyin221b @ladylindaaa @we-r-loonies @mxster-jocale @sherlockcorner @noahspector @our-stars-graveside @jobooksncoffee @baker-street-blog @macgyvershe @battledress @a-victorian-girl @dreamerofthemeadow @oetkb12 @ohnoesnotagain @mutedsilence @jawnscoffee @raenchaosandcozyadashofmurder @lisbeth-kk @quickslvxrr @compact-and-beautiful @kabubsmagga @sunshineinyourmind @booksoversleep @startrekker2011

[hashioki7]

Bath

A month had passed since Laura and Travis had become a couple.

When he confessed his feelings, Laura was overjoyed. She felt as if she were walking on air. At that moment, she thought she finally understood what it meant to be on cloud nine. For a while, she couldn’t believe it was real. Travis, of all people, had feelings for her.

Given their past relationship, anyone would be shocked to hear about this development. However, no one knew the secrets of their shared history. Regardless, Laura had rationally analyzed that her developing feelings for Travis made sense. Despite everything that happened, he ultimately saved her life. After the incident, her initial resentment and suspicion toward him gradually transformed into gratitude, which eventually led to her current feelings.

But what about Travis? Was there any reason for him to like her instead of hate her? Laura had been troubled by this question as she noticed her feelings for him evolving. It was only recently that she began to realize the answer might not be so straightforward.

From that point on, Laura acted quickly. She frequently visited North Kill to spend more time with Travis, and when they couldn’t meet, she kept in touch through messages and calls. She tried her hand at baking, changed her makeup style, and bought new perfumes, among other efforts. Finally, her persistence paid off last month.

Yet, despite all this, Laura was deeply dissatisfied. Travis was an excellent boyfriend, even more so than she had imagined. Although his work often delayed his replies, he always responded eventually. He constantly looked after her when she visited North Kill, buying her ice cream when she wanted and tidying up her clothes. He awkwardly yet earnestly escorted her during their shopping trips and was even better at cooking than she was. His aloof and taciturn nature seemed insignificant compared to his other qualities. He was practically the perfect boyfriend.

So why? Why did she feel so discontented?

With a sigh, Laura closed the teen romance comic she had been reading on her smartphone. Despite being together for a month, they hadn’t even kissed yet.

Laura believed the problem lay with Travis. She had tried to create romantic atmospheres at night, taken him to couple-friendly spots, and more, but he remained unresponsive. She knew he likely hesitated because of their age difference, but that didn’t ease her growing anxiety. While it was clear he cared for her deeply, she began to doubt if it was truly as a lover. Was she merely a friend or, worse, someone he felt obliged to protect?

This couldn’t go on. Clenching her fists, Laura decided to take drastic measures. She was a determined woman who carved her own path.

“Laura!?” Travis’s loud voice echoed along with the splashing of water as she opened the bathroom door. “W-what… why so suddenly…” His voice trailed off, and it was hard to understand his words. His black eyes were wide with surprise as he stared at Laura standing at the door.

“I thought we could take a bath together. We are a couple, after all.” Despite her boldness, she had wrapped herself in a towel, feeling too embarrassed to be completely naked. She stepped cautiously onto the slick tiles. Travis, clearly panicked, tried to say something but ended up only moving his eyes rapidly. Ignoring his flustered state, Laura approached him and stopped right in front of him. Their eyes met. Travis froze, and the turbulent water in the bathtub stilled.

Laura had made up her mind. If he still rejected her now, she might not just cry. But she had to do this. She thought she saw a flicker of anticipation in his eyes, which gave her the final push she needed.

“Laura!” She let the towel fall. Her face burned with embarrassment, but she held her ground. Her small yet shapely white breasts, toned waist, and long, smooth legs were all on display. She wanted Travis to see everything.

“How… do I look?” “…You are beautiful…” A crushed murmur escaped from between his lips. His mouth twisted into a grimace as if struggling against something. However, the gaze he directed at Laura was unmistakably heated and misty. His wet black hair clung to his reddened forehead. She felt the murkiness that had been clouding her mind suddenly dissipate. In its place, a warm steam seemed to fill her entire being, and Laura felt her body temperature rise abruptly. “Can I join you?” she asked. Travis nodded silently, his neck bright red.

“Hey Travis, Why won’t you look at me?” Laura asked as they sat facing each other in the large bathtub. Travis, still blushing, shook his head as if trying to clear it. “This isn’t right… it’s too soon…” “There’s no such thing as ‘too soon’. We’re a couple, aren’t we? Are you going to ignore your girlfriend when she goes this far?” Laura’s voice carried a hint of frustration. Sensing her irritation, Travis finally looked up, his brows furrowed deeply. “Are you sure… you’re okay with me?” The question made her blush, but Laura had no reason to back down now. “Of course.” “Alright.”

Before she knew it, he had grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She found herself leaning back against him, his arms wrapped around her from behind. “I’ve been holding back… I didn't want to do anything you’d dislike anymore.” Travis’s fingers gently brushed her side underwater, causing her to shiver slightly. Then she felt something hard and thick against her hip. Travis was aroused. By her nakedness. She felt a radiant joy fill her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that she was the happiest person in the world right now.

“Thanks to you, my self-control is shot. Prepare yourself for after,” he murmured lowly into her ear, making her tremble with anticipation. He placed a gentle kiss on her neck. “I’m ready for it.” As his hand softly cupped her breast, Laura leaned against his strong chest and closed her eyes.

[tobi-the-minnow]

22.) Imposter - a person who pretends to be someone else in order to deceive others, especially for fraudulent gain.

Glareing at the mirror i loathe what leers back at me. Filthy skin encasing my true god given form, a hideous mockery of what i should be perceived as. Reaching for a knife i press it against the soft tender flesh that ensnares me; god how much it stings as i rend this horrid design appart. The squelching of flesh and fluids running down my trembleing form as i grin into the mirror. Im one step closer to unveiling my profane form. Soon. Peice by peice. I shall become what i was made to be. As blood rains down on whats left of my skin i smile at myself as my true form slowly slips out of that mortal body. Im free now. No longer an imposter in the mortal coils.

[enigmatic-mystery-777]

Fly Away With Me

Daniel Jackson clearly has a bone to pick with you, the way he's acting like you're personally the worst person he's ever known, but you have no idea why, and eventually you get your chance to find out.

Taglist: @frostysfrenzy @stargaterevival @cuillere @jgem87 @geekygumiho @daydreampending @riverageleis

[booksandrandomfandoms]

Tarotoctoberbpc day 22

The high priestess - final girl

Just finished this last night … it was alright 🤷‍♀️ maybe if I was a fan of all the horror movies it mentions I probably would have liked it more 😂 I think I was hoping to feel scared while reading this and that didn’t happen 🤷‍♀️ but the plot was interesting & sometimes funny & I loved Charity (the mc)

[monthlywritingchallenges]

🌟 Comforcember Day [22]

🌟 Today's prompt is: [Healing Wounds]

Let’s bring some warmth and comfort to this winter day! Whether it’s a cozy drabble, a heartfelt story, or a poetic moment, we can’t wait to see what you create.

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

22-Day Formulized Intense Writing and Engagement Challenge for Substack Writers

This is not a usual story writing challenge; it is for gaining paid subscribers subsidized by Substack with a strategic move.  Why 22 days? It is because the offer by Substack ends on 30 November, and some of us have already missed 8 days because we did not hear about it despite my writing twice about it in the last 8 days.  Any story about Substack, including my book chapters related to…

[fairyniceyeah]

💎🦌Day 22: "What's the bad news?"

Poison/Bed-Ridden/Cauterization

@juneofdoom

Day 21: "Let's play a game"

Summary: It was only a stomach flu…

CW: emeto, seizure, hospital

Whumpee/Sickie: Joshua

Caretaker: S.Coups + Jeonghan

Day Zero

"I'm going to turn in for tonight”, Joshua whispered and lifted the blanket he had been sharing with Jeonghan off his legs. 

Jeonghan turned his attention away from the movie that was playing - it was voluntary movie night instigated by BooSeokSoon in Jeonghan’s dorm - towards his fellow 95liner. Joshua had seemed a bit off, a bit pale all day and now he winced as he moved to detangle himself from Seungkwan, who had fallen asleep on his lap. The youngest vocalist just turned in his sleep, mumbling something before becoming still again.

“You okay?”, Jeonghan whispered, not wanting to have the other’s attention on them. He doubted Joshua would appreciate that.

The other vocalist nodded. “I’m fine. Just a bit of a stomach ache. I think dinner might be having an issue with me.” His hand had moved to cradle his abdomen but other than that and his paleness he seemed good. Maybe an early night wouldn't hurt.

“Do you need anything? Meds, hot water bottle?”, Jeonghan questioned but received a shake of Joshua’s head as an answer.

“I’ll just lie down. If I need anything, Cheollie and Minghao-yah are at our dorm after all”, Joshua answered as he stood up and then said a bit louder, so that everybody awake could hear him: “I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

A chorus of “Good night”s followed him out.

Day One 

“Cheollie, it’s not even six am”, Jeonghan complained into his phone which’s ringing had disturbed his sleep, “why are you already up?”

“I haven’t turned in yet”, Seungcheol answered with a sigh. That had Jeonghan’s attention. “Shua is sick. He has been throwing up since he came back from yours and he’s running a decent temperature…”

He wanted to continue but Jeonghan, having rolled onto his stomach to actually be able to use his phone without the danger of falling back asleep, interrupted him: “He told me yesterday he had a stomach ache from dinner. Why didn’t he say he was nauseous?”

“He said it only really got bad when walking and in the elevator. Anyways, I already spoke to a manager - I’m staying home with Shua today. He’s asleep right now and hasn’t been throwing up every half hour since four but I don’t doubt he’ll feel awful when he wakes up. He’s also still at 38.3°C”, Seungcheol explained, “since I haven’t slept and was with him, the manager said that it’s best that I stay to catch up on some sleep and to stop the risk of contagion. So, congratulations, you’re in charge today.”

In the evening Jeonghan had convinced the manager that it didn’t matter if he went to see Joshua - he’d been cuddling with the sick member the whole past evening, if he was to get sick he’d get sick. 

“Hey”, he whispered as he entered his best friend’s bedroom. Joshua was sitting up with a pillow propping him up against the headboard. He was looking ashen-gray and the very definition of sick. There was a bucket sitting on the floor by his head, clean but still wet from the water used to clean it out. Joshua was reading a book though it seemed like he wasn’t taking much in.

“Hi, Han-ah”, Joshua greeted, looking up. He placed the book away without putting a bookmark - so he really hadn’t been paying attention to it. “What are you doing here? You didn’t sneak in, did you? It’s bad enough that I might have infected Cheollie already.”

“I came to see how you were, dumbass. I was worried and besides, we were cuddling. If I am destined to get sick, I already have been cursed”, Jeonghan answered and sat on the edge of Joshua’s bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Awful”, Joshua mumbled with a sigh, “my stomach feels like it’s been turned into lava. The cramps are terrible, the vomiting is worse. And I’m so cold from the fever.”

As if to make his point, he shivered.

“I’m sorry, baby”, Jeonghan said and brushed a sweat-soaked curl away from where it was stuck to Joshua’s equally sweaty forehead, “is there anything I can do to help?”

“Not really. Before he went to nap, Cheollie already gave me some fever reducers, pain meds and the anti-emetic”, Joshua mumbled before his voice turned bitter, “then I threw it all up and Wonwoo had to help me.”

“You know none of us mind”, Jeonghan comforted, “how long ago was that?”

“I don’t know. Forty-five minutes? Something like that”, Joshua replied, “no, don’t say it.”

Jeonghan smiled at him. “Why don’t we try some plain rice? Mingyu made it specifically for you and gave it his best.”

Joshua snorted, then seemed to regret that as the motion pulled at his aching stomach. “We’re an Asian household. I think we’d die if we didn’t have rice available at all times.”

“Fair enough. I’m actually scared for Jihoon-ah, just thinking about it”, Jeonghan joked. Then he turned serious: “You should really try eating. You need some strength.”

Joshua acquiesced. 

Five minutes after he’d had some rice, Joshua had to bury his face in the bucket again, choking up the few bites he had managed to swallow. As he managed to stop gagging and with trails of spit dangling from his lips, he rasped: “I told you.”

Seungcheol sent Jeonghan home to his dorm half an hour later, claiming Jeonghan needed his sleep - which was rich coming from the insomniac general leader but Jeonghan felt guilty enough about making Joshua eat that he just went quietly. 

Day Two

Jeonghan woke up to a text message.

Seungcheol (04:28): I’m staying home with Shua-yah again.

They all were worried, every single member not really focused on work that day. Joshua hadn’t been able to keep anything down for over twenty-four hours and his fever was steadily burning. Not even the hot water bottle seemed to be able to soothe the pain and sore muscles. He was basically bed-ridden by then, his strength not enough to drag himself to the bathroom even if he wanted to. Jeonghan received a picture from a manager during vocal practice - Seungcheol and Joshua curled up on the leader’s big bed together, both asleep and Joshua so tiny in the eldest’s arms. Nobody needed to know that Jeonghan put it in his folder of his favorite Seventeen pictures.

Jeonghan didn’t go to see them that day.

Day Three

They all had a day off. Jeonghan had forced himself into the other apartment. Seungcheol needed sleep. Joshua needed to get better. And Jeonghan was worried. 

“Go sleep, Cheollie”, Jeonghan whispered, so as not to wake the sleeping Joshua.

“But …”, Seungcheol protested, nervously biting his lip, eyebrows furrowed. “He’s so sick.”

“I know. But you need rest”, Jeonghan said, opening his arms for the exhausted leader. Immediately Seungcheol had thrown himself into the embrace, obviously overly tired and exhausted, overwhelmed by caring for a member so sick. If Joshua wasn’t better soon, they’d have to take him to the hospital. Already the company doctor had given him some IV fluids and meds but it seemed it had only helped make Joshua sleep. “I’ll take good care of him for you.”

Seungcheol nodded, rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Wake me if you need help. Anything.”

Jeonghan laughed softly and shoved him out of the door. “Rest, ddaddu.”

Then he was alone with Joshua. He made himself comfortable in the chair beside the bed, opening the book Joshua hadn't touched for days.

“Hey, Shua, baby, wake up for me”, Jeonghan whispered, stroking sweat-soaked hair plastered to Joshua’s forehead back. “You need to eat lunch.”

It took a good while for Jeonghan to get Joshua awake and even then his eyes kept falling shut. It was obvious just how exhausted he was, how ill he was. “Han?”, he rasped, voice nearly gone from repeated vomiting, “I’m so tired. I just want to sleep.”

“I’m sorry, baby, I know”, Jeonghan mumbled. He hated himself for disturbing Joshua’s rest like that but he hadn’t eaten in so long and he was growing weaker. If he didn’t manage to eat until that evening they had agreed to bring him to the hospital. “But you need nutrients and fluids. And we should take your temperature again.”

“I’ll just throw up again”, Joshua protested weakly, “I don’t want to eat.”

“If you don’t eat I’ll take you to the hospital now”, Jeonghan said softly. It wasn’t a threat. It was worry. 

“No. No hospital. Please.”

As Joshua protested, never having been a fan of hospitals and likely feeling too wretched for the trip, Jeonghan nearly wished Joshua had agreed. Except for Wonwoo’s gastroenteritis, he couldn’t remember seeing a member so sick before. Maybe they shouldn’t wait till evening for a hospital visit but getting Joshua to agree looked like an impossible task. Forcing him would be no good either. So Jeonghan sighed and pulled out the thermometer. 

Joshua kept his eyes closed, fingers entangled with Jeonghan’s as they waited for the results. “39.5°C”, Jeonghan read with worry, “Shua, it hasn’t gone down at all today. If anything, it’s up.”

“Just give me some painkillers for my stomach if I have to eat - they’ll help with the fever too”, Joshua muttered. Jeonghan nodded, running his fingers through his hair for a moment. 

“Give me a moment, I’ll get the meds and food.”

Joshua didn’t respond.

“How is he?”, Wonwoo asked from where he was perched on a kitchen chair, watching Mingyu cook. 

“Fever is still high. He doesn’t want to but I told him he needs to eat. I have half a mind to just pack him into a car and drive him to a hospital”, Jeonghan sighed and slumped down on the chair beside him. Wonwoo sighed.

“Do you think it could be what I had?”, he asked worriedly. 

Mingyu turned around from the stove at that moment. “Why aren’t you taking him to the hospital?”

“I don’t know”, Jeonghan said to both questions. “He really doesn’t want to go.”

“He also has a fever going through the roof - he isn’t thinking clearly”, Wonwoo pointed out, “but it’s your choice.”

“I just don’t want to force him. You know he hates hospitals. He doesn’t like needles. I want him to be comfortable”, Jeonghan said with doubt in his heart, “can you make him some soup, Mingyu-yah?”

“One step ahead of you, hyung”, Mingyu said, pointing to the stove, “it’s already done.”

“Oh, thanks.” Maybe Jeonghan shouldn’t have been surprised. They all were so close with each other and caring for each other in their own ways had easily become second nature to them.

When Jeonghan entered the bedroom again, carrying a steaming bowl of soup, Joshua was fast asleep again. There was a bit of bile in the bucket, Jeonghan saw, grimacing. Joshua had nothing left in himself to throw up.

Waking Joshua was hard. No matter what Jeonghan tried - whispering his name, gently shaking his shoulder, calling his name loudly, using the cool cloth to try to shock him into wakefulness - it didn’t work.

Jeonghan felt himself start to tremble when he realized that, no, Joshua wasn’t asleep. This was not sleep at all, it was unconsciousness. Fear was gripping Jeonghan’s heart as he stumbled a step back. Was his fever that high? As he lifted his hand to touch Joshua’s forehead he found it burning.

“Cheollie”, he yelled, panicked. He was so out of his depth. “Seungcheol! I need help!”

The door behind him crashed open, admitting Mingyu and Wonwoo first - having been the closest - followed by a half-asleep leader who suddenly looked wide-awake the moment he laid his eyes on Joshua and the trembling Jeonghan.

“What happened?”, he asked, pushing past the other two rappers.

“I went to get him some food but when I came back, he … Shua … he wouldn’t wake …”, Jeonghan started, trying to suppress his tears. He whirled around as Joshua made a sound, somewhere between a groan and a grunt. 

Jeonghan heard somebody start to sob when he took in the scene. Joshua’s body was tense on the bed, back arched as his eyes were rolling behind closed lids. Everyone of his appendages was trembling and then…

Then Joshua began to seize.

Jeonghan was helpless to watch, as Seungcheol ordered Mingyu to call an ambulance and told Wonwoo to time … it. His eyes were fixed on Joshua, who was groaning, making these awful sounds that didn’t even sound quite human as his body was thrown from side to side. Seungcheol ran to pull the blanket off Joshua, receiving a kick in the stomach by an uncoordinated limp, but he didn’t even seem fazed.

Two hours later the four of them, Seungcheol, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Jeonghan, were sitting in a waiting room in a random hospital. They hadn’t seen Joshua since the ambulance had sped off with him shortly after they had arrived. The paramedics had been mumbling about low blood pressure but a too high pulse, a fever burning over 40°C and bad dehydration. Joshua had looked so small, hooked up to so many machines.

Now, all they could do was wait. 

Seungcheol was pacing. Wonwoo was just staring at the opposite wall. Mingyu was trying to distract himself with his phone. Jeonghan hadn’t yet stopped crying.

They had let the other know, of course, leaving Jun, Hoshi and Woozi in charge. It would normally be a disaster waiting to happen but as far as Jeonghan knew they were all just gathered in the 8th floor dorm waiting for news and taking comfort in each other's presence.

Jeonghan startled badly as the door opened and a doctor walked in. Hopeful eyes turned up to her and she gave them a tight nod in greeting. 

“Joshua-ssi is asleep at the moment. Our fears of a burst appendix or other infected organs have been proven wrong and his fever has gone down a bit. He didn’t have another seizure”, she said. Mingyu breathed out in relief, leaning his head on Wonwoo’s shoulder, who pulled him close. Seungcheol had stopped pacing, instead listening intensely. 

“What’s the bad news?”, Jeonghan asked quietly. Why would the doctor start with telling them what it wasn’t? Why wasn’t she saying what was wrong with Joshua?

The doctor sighed. “It appears as if Joshua-ssi is suffering from Escherichia coli or in short E.Coli.”

Seungcheol frowned. “Food poisoning? Food poisoning can do that?”

“Basically, yes”, the doctor said, “E.Coli is food poisoning. But in Joshua-ssi’s case it has turned into bacteremia. It’s an infection or rather poisoning of the bloodstream caused by bacteria entering the blood due to a scrape or cut. We think that due to the excess vomiting Joshua-ssi’s esophagus was torn a bit, causing the bacteria he was throwing up to enter his blood. Due to this, he developed sepsis.”

“Oh, God”, Seungcheol mumbled and collapsed into the chair next to Jeonghan. The younger gently took his hand, needing the support as much as the leader did.

“How are you treating him?”, Wonwoo asked, as always able to keep a clear head.

“We put him into an artificial coma so his body can rest. He is receiving oxygen and antibiotics to treat the infection”, the doctor explained.

“Is … is he going to be okay?”, Jeonghan whispered, not daring to look up from where he was fiddling with Seungcheol’s team ring. 

“If the medication helps as much as we hope, yes. But we need to wait and see how it progresses before we promise anything”, she answered.

“Can we see him?”, Seuncgheol said.

“Not yet. We’re keeping him in isolation for now, so he can’t get into contact with any other germs. If he gets better in the next two days, you’ll be able to see him.”

Day One of Joshua being able to return to their schedules was likely one of the best the group had ever experienced. 

Two weeks after the initial hospitalization, including three days in coma, Joshua was allowed to return home to the dorm. He was still weak, pale and mostly sleeping the days away. Three days later the fever returned and he was bedridden in the hospital again. It was touch and go for a while.

But now, nearly two months later, Joshua was with them at the photo shoot scheduled for that day. All members, even those who were already finished with theirs and allowed to leave, stuck around to watch him together.

Joshua was really glowing under the flood lights.

Jeonghan couldn’t help but smile as Seungcheol pressed his hand.

“He’s okay, Han-ah. He’s okay.”

Day 23: "You're doing great"

Masterlist links: Fairy's Masterlist 2024 Fairy's Masterlist 2025 Fairy's June of Doom 2024  

[febuwhump]

FEBUWHUMP 2025 PROMPT LIST

this year's prompts were chosen through an open suggestion poll (in which we received over 4,000 prompts) and a subsequent vote, where 5,019 votes were submitted. the top 28 make up the core prompts, and the febuwhump mod's favourites that remain have become the alternates. the first prompt in the 28, "vocal chords", was our number one prompt of the vote, with 1,625 total votes.

i am so insanely excited to see what you all create with these prompts, and i hope they're inspiring enough to trigger a whole month's worth of creativity for you!

as an extra added challenge, some creators will be undertaking another, smaller goal, of including apples in each of their prompt fills as an ode to the wildly popular prompt suggestion of "apples" that didn't make it through to the poll. this is totally optional, but is a good extra challenge if you'd like to take part in it!

if you have any questions, please check out the faq before sending an ask, or skim the blog's previously asked questions to see if your question has already been answered.

please note: notifying the blog of completionist status will happen through a google form released towards the end of febuwhump, and if you are interested in joining the febuwhmp discord server, the link will be available to do so for one week towards the end of january.

full write-up of prompts and rules under the cut:

FEBUWHUMP 2025 PROMPTS:

DAY 1: vocal chords

DAY 2: holding back tears

DAY 3: pinned down

DAY 4: hivemind

DAY 5: not trusting reality

DAY 6: forced to stay awake

DAY 7: alternate timeline self

DAY 8: bleeding out

DAY 9: necromancy

DAY 10: magic exhaustion

DAY 11: demonic possession

DAY 12: used as practice

DAY 13: “i don’t trust anyone else”

DAY 14: becoming the monster

DAY 15: icarus

DAY 16: eaten alive

DAY 17: power instability

DAY 18: living weapon

DAY 19: death wish

DAY 20: “i did good right?”

DAY 21: put on display

DAY 22: “grab the little one”

DAY 23: gunshot wound

DAY 24: forced to beg

DAY 25: bound and gagged

DAY 26: concealing an injury

DAY 27: post-victory collapse

DAY 28: recovery

ALTERNATE PROMPTS:

is there a specific day’s prompt you don’t want to fill? here are ten alternatives you can switch them out for!

ALT 1: major character death

ALT 2: blowtorch

ALT 3: pick who dies

ALT 4: body swap

ALT 5: die a hero

ALT 6: emergency surgery

ALT 7: body horror

ALT 8: on the run

ALT 9: in another life

ALT 10: feeding tube

RULES:

soft rules:

prompts should be answered in the form of whump

creators can produce any kind of media they want

you don't have to complete all the prompts to take part

you can use the prompts after the event ends

you can complete them in tandem with any other event

you can post to any platform you want, however this blog will only be sharing links and prompt fills posted to tumblr

if you want to be featured on the hall of fame, you must inform this blog by the 3rd of march that you have completed all of the days using the provided form

if you have questions, consult the faq before asking

hard rules:

to be a completionist, you must complete all 28 prompts, in order, in whatever medium you want, before the end of the event

(specifically for being featured on the blog)

when uploading febuwhump content to tumblr, please use the tags:

febuwhump (or febuwhump2025)

the relevant day's tag e.g. febuwhumpday1, febuwhumpday2...

nsfw (if relevant)

any important trigger warnings

you can also tag the blog: @febuwhump

I cannot guarantee your work will be archived on the blog. a random selection of properly tagged works will be reblogged every day of february.

[girlwithrituals]

101 ways to improve self esteem

1) Master a new skill.

2) List your accomplishments.

3) Do something creative.

4) Challenge your limiting beliefs.

5) Talk to a counselor.

6) Don't worry about what others think.

7) Read or watch something inspirational.

8) Stay true to your character.

9) Let go of negative people.

10) Set healthy boundaries with others.

11) Care about your appearance.

12) Welcome failure as part of growth.

13) Be a lifelong learner.

14) Face your fears.

15) Become a mentor.

16) Accept compliments.

17) Eliminate self-criticism.

18) Practice coping skills to manage stress and big emotions.

19) Notice negative thoughts and beliefs.

20) Challenge negative thinking.

21) Think about what you learned from negative experiences.

22) Practice gratitude.

23) Exercise.

24) Eat healthy and limit junk food.

25) Get good sleep.

26) Spend time with positive and supportive people.

27) Encourage yourself.

28) Write a list of your strengths.

29) Don't compare yourself to others.

30) Avoid perfectionism.

31) Do at least one positive, enjoyable activity every day.

32) Celebrate small victories.

33) Be helpful and considerate to others.

34) Be honest with yourself and others.

35) Accept your flaws.

36) Don't give up.

37) Practice self-care.

38) Go easy on yourself.

39) Practice being assertive.

40) Practice saying "No".

41) Practice relaxation techniques.

42) Take on challenges.

43) Volunteer to help others.

44) Forgive others and yourself.

45) Set goals and work toward them step by step.

46) Seek balance in all areas of your life.

47) Discover your passions and purpose

48) Groom yourself.

49) Dress nicely.

50) Be kind and generous to others.

51) Practice good posture.

52) Change a small habit.

53) Smile.

54) Don't procrastinate.

55) Don't take things personal.

56) Organize your personal space.

57) Challenge unkind thoughts about yourself.

58) Spend time outside.

59) Notice the good things.

60) Celebrate your successes

61) Write a list of things you like about yourself.

62) Don't take too much on.

63) Do something for yourself every day.

64) Develop daily habits.

65) Remind yourself it's okay if not everyone likes you.

66) Practice mindfulness.

67) Learn to tolerate discomfort.

68) Use problem-solving skills.

69) Take responsibility instead of blaming.

Tell Yourself Positive Affirmations Such As:

70) I am grateful for every day.

71) I am worthy of happiness and love.

72) I am in charge of my own happiness.

73) I love, respect, and believe in myself.

74) I deserve to be happy and successful.

75) I approve of myself, right here and now.

76) I am learning and changing for the better.

77) I accept 100% responsibility for my own life.

78) Every day in every way, I am getting better and better.

79) I can learn to accept the parts of myself that I don't like.

80) I am thankful for my challenges as they make me a stronger person.

81) Write down three positives about each day.

82) Make a collage with your talents, goals, and dreams.

83) Practice laughing.

84) Be proud of yourself.

85) Say mistakes are an opportunity to learn.

86) Show respect to yourself and others.

87) Resolve conflict peacefully.

88) Ask for help or support.

89) Complete a daily task list.

90) Have a growth mindset.

91) Be optimistic.

92) Treat yourself with kindness and compassion.

93) Focus on the things you have control over and can change.

94) Get started on tasks you have been putting off.

95) Practice good daily hygiene.

96) Focus on solutions not problems.

97) Talk about your feelings with someone you trust.

98) Drink plenty of water.

99) Start a new hobby or join a club/sport.

100) Do random acts of kindness.

101) Create a dreams list.

[whumpuary]

Whumpuary 2025!

(edit in case anyone actually reads this, i messed up and put "i'm fine" in twice for day 25 and alt prompt, so either ignore that or you can use "do it" as an additional alt prompt)

these prompts came together through community submissions and then a voting form where people voted for their favorites, here are the top 53 prompts

i want to try a slightly new format where there are still only 15 days for creation prompts but with additional community prompts/questions. those are entirely voluntary but are here to possibly inspire some community interaction and trying new things

i'm excited to see some awesome creations in january!

go here for info/rules/tagging go here for faqs

(note: number 31 is not a creation prompt and therefore not required to complete the challenge, it's just colored black so the colors add up)

text version of the prompts and rules is under the cut

(image description note: there are 31 numbered prompts, on each odd number the text color is black and on even numbers the text color is white)

Whumpuary 2025

a whump-themed multi media creation event for january

create for at least one prompt from each odd/black number to complete the challenge community prompts (even/white) numbers are voluntary

main prompts

1. sacrifice | headache | "this will hurt" 2. how did you find the whump community? 3. choice | storm | black eye 4. what are your favorite whump tropes? 5. "do you trust me" | manhandled | chills 6. share your favorite whump creations (others or yours!) 7. unfair fight | insomnia | "no one is coming" 8. what media genre do you like whump in? 9. trapped under rubble | gunpoint | out of time 10. write your own whump prompt 11. "i didn't ask for this" | blood | abandoned 12. create something in a new/less familiar medium 13. close call | sleep | choking 14. what's your favorite character dynamic? 15. handcuffed | dead | "please, stop" 16. leave a comment on a whump fic/art/creation 17. drugged | "i'm glad you're alive" | revenge 18. favorite whump medium? (movie, book, art, ...) 19. "let them go" | overworked | head injury 20. send a nice message to someone in the community 21. bruises | "who are you?" | immortality 22. take 10 minutes to work on a wip 23. backhand slap | alone | "i can't do this anymore" 24. what do you take inspiration in? 25. "i'm fine" | missing | drowsiness 26. draw/doodle something whumpy 27. stuck in a loop | twisting the knife | rescue 28. find a creator in the #whumpuary tag and send them an ask 29. kidnapped | "don't leave me" | devotion 30. make a whump meme 31. say something nice about your own work

alt prompts

hiding impaled "i'm fine" rain betrayal hair pulling darkness falling (added later, not in the image: "do it")

rules & info

-any medium is allowed (art, writing, gifs, edits, ...) -prompts are open for interpretation (but the context does have to be whumpy) -create for at least one of three prompts on creation prompt days (black/odd numbers) to complete the challenge -if you're not aiming for completionist you can do however many prompts you want any way you want -community prompts (white/even numbers) are voluntary and don't count for completionist (but can be combined with creation prompts if applicable) -use alt prompts to replace main prompts you don't like some works posted on tumblr will be reblogged if tagged correctly -#whumpuary2025 -#whumpuaryno1 (number of the prompt(s)) -#sacrifice #head injury #"i'm fine" (the prompt(s) you're using) -any trigger/content warning tags -any additional tags (fandom, oc, other used tropes, ...)

[angstober]

Welcome to another year of Angstober! We're delighted to unveil the prompts for this year of angsty, spooky fun.

What is Angstober?

Angstober is a yearly October challenge with 31 angst-themed prompts to inspire you to create. The challenge is open to all sorts of creative work - writing, art, edits, whatever you want - in whatever medium you want. Original work or fanworks? Whatever you feel inspired for!

How do I take part?

Tag your works with #angstober2024 and the day of the prompt (e.g., #day 01) to share on tumblr. Feel free to @ us directly in the post as well! To share your work on AO3, add it to the Angstober 2024 collection.

You can post your works whenever - early or late - and use as many or as few prompts as you feel inspired for! We'll do our best to reblog as many works to the @angstober blog as we can.

Is there a banner to post my work with?

Absolutely!

Anything else?

Nope. Happy Angsting!

2024 Prompt List

Again

2. Countdown

3. Self-Destruction

4. Blood

5. Do Better

6. Medication

7. “You Still Don’t Get It.”

8. Growing Pains

9. Promise

10. Humiliation

11. Wake Up

12. Rotten Touch

13. Shaking

14. Only Around You

15. False Hope

16. No One Else To Turn To

17. “Shhh…”

18. Falling Stars

19. Tear-Stained Cheek

20. Spare Me

21. Abandoned

22. Crocodile Tears

23. Safe/Unsafe

24. Dark Sunrise

25. You’re No Better

26. Persuasion

27. Curled Up

28. Perfect

29. Get Out

30. Nothing Else To Tell You

31. It Ends Here