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nanamiluvs · 2 months

Text

can't keep his arms off !

pairing : wriothesley x reader

rating : fluff, very slight angst

wc : 550

tags : reader has no gender, reader is implied to be smaller than wriothesley in size, wriothesley is very clingy, wriothesley is touch starved, established relationship, hugging, kisses, physical touch as a love language, non-sexual physical touch, slight wriothesley angst

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

wriothesley seems to have a problem with keeping his hands off of you.

you didn't know when it had turned into this. as your relationship with wriothesley progressed, he became more and more comfortable with casually touching you. light touches on the small of your back turning into back hugs with his face pressed against the crook of your neck.

and now you were starting to wonder if your boyfriend is simply a wet, needy puppy who's going to die if he's not touching you.

he wants to have you sat on his lap as he works through the boring documents of his work, one hand carelessly playing with your hair and nuzzling his face against yours whenever he wants to just throw all those papers away.

he wants to have you lay ontop of his body or his body on top of yours as you watch your favorite show on the tv. he doesn't really care what's on the screen, he just needs to crush you with his weight or act as your personal bed. he uses your chest as his pillow when he's on top of you, arms wrapped around you to hold you firm to himself- he may or may not fall asleep in the position. the thing is, he wants you to feel the same way with him, to feel safe enough with him that you can't help but doze off with your body curled on top of his.

he wants you to hug him as tightly as you possibly can when he has you on the back of his bike, speeding up when you loosen your grip so you cling to him again. he's grinning like a little boy when he feels you press against him, knowing you trust him to such an extent.

trust is what matters the most for wriothesley. he's scared of trusting other people, yet with you, it's different, and that's what scares him even more. he's so scared of the thought that you may not return his trust, or not even love him as he loves you, that he can't help but search for your touch as a reminder. a reminder that no, he's just overthinking, you're there, you're not leaving him. nothing can stop the flow of his thoughts like feeling you physically. his hands reach out to you after his darkest nightmares, and only then can wriothesley calm down.

his larger frame wraps around you when he comes home late, too stressed from work- his only remedy caged in his arms now. wriothesley knows how to lie and how others can lie, thus wonders of words leave a doubt in his mind. but when he finally has you secured in his embrace, how can that not be real? you allow him so close to you, so intimate, you trust him and it almost drives wriothesley to tears when he thinks about it. you're there, he knows you're there when your arms creep up his back to return his hug, slowly patting him. there is peace and tranquility in moments like these, moments in which wriothesley is a little clingy.

wriothesley knows, but he also knows that there is no place he would rather be.

#genshin wriothesley #wriothesley genshin #wriothesley #wriothesley x reader #wrio x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact #genshin wriothesley x reader #wriothesley x you #gi x reader

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rishiguro · 6 months

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HAIKYUU CHARACTERS WHEN YOU‘RE SICK

a/n: hello flu season, you make me write purely self-indulgent shit because i turn into a needy child when i‘m sick

warnings: mentions of meds. one f-bomb.

jjk version

SUNA RINTAROU: can’t help but tease you for it

“i told you to put on a jacket and dry your hair before you go out,” he muttered amused as he watched you huddle into the living room, wrapped into your thick blanket. you rolled your eyes at him, to which he immediately held up his hands. “don’t look at me like that, you know i’m right” you couldn’t help but pout at him, whispering curses annoyed. “you know damn well that that’s not how viruses work,” you grumbled. “then why are you sick now?” he retorted, smiling. “fuck you” you turned around to go back into the bedroom. “oh, come here you big baby” your boyfriend opened his arms and gestured you to come closer, offering to cuddle with you. “i hate you sometimes,” you muttered under your breath as you walked up to him, falling into his arms and laying your head on his chest. “i love you too”

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI: decks you in with every remedy he can get his hands on

he looked at all the meds on the table after carefully reciting the benefits of each one word-by-word, remembering everything the pharmacist had told him. “are you sure you got everything you need? i can run out to the pharmacy again, it’s not a problem,” he offered after a short pause. you let out a quiet laugh, nodding confidently. “i’m sure i’ll be fine, ‘toshi. promise,” you stated, reaching out to grab his hand. “okay” admittedly, it was adorable just how overboard he went the second he heard you sneeze. you probably just caught the flu somewhere, nothing that couldn’t be cured with rest and maybe a few meds. when you texted your boyfriend, asking him to pick some up for you, you surely didn’t expect him to enter your home with the whole pharmacy in his bag. you grinned, your heart warming at his silly, but incredibly caring gesture. “what are you laughing at?” he asked confused. “nothing,” you assured him quickly, giving his cheek a peck before leaning into him and his warmth. “i’m just happy you’re here with me”

KITA SHINSUKE: keeps a respectable distance but doesn’t fail to make you feel cared for

following a soft knock, the door to your dim bedroom was opened with your boyfriend stepping into the room. “i made you some tea” he spoke softly as he put the mug down on the small table next to you. he proceeded to quickly feel your forehead, nodding when he realizes that your temperature has gone down. “and some soup is currently cooking on the stove, i’m gonna bring you a bowl later” he smiled softly at you, giving your forehead a peck. “i’ll be in the living room, yeah?” he turned to leave, making sure to not close the door behind him. he then turned around and took another look at you. “the door’s open, love, so just say the word and i’ll be here, no need to strain your voice” you smiled weakly at him. “thank you” he nodded. “i love you,” he whispered to you. “i love you too,” you replied. he turned to leave, but stopped when you called out to him again. he hummed, waiting for you to continue. “can i get a hug? just a quick one,” you mumbled, almost sounding shy, “please” he smiled, immediately making his way over to you. “you don’t have to ask, anything you want”

HINATA SHOYO: latches himself onto you and ends up getting sick too

you groaned, trying to push him off you, but finishing yourself too weak to actually do so. his head was buried in the crook of your neck with his arms wrapped tightly secured around you, not wanting to let you go. you sighed in defeat. “shoyo, i love you, but you’re gonna get sick of you keep doing this” “nuh-uh” he denied, shaking his head, his hair tickling your skin. “yes you will,” you insisted, your hands however finding their way on his back, softly running your nails over it. he kept denying it however and soon after you couldn’t find the energy to keep arguing with him — and you really didn’t want him to leave (not like you’d tell him and give him an actual reason to stay). and just about two weeks later, you’d be the one tending to him, not failing to tease him about his sickness. it didn’t matter to him though, he’d get sick a thousand times over if it meant he could stay close to you.

KUROO TETSUROU: loves to berate you but will drop everything to take care of you

he groaned when he saw you in his field of vision, raising his eyebrows at you with hands stemmed into his hips. “i told you to stay under the covers” he shook his head, pointing into the direction of your bedroom and motioning you towards it. “back under the blanket, come on” you whined. “it’s too hot, tetsurou, i’m sweating” you shivered as you spoke, your arms wrapping around your midsection. honestly, you just needed to see some things that weren’t the walls or the ceiling of your room. you’d take anything at this point. “that’s the point! you need to sweat it out!” he claimed, gesturing with his hands. “can i at least take a shower first? or just get changed? i feel disgusting, my clothes are literally drenched in sweat,” you spoke after sighing in defeat. there was no point in arguing with him, especially when you knew that he was right. “hop into the bathroom, i’ll get you some new pajamas”

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gabessquishytum · 3 months

Note

CW hospitals and medical stuff heyo! This is based partially off of my experience and therefore will probably be more on par with things in america.

Hob and Dream both get sent to the ER separately. Hob over a sport’s injury and Dream having some incredibly horrid insomnia issues. Hob and Dream sit next to each other coincidentally and unfortunately for Dream, Hob’s a talker. Dream is not even listening half convinced Hob’s lost it when they both suddenly notice an Elderly woman and her son come in, she is in a lot of pain and the son says he’ll be back to take a smoke break.

“he’s going to leave her here” Dream mutters the first time he’s spoken in the hour they’ve been there.

“No that’s horrible! Who would do that to their mother?” Hob asks

“people have problems, you don’t know about,”

hob hums thoughtfully,

“I’ll bet you twenty dollars her son comes back”

dream simply nods feeling he is about to become twenty dollars richer. When thirty minutes later the son comes back.

“yes,” Hob whispers “hope in humanity triumphs!”

Dream grumbles and starts digging through his purse.

“I was kidding, I don’t need the money, I’m Hob by the way”

“I know,” Dream says. “I also know you were born in 1989”

Hob is taken aback “how’d you know that?”

“you loudly proclaimed your date and birth when you were getting checked in”

“oh you cheeky bastard I like you,”

so for the next six hours that they are waiting they swap stories and make more bets. Hob finally gets a room and dream bemoans the fact that he forgot to ask for Hob’s number. Until… Dream gets his room and hey turns out he’s rooming with Hob!

“hey stranger,”

“Robert”

Dream sits down primly on his bed. Hob’s injury is fairly severe so he has to stay a few days, and so does Dream but Hob’s not exactly sure why, they’ve always got him hooked up to the vital machine but he doesn’t seem…sick? by day three Dream is defeated. “Hey Dream…what’s wrong?”

“they won’t let me go home, until I get a full eight hours,”

“oh…”

“I CANT sleep hob! I don’t know what’s wrong with me! Why can’t I do a basic human function like every other human being!” it then occurs to Hob that he’s never seen Dream sleep, Dream was awake when hob fell asleep and already up when Hob woke up. Hob assumed he slept while the other was sleeping but apparently not.

“you want to try something a tad bit unorthodox?” “I’ll do anything,” dream practically begs.

“wanna cuddle?”

“but I’m hooked up to the monitor and-“

“I’ll come to you,”

“but your foot”

“I’ll come to you”

Dream finally nods and Hob hobbles over to his bedside they managed to get themselves in an order where dream was laying on top of Hob’s chest.

“Comfy?” Hob asks, and Dream practically purrs like a cat. hob rubs his back with one hand and runs his fingers through his think dark black hair with the other and Dream? Dream falls asleep and stays asleep. the next morning Dream’s doctor comes in and is like “Did you mess with the monitor it says you got a full eight hours,”

“No sir, I simply found a natural remedy,”

Hob waves to the doctor, he’s back in his own bed.

the doctor still wants to monitor Dream for a few days to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. Eventually Hob decides to just stay in bed with Dream, it’s easier on his foot that way. and once the two have fully recovered after a few weeks, they go on their first of many dates.

-🦎 anon

Thank you for sending this!!! The dialogue you've added really made me melt, they're so sweet. I love the image of Hob, well, hobbling over to Dream with his broken foot. The doctor and the nurses on duty all pretend to be cross about breaking hospital rules, it's really not allowed, blah blah blah. But no one actually tells Hob to get out of Dream’s bed. They can see that he's curing their grumpiest (affectionate) and most horribly sleep deprived patient, and despite the rules they're not going to interfere with such clear progress.

The problem comes when both of them are discharged. Dream will no longer be able to sleep on top of Hob. But there is one solution - Hob could do with a bit of home help, with his foot still unusable. Dream immediately offers his services (he's a terrible nurse but he tries his best, bless him) in exchange for a solid 8 hours passed out with his head on Hob’s chest.

When they finally leave Hob’s flat for that long awaited date, Hob still has the cute hobbly walk, and Dream still has dark circles under his eyes. But they're MUCH better together. And yes, Dream is moving in to Hob’s place properly tomorrow <3

#🦎 anon #the sandman #dreamling

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drewsbuzzcut · 1 year

Note

Can you do a fic where Y/N is nursing Nolan and she experiences a Clogged duct. Remedies won’t work on her so she asks Mat if he could help her. Mat would get excited of course I mean… it’s boobs 💀

You’re My Remedy

mat barzal x model!fem!reader

a visceral in doses blurb

warnings: boobs and breast feeding and mat drinking reader’s breast milk

You really didn’t want to deal with this problem right now while you’re on vacation with Mat and his family. It actually hasn’t happened since you brought Nolan home from the hospital. Your milk duct was clogged, and the last time it happened you had hell getting it unclogged. After that incident, you read somewhere that some women actually had their significant others unclog it with their mouth, so you were tempted to ask Mat but you weren’t sure how he’d react.

Mat seems to notice the way your hesitance takes over your whole body, you’re tense and keep looking at him, but quickly looking away when he makes eye contact with you. You’re laying on the sand on a beach towel, Nolan attached to your nipple, trying to eat. It was only a matter of time before he starts crying when he realizes nothing is coming out.

The next time you dodge Mat’s stare, he makes his way over to you. He settles down opposite of you, sandwiching Nolan in between the both of you. He glided a finger over Nolan’s cheek, but he’s too busy suckling your nipple to notice Mat. You smile at the small action, feeling love course through you. Mat’s charming smile makes you smile, he tucks your hair behind your ear, wanting to see it clearly.

“What’s wrong, baby?” He asks quietly.

“My milk duct is clogged, and I read that sometimes a woman’s significant other can unclog it… with their mouth,” you slowly respond, glancing up at him to see his reaction.

His face is stoic for the most part. You start to second guess your question when you watch him pull Nolan away from your boob and carry him over to his mom. He comes back to you, reaching his hand out to you. He has a small smile on his face and your doubts dissipate, flinging your hand into his.

Once in the hotel, he carries you up into your suite, gently laying you on the bed but not before untying your bikini top. He looks at you with such gentle love and determination.

“Okay, baby, just relax and I’ll help you,” Mat whispers into the skin of your neck, hovering over you.

“Are you sure, maty?” Your eyes are wide, full of love and adoration.

“Of course, pretty girl. I’d do anything to help you and I know breastfeeding isn’t always easy, so I just want to make everything better in any way I can,” he explains, melting your heart.

You tilt your head up, capturing his lips in a blistering kiss.

“I love you.”

His fingers trace your collarbones, leaving chills in their wake. He kisses around your face causing giggles to erupt from your mouth. His hands slowly encase your boobs, warming the skin. He starts massaging them, making the aches simmer down. He’s not too rough, but his movements are still effective, relaxing your body and eliciting soft moans and sighs of contentment. Your back arches slightly, not wanting his hands to move away. When he moves his attention to your nipples, he’s even more gentle, knowing that they were hurting the most. His fingers caress and softly twist the small buds, watching the way you tense up. To make up for it, he presses kisses around the area. He lets his mouth wrap around one of your nipples, hand still massaging the unattended boob. He doesn’t suck, not yet, he just lets his tongue circle your skin.

The moment he sucks on your bud, your hands fly into his hair, carding your fingers through it but also wanting to keep him there. You feel his soft hums vibrating through your skin, he was delighted by the sweet taste of your milk.

The milk that is finally coming out. Your body releases all of its tension, practically falling into a blissed out state. Mat would look up at you every now and then, enjoying the way your body fell flaccid, and feeling an immense amount of pride soaring through his chest. He was your man and he was taking care of you in such an intimate way that wasn’t sex.

After Mat finished draining you, your boobs were significantly lighter and less achy. You rolled into his arms, whining when your tender flesh touched his bare chest.

“Feel better, baby?” He asks, lips pressed to your forehead, hands rubbing your back.

“So much better. Thank you, baby. I love you,” you whisper softly, comfortable and sleepy.

“I’d do anything for you… and if it means I can have my mouth on your boobs, I’m always willing,” he chuckles.

“You’re such a guy,” you reply, playfully shoving him away, but Mat just squeezes you tighter.

“I can’t help it that my girlfriend’s tits are magnificent. I missed them, too,” he says before leaning down to press his lips to yours.

“Do you think your mom can watch Nolan for a while longer? I’m tired and now that I’m comfortable, I want to nap.”

“I’ll call her. Either way, you nap and if I have to watch Nolan, then I will,” he kisses you again and you settle on his chest, hand placed over his heart.

“I love you, baby,” you murmur into his skin, relishing in his warmth and craving more of it all over you.

“I love you more.”

a/n: I hope that whoever requested this enjoys it!

#mat barzal #mat barzal fanfiction #mat barzal fic #mat barzal x reader #mat barzal blurb #mat barzal fluff #mat barzal imagine #mat barzal smut #mat barzal angst #nhl imagine #nhl fic #new york islanders #visceral in doses

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somber-sapphic · 10 months

Note

hi!! how are you doing? is it ok to ask for a wandanat x reader with R having an ear infection, please?? (asking foi it bc I have one rn and it HURTS)

No Questions

〖Notes: Oh anon, I'm so sorry. I've only ever had sinus infections but damn those suck. I hope you feel better soon <3〗

〖Summary: You're feeling a bit clingy when you have an ear infection and your girlfriends are there to make sure you get better.〗

〖Word Count: 1.2k〗

〖Pairing: Wandanat x Sick Reader〗

☾Masterlists☽

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It had started with Natasha, who had woken up to you squirming in bed, one hand cupping your ear. She had woken you up by shaking you, an intense panic gleaming in those emerald, green eyes, the worry lines set deep on her forehead. You had frowned at her, tears brewing in your own sad eyes.

She had asked the problem and you had just whimpered your response, in too much pain to really do much else. The look on your face was enough to make her freak out a little bit because the next thing you knew you were curled up in her lap in the medbay, being checked over by Bruce.

He, after about ten minutes, diagnosed you with an ear infection and due to the severity sent you back to your room with some antibiotics and made you promise that you would take them.

You weren’t exactly interested in talking due to the pain, but Natasha had promised that she would make you take them. She was good to you like that. She even carried you back up the stairs while you cried quietly, well aware that you were too old to be crying over something so trivial.

Now you were curled up against the headboard, in too much pain to lay down. Natasha was by your side, trying to convince you to try one of the things that she had found online to soothe the pain. She had her laptop open and was reading about remedies for ear infections, sharing with you the ones she thought would help the most.

“How about a warm compress? We could try that for a little while, hm?” She suggested stroking your hair with one hand as the fingers on her other hand danced across the keyboard. She was incredibly good at typing with one hand, probably due to her work as a secretary while undercover. The woman had a wide array of skills, some completely useless.

Like how she could tell that you and Wanda were getting sick even before the two of you had any idea. She would say things like “cancel the meeting for tomorrow, you’ll be sick.”

You knew better than to tell her off after the first time she’d said something, and you’d woken up the next morning with food poisoning and a raging fever. Then she’d said, “I told you so” and chuckled about it while Wanda adamantly told her to stop it because you were miserable.

Maybe it wasn’t a useless skill, but it didn’t do anyone any good because Wanda and you never listened no matter how many times she was proven right. It always ended in everyone overworking and falling into bed late at night to be pampered.

“Okay, how about something over the counter? It’ll help with the fever.” You shook your head (which made you dizzy) and groaned softly, squeezing your eyes shut as your hand flew up to your ear. There was no way that it was helping, but in your mind, it was doing something so why not, right?

“Why not baby? You know it’s going to help.” she murmured, resting a hand on your warm cheek. Her affection was only making you feel worse, she was trying so hard to help but all you could do was give her misery in return.

“M-my throat hurts.” You rasped, the only full sentence you’d uttered since you’d woken up. You weren’t sure why an ear infection was affecting your throat, but it felt raw, as if you had swallowed a punch of sandpaper and followed it with a shot of lemon juice.

“Oh Y/n/n, I’m sorry.” Natasha sighed, pulling your head down so that it rested against her chest. You leaned into the touch pressing your head against her. She made you feel better, even when medicine wasn’t doing it.

“Make it stop.”

“I really wish I could sweetheart. Wanda will be home soon, maybe she can use a little bit of magic to help.” As if on cue, the witch burst into the room, her eyes flaming red with her hair flowing around her. She looked angry, but the color in her eyes quickly faded back to its normal hazel.

“Oh love, Bruce wasn’t kidding. What happened? You had a little cold when I left.” That had been about three days ago, and you had just been getting over what barely qualified as a cold. A day with a cough and a few sneezes was all it took and then you were back to peak shape. Or so you thought.

Feeling sort of foolish, you leaned forward and reached for Wanda, your lower lip quivering. The three of you decided to ignore the fact that she was still sweaty from her mission, and she kicked off her shoes before climbing into bed and wrapping you in a tight hug.

You buried your head into her chest and whined quietly, relishing the way that she rubbed your back and whispered words to you in quiet Sokovian. When she pulled back, she rested you against Natasha, the two having a quick conversation in Russian. Your limited knowledge of the language made it hard to keep up, and the fever certainly wasn’t helping.

“Can you let me help with the pain?” she asked gently, raising one tentative hand as she waited for permission.

The brunette knew how you felt about magic, the air of worry you associated with it and she was always careful to check and double check before she preformed any on you. It wasn’t a common occurrence, sometimes she used it to soothe your panic attacks, sometimes it was to ease pain or lull you to sleep after a long day.

She was also adamant that her magic must not replace real sleep or healing, she tended to go on a whole rant about why it was important to take care of yourself. Of the three of you, she had the best sense of self preservation.

“Mhm.” She laid her hand on the side of your head, closing her eyes briefly as you felt a comforting tingle spread throughout your body. The pain didn’t disappear, but it lessened dramatically, leaving you relaxed back against your assassin.

“Love you, Wanda.” You breathed, finally feeling like you would be able to get even the smallest bit of sleep. The witch smiled down at you and crawled out of the bed, still in need of a shower. Natasha wrapped her arms around your waist and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ to Wanda.

She nodded back, and placed her hands on her hips, watching as you began to fall asleep in the redhead’s arms. You hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep the night before and it was showing in the way that you could barely keep your eyes open.

“I’m gonna take a super-fast shower, are you two going to be okay?” Natasha nodded and readjusted you in her arms, pulling the blankets up over your shoulders. You sighed softly and nuzzled close, completely unaware of the looks the two women were giving you.

They were each looking at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world, which to them you certainly were. There was no better way to put it, the three of you were undeniably soulmates.

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floristkills · 8 months

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Ferret!Techno (and sbi) au that I wrote out while ao3 was down /⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\

[co-created by @whoooevenkn0ws]

Phil is a normal man who comes into possession of a ferret (Technoblade) who was being neglected and could no longer be cared for by an acquaintance.

Initially, Phil tries to find someone to rehome the ferret to, but eventually grows close to him, in no small part due to the fact that Techno will bite people who are over and Phil starts to feel uncomfortable around (and sometimes others too >:3). Decides to keep Techno!

At this point, Phil does research on ferrets and finds out that 1. They need friends to be happy, and 2. They are not supposed to be pink actually.

The second problem can't be remedied, no matter how much he washes and wrings out Techno like a wet dishrag... But he does go buy him two new friends!

Wilbur and Tommy.

Wilbur and Tommy are already bonded brothers and they gang up on Techno at first, especially Tommy. But Techno eventually gets over his shyness and starts biting back. Somehow, this actually makes them gain mutual respect, especially Wilbur, who makes sure Tommy doesn't get too feisty with Techno (and get the chomp). They all become good friends and brothers, making Phil's life a chaotic nightmare as he deals with the three cat worms.

Only, right when Phil starts getting used to being a ferret dad, he wakes up in the middle of the night to a giant racket and finds three children, no ferrets, and their hair is all conveniently color coded.

Obviously, like a normal man, Phil has a little mental breakdown. Because his /ferrets/ just turned into /human/ children.

Neotrio also have a freak out, because they are literally ferrets, but now they have opposable thumbs and consciousness. During the chaos that ensues, several family heirlooms get destroyed and Phil sheds a few tears.

After the dust settles, a certain pink ferret child is missing.

Phil did not think to put child locks on his doors for his /ferrets/ and Techno has a mighty need to elope with his new ability to use doorknobs.

Immediately, they go looking.

Phil is desperately trying to ask people if they have seen a ferret child, and perhaps it is the frantic yelling about ferrets or that Wilbur refuses to not walk like a ferret (Tommy and Techno can walk perfectly normally), but people are avoiding him.

It appears hopeless.

What is a man without his ferret?

Philza sad. (Wilbur and Tommy also sad, but also ferrets).

While Phil is running around town, dragging newly human ferret Wilbur and Tommy along with him on kid leashes, Techno is experiencing the human world for the first time alone. It kind of sucks for a little ferret! Cars keep almost hitting him in the road, humans keep yelling at him, and he has no idea where he is. It is all very overwhelming and scary.

Eventually Techno finds a park and hides inside the tube slide because it reminds him of his cage.

Curled up at the bottom of the playground equipment and sadly eating cheerios that he found on the ground, Techno spends his first night as a human alone and scared.

He misses his ferret family :(

----

While ferrets do not often turn into human children, it may be even less often that they turn /back/ into ferrets. And yet, when a small child falls down the slide and lands on Techno, there is a poof, a small squeak, and then a peculiarly pink ferret left stunned.

While the frightened child screams up a storm in the slide, Techno immediately runs off, dealing with the existential implications of being a ferret again after knowing morality. And also, he is still alone and outside.

It just so happens that at this time a woman named Kristin is walking by a playground that has a screaming kid and word of a strange pink child. It is really none of her business, but while on her journey home she happens upon a frantic ferret running in circles. She can see hawks and foxes and cats eyeing the strange tube rat hungrily, perhaps only held off by his toxic pink color.

But that doesn't stop Kristin from scooping Techno up, easily dodging his little bites.

"Who the hell lets their ferret outside?"

Philza is a man with no pride.

His previously ferret children have begun to get distracted by the human world. It is inconvenient when Tommy starts eating wild strawberries off of a bush and gets covered in the juice, which causes a lot of confusion considering that Phil is asking after a pink child.The passerbys also do not seem to take kindly when he frantically yells that he means his favorite pink child when they point at Tommy. (Tommy doesn't care, for he is a ferret).

Though, Phil does hear word on the wind about a woman carrying around a bright pink ferret.

On the way to her house, they pass an unfortunate intersection where a car horn blares, causing two poofs and two ferrets to pop back into being. Phil is becoming numb to this circumstance.

Both hands full of ferrets, Phil knocks on Kristin's door and immediately demands his ferret child back. The woman gives him one glance, the ferrets in his hands two glances, and then slams the door in his face with a sharp word about letting ferrets outside.

Immediately, Phil falls to his knees and cries out in anguish.

Kristin obviously hears this through her door, but she's already deep within plotting. Because someone that dyes their ferret pink and lets them run around outside should not own two other ferrets.

Techno, for his part, is curled up in the pillow filled cardboard box she set up for him, missing his brothers and Phil and sad about being ferretnapped.

That night, Kristin hatches her heist. She breaks into Phil's house and steals Wilbur and Tommy out of their cage. It's easy, because Phil is busy loudly crying in the kitchen. (Techno also tries to hatch an escape while she's gone, but his legs are very short and can not escape the box).

When Techno is reunited with Wilbur and Tommy, they all do happy wiggles and run around in circles,before curling up in a cute ferret ball. Kristin thinks it's sweet and sets about researching ferrets (and ferret shampoo to get rid of pink).

Neotrio initially plan to escape back to Phil, but Kristin buys them treats and doesn't mind when they get into gremlin trouble,so they kind of just chill at her house for a couple days. They are ferrets, after all. They can not be blamed.

Only, wouldn't you know, a couple nights later there's a loud clatter and when Kristin runs to check, there is a small pink child standing inside of the ferret box.

And no pink ferret.

Kristin has an appropriate sized freak out over her ferret turning into a human child, and also Tommy and Wilbur (still ferrets) are jumping around like crazy. Somehow, in the chaos, Techno runs away again. (Someone has to buy child locks for this kid).

Now it is Kristin's turn to double clutch ferret Wilbur and Tommy as she runs around looking for human Techno. It's during this that she runs into Phil, who is moping in the streets. Immediately, she starts screaming at Phil. It's only then that Tommy and Wilbur poof into kids.

It gets what she was trying to get across pretty well.

Phil and Kristin team up to find Techno. Nearby, in a shady alley, Techno is poised to grab candy off of the ground underneath of a suspiciously propped up box with a string attached 🪤

As they round the corner, Kristin runs over and kicks the man trying to kidnap Techno in the neck (this is also when Phil falls in love with her).

In a mixture of relief and fear, Phil runs up to Techno and shakes him by the shoulders, yelling about how much he worried him. Experiencing guilt for the first time, Techno's eyes immediately well up as he gives the most pathetic ferret look. Phil picks him up, and alongside Kristin, they bring the ferret children home.

Sleepy ferret boys get tucked into bed as Phil and Kristin go around locking every door and window in sight before they can finally discuss the existence of ferrets turning into children. It's quite the development and they have to swap phone numbers to discuss it more. (And also so Kristin can visit the ferret boys).

Phil wakes up on the couch the next morning to find two ferrets and one pink child splayed out on top of him.

Life is good :)

#my writing #technoblade #philza #wilbur soot #tommyinnit #sbi au #Ferret!Techno au #mcyt #sleepyboisinc

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hair-transplantation-world · 2 years

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#Home Remedies For the Hair Fall Problem #Hair Transplantation World

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hornedadvance · 18 days

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Horned Advance

Chapter 1 - Embers

Flames… An eruption of fire from the carcass of what once stood tall. Scorching heat and loose cinders filled the air, lighting up the night sky. Not a ritual, nor a festival, but a hostile act of arson. A young girl’s house- the beloved village bakery, torched to the ground as if it were never there. The girl had been pulled from the wreckage, dragged away into the forest by a cloaked figure. None of the villagers stirred in their beds, no notion of panic between them, not a single shred of concern. They simply acted as if it were nothing, for this was a unanimous decision on part of all adults within the town. What once was a home to a family was naught but embers… and then, nothing.

The girl limped, leaning on the cloaked figure as they trailed away into the darkness, hidden by the canopies of the nearby woodlands providing cover from any that may have sought to follow. They shuffled through the foliage, spending what seemed to them like forever making their way through the pitch black forest. This was not a problem though, for the hooded one had done this many times before, and in much swifter fashion. After a time passed, rain began to fall upon the forest, the last embers of the flaming house being put out into a sorry hissing over a pile of charred rubble. The two figures found themselves soaked through, but soon ended arriving at a place of respite. A humble den deep in the heart of the woods, shaped of loose stone slabs, branches torn from trees and hundreds of leaves woven into a mesh, all positioned against a small cave opening against a cliffside. The hooded figure laid the girl down on a makeshift mattress, made of hay and leaves and covered in a cloth, softened from many nights of sleep being had atop it.

“Are you alright, Quinn?” The figure blurts, failing to conceal the panic in their voice. The girl called Quinn made no effort to respond, her eyes glazed over. The figure took the first good look at her that they’d managed, now that they had the chance, undressing the girl from her singed silken clothing to assess the damage. She had burns across the majority of her body, light ones but burns nonetheless. “How could they…” The figure muttered, rushing to a hollowed out wooden log that they’d used as storage to find herbal remedies. They came back ready to try and treat Quinn’s wounds, but noticed yet another thing upon looking the second time. Trails of scarlet blood trickling down from the girl’s ears. The figure quickly realised that this was why the girl was so unresponsive, and decided on a new method to get her attention. The figure pulled down their hood before standing over the girl, revealing a set of dark, curled horns and a head of messy hair atop a head of pale skin and fair features.

“Quinn, it’s me!” Said the figure, trying to retain Quinn’s consciousness, placing a hand on the girl’s face and directing her eyes onto themself. The figure stepped away for a moment to light a thin stick of firewood to use as a candle. With the den being lit up, they stepped back over Quinn, dressing her wounds with a set of bandages they’d pulled from the log-chest. As the figure finished caring for the girl, they locked eyes for but a moment, showing the girl still had some awareness left. “Palo…? Is that you?” The girl managed, tears welling up in her eyes as the shock wore off. “Y-Yes, Yes it’s me, It’s me, Quinn, you’re… you’re alright now.” Palo said, trying to hide the desperation from her voice. Quinn did not react at first, but seeing that Palo had finished talking, gave a faint smile, closing her eyes; the girl trying not to wince from what was now an excruciating state to be in, laid on an uncomfortable bed with grievous wounds. Palo finished caring for her before feeding her a herbal anaesthetic she’d procured after years of living surrounded by nothing but nature and with that, the girl drifted off to sleep. She still looked pained even during her sleep, but Palo was just happy that she’d made it through the night to begin with.

A deep sense of guilt sat with Palo that night, as she watched Quinn until the sun came up to make sure that she was ok. She’d known that this was a risk, no, that this was bound to happen eventually, yet she’d still clung to Quinn despite it all. This was her fault, and she was fully aware. This deep sense of sorrow was soon to evolve into something much greater for her however, a greater purpose, a debt that she must repay and the spark that lit her flame of life unlike anything else before.

Next Chapter

Link to All Chapters

#horned advance #creative writing #original work #original fiction #ocs #original characters #writing #fantasy #writers on tumblr

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lgbtqmanga · 1 year

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New Releases Mar. 14, 2023

Be My Love, My Lord by Adumi Nagano

This is a world where humans keep beasts and beasts obey humans. Born as the second son of a well-known family, the lonely Reiji has always had his beastman servant, Tsubaki, as irreplaceable presence since he was a child.

But one day his feelings turn to love, and Reiji playfully kisses Tsubaki, which invites his bestial lust. His sharp bite overflows with his own repressed feelings, but comes with a dark realization; they are different races, different castes. Can they overcome these hurdles and embrace their love?

The Dragon's Betrothed vol. 1 by Meguru Hinohara

Troubled writer Chiharu Izunome reluctantly returns to his rural hometown, hoping some R & R will refresh his creative juices. Instead of finding respite, he’s quickly entangled by an old promise to wed a local god!

Rin, the water dragon god to whom Chiharu has been betrothed, can be disarmingly friendly and charming, but inside lurks an animalistic ferocity. Can Chiharu escape Rin’s protective embrace, or is his fate already written?

Golden Sparkle by Minta Suzumaru

Himaru Uehara’s first year of high school is off to a good start, minus one problem - he keeps having "especially intense" dreams. With only his mom and sister at home - and having skipped health class in middle school - he thinks it means there’s something wrong with him. Thankfully, a new friend has just the remedy and teaches Himaru exactly how to deal with those pesky dreams! But his solution only leads to more confusion, and the two find themselves navigating feelings they’ve never felt before.

I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love by Minta Suzumaru

Inexperienced Yoshino is about to turn thirty. He’s nearly given up on ever falling in love, let alone having decent sex—until one day he steels himself and goes to a gay bar. There he meets Rou, a charming, silver-haired college student who is everything that Yoshino isn’t: mysterious, assertive, and experienced with both men and women. Yoshino finds himself hopelessly attracted to Rou, as their awkward courtship simmers into something more. But is it love?

JOY vol. 2 by Etsuko (digital only)

JOY is back with a heart-tugging, yet happy and powerful squeal from Etsuko-sensei! Straight shojo manga artist Goh Okazaki and 4-panel illustrator Yusuke Akune finally made it official and became a couple. Their lovey-dovey days show no signs of stopping, but Goh has a rather unusual problem in the bedroom... “I should be happy, so why?” Meanwhile, Yusuke’s ex and old flame, Hibiki finds a special someone. Their romance takes an unexpected turn when Goh and Yusuke get involved. Will they manage to find true happiness?!

Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu vol. 1 (novel) by Meng Xi Shi

Yan Wushi, leader of the demonic Huanyue sect, is a master cultivator, a brilliant strategist, and an incurable cynic. In his philosophy, every human heart is ruled by cruelty and selfishness. Anyone who believes otherwise is either a liar or a fool.

Enter the humble Shen Qiao, leader of the Daoist sect at Xuandu Mountain. He is both gracious and charitable, and exactly the type of do-gooder that Wushi despises.

When Shen Qiao suffers a shocking loss in a duel and is left for dead, Yan Wushi happens upon him and concocts a plan to teach him about the wretchedness of humanity. He’ll take Shen Qiao under his wing, test the limits of his faith, and lure him into demonic cultivation. After all, it is easy to remain righteous atop a mountain peak that touches the heavens. But a thousand autumns toiling on the blood-soaked earth will break any man.

The Seven Seas English-language editions of these novels will feature the uncensored text in deluxe paperbacks with exclusive new covers and interior illustrations. The ebooks will also be available on digital platforms.

#new releases #manga #novels #lgbt manga #queer manga

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friedbaekhyunandeggso · 2 years

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Reason ~ ch. 9

Pairing: Female OC x Levi Ackerman

Tropes: Instructor x Cadet, Strangers to Lovers, Male MC falls first

Warnings: angst/slow-burn, strong language, upcoming smut(18+ readers only for those chapters pls 🙈), physical assault/violence, mentions of scars

Brief Summary: This story takes place a few years after the Fall of Shiganshina. Devon Alba is in her final year of the 101st Training Corps (844-847), due to her success as a cadet she gets the chance to meet Captain Levi. She doesn’t think too much of him until he catches her in the midst of doing something that she isn’t entirely supposed to be doing. But surprisingly, this leads to something unexpected...

Devon ran to the training field—running late as per usual. She ran to stand near the far end of the lined up cadets.

“Hey-“ someone grabbed her elbow and spun her around.

She was met with Keith’s eager gaze, “What’d she say?”

She blinked, “Huh?”

“Imada. Yesterday. We let you walk her home by yourself so you could ask her about Monty.”

Her eyes widened. She’d completely forgotten.

“Fuck.” she muttered.

Keith’s hazel eyes scanned her face, “What?”

“I forgot.”

“What do you mean you forgot? Monty wasn’t able to get an ounce of sleep last night cause he was that fuckin’ anxious-and you just-forgot?”

She almost laughed but bit it back, “Listen, it’s not like I forgot on purpose.”

A glimmer of humor entered his gaze when he caught her laugh.

“Wow. Just wow,” he shook his head, “Not you laughing at him when he literally looks like a raccoon.”

“Maybe you should ask your Mom to make him a remedy.”

“Funny you say that because that’s her next project.”

She then asked, “Where are they?”

“He’s at the front with Imada. I came to the back of the group to catch you first cuz I knew your ass was gonna be late.”

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You know Imada asked him why he looked so tired. I almost lost it.”

She covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loud. Keith watched her with a smirk.

“Cadets!” Chief Shadis’s voice suddenly boomed. “Today's training is…”

She momentarily zoned out when her eyes scanned around Chief Shadis for a short, black-haired male.

He was nowhere in sight.

She exhaled—attempting to brush off the fleeting sinking feeling that’d originated somewhere within her.

Don’t be ridiculous.

She shook her head, drawing her focus back to Chief Shadis’s sternly spoken instructions.

Devon walked out the classroom with a sheet of paper in her hand. Monty was already waiting out the door.

She grasped his arm excitedly, “Monty-I got a hundred!”

For someone like Monty, hundreds were nothing new. He excelled in the educational side of being a cadet whilst Devon wasn’t exactly the most stellar student-in that department.

Monty slipped the paper out of her hands, “Look at that. Told you my lessons would pay off.”

Suddenly someone shouldered past Devon from behind-a sneer leaving their lips.

Devon glanced over to see it was Carter. He’d been in her class as well—and from the looks of it, he didn’t receive a hundred.

“What the hell-“ Monty started but Devon placed her hand on his chest.

“Forget it. If he wants to be a bitter baby then that’s his problem.” she rolled her eyes.

Ever since she’d beat him at their hand to hand combat session he seemed to go out of his way to be an inconvenience to her. Dirty looks in the hallway. Finding garbage on her seat. Clothes going missing in the laundry room.

It was all so stupidly petty and beneath her.

But she’d be lying if she said it didn’t tick her off. As much as having an outburst would quell her urge to confront him, she wanted to make him pay another way. A way that would give her more satisfaction.

She just wanted to see him suffer on Rank Day.

Monty sighed, “You're more patient than me.”

“I’m��playing the long game.”

“Yeah, how so?”

“I would tell you but I kinda want you to see it when it happens.”

“Well now I have to know.”

“Nahh. I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”

Monty looked at her-calcutively, “Fine. But you better let me know when it happens.”

“I will.” she promised.

“Umm-“

“Listen-“ they both started.

They both laughed.

Devon spoke first, “I know you're gonna ask if I talked to Imada-and Keith probably told you this-but I actually forgot. I know that sounds stupid but I actually did. I promise I’ll talk-“

“No, don’t worry. That’s completely fine. More than fine.” he said.

His voice dropped an octave lower as they walked back to the barracks.

“Look, I know you and Keith both think I should tell her but I honestly don’t want to yet. Let’s be real, if she did like me she would’ve told you by now. We’ve been friends for almost three years so-“

“But-“ Devon argued.

Suddenly Monty spoke fast, “I don’t want to lose her, okay?”

Devon’s eyes widened as she saw him hesitate. She could see his franticness peek through his calm facade when he ran a hand through his curly brown hair.

She stood in front of him fully astonished. Looking at him now she realized just how deep his feelings ran. He was clearly struggling with this more than he was letting on. She suddenly felt bad for laughing about his ‘dark circles’ with Keith the other day.

“She hasn't told me what corps she wants to get into yet so I don’t know how much longer I have with her. If we both choose differently then I most likely won’t get to see her again. I don’t want our limited days to get wasted by her getting awkward with me because she found out I like her.”

Devon stared at him-unable to form words. She could see the desperation in his amber eyes before he looked down in embarrassment.

“If I can’t be her man then I want to-at least-be her best friend as long as I can.”

Devon swallowed, “So you're never gonna tell her?”

Monty looked up again, shrugging, “If an opportunity arises maybe but…”

Most likely not.

She didn’t need to hear him say the rest of the sentence out loud.

To be honest, he did have a fair point. They all had been friends for about three years now. Imada wasn’t shy about pointing out cute guys to her but that’s all she ever did-point them out. She never hit on anyone. But she did expect that if Imada did have a crush on Monty, she would’ve told her by now.

But everyone has their secrets don’t they? The tiny voice in the back of her head nagged.

She sighed before pulling Monty into a hug. He didn’t return it just yet.

“Does Keith know?” her voice muffled as she spoke into his shirt.

“Wha-“ he paused, “No.”

She already knew Keith would freak out if he realized Monty never planned on telling Imada. But at the end of the day, it was Monty’s decision to make.

Monty sounded exasperated, “He’s not gon-“

“I know,” she said, still speaking into his chest, “We’ll just have to shut him up somehow.”

Monty chuckled before returning the hug. Squeezing her hard enough to make her squeal.

She tapped his arm hastily, “I’m out, I’m out, I’m out.” She jokingly said the words cadets were supposed to say once they were down in physical combat.

He laughed before releasing her.

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khaleesiofalicante · 2 years

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i have acnes and pores on my skin and its making me too self consicious to the point where i ltrally do not remove my mask at school. this is not me, i usually not bothered by how i look,but this is judt. how do i recover from this?

Acne is the fucking worst.

Two things.

Masks can actually make acne worse - especially if you have sensitive skin. But please DO NOT prevent this from you wearing a mask. That's more important. But here is a resource on how to reduce or deal with acne that increases because of constant mask wearing.

But in general, self-consciousness because of acne/skin problems can be awful and fucks up your self-esteem. I say this as someone who has lots of skin problems myself.

2. The best advice I can give you is to consult a dermatologist. We consult a doctor if we are sick. Acne is also a medical condition. So, don't hesitate to consult a doctor and get some medication. It REALLY helps.

But in general, avoid touching your face, don't let your hair fall on your face and wash your face at leas three times a day. But most importantly, consult a dermatologist. Because my acne is caused by my hormonal issues, regardless of the 'home remedies', if i don't take medication, my skin gets affected.

PS - If your recent insecurity (since you mentioned you don't feel this way) is caused by someone saying shit about your acne, call them out because that's asshole behavior and you don't need that shit :)

sending much love from one acne bebe to another <3

#support

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ethereousdelirious · 2 years

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Sicktember 2022: Day 9

Prompt: Home remedy

Fandom: P.okémon

Wordcount: 2,491

Summary: Elite Four members don't always have the luxury of taking sick days

Comments: If I convert even onenperson to Sn.azzyShi.pping after this is all over, I'll consider that a win

CW: None

The bitter wind of Snowpoint cut straight through Lucian's clothing, aggravating all the aches he'd been peacefully sleeping off not 10 minutes before. The shrill emergency alarm still rung in his ears: 'Report to the Snowpoint Pokémon Center immediately.' Not enough time to dress properly, let alone take something to combat the awful pounding in his sinuses. He sniffled and stepped into the Pokémon Center. The warm cut through him like a knife, blocked ears ringing with the noise of the automatic doors.

"Over here, Lucian." Cynthia's voice. Probably saw him floundering by the door in his hoodie and fogged-up glasses and took pity on him. He hurried over and flopped down in an armchair. His head throbbed at the change in elevation, the whole room shimmering and rocking like a mirage.

Cynthia and Candice sat next to each other on a loveseat of thick, easy-to-clean vinyl that squeaked with every little motion. Hopefully they didn't fidget overmuch. One more stressor and he was at serious risk of falling apart.

Foolishly, Lucian barked out a sneeze and caught in the crook of his arm. Stupid. His coat, clumsily zipped up over his hoodie, was waterproof. He should have gone for the tissues in his pocket. But it was too late now. He dabbed at the wet spot on his sleeve with stiff, cautious motions, not looking up to see if anyone was watching.

"We're just waiting on Flint," Cynthia said calmly, as though no time had passed since Lucian had sat down. Maybe it hadn't. But Guardians, it felt like it had been hours. His nose felt wet. He flopped back in the chair, angling his face upward in hopes of slowing the drip. Cynthia was pale and calm in the harsh light, dressed down in athletic tights and a long black peacoat that stopped just short of her ankles. Her hair clung to the rough wool with no barrettes to hold it back and obvious tangles stuck out in loops around her neck. Lucian's hair must have looked the same under his beanie, if not worse.

Candice, Aaron, and Bertha all wore a similar mess of loungewear and winter gear and all wore the same look of bleary grimness. It had to have been around four in the morning now.

The doors hummed. Flint came in with blithe greetings, too boisterous for the early hour and too cheerful for the circumstances.

Cynthia wasted no time; she always was ruthlessly efficient. "There was an avalanche near Mount Coronet's summit. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem, but Candice received a report from some Rangers stationed nearby that it disturbed a herd of Piloswine and Mamoswine. They're heading this way. It's too late to head them off completely, but if we can make it to the Temple, we should be able to steer them away from the town proper."

Lucian sneezed again. His throat stung.

"Man," said Flint, stretching out his arms, "if I'd known this League stuff involved taking on Ranger duties, I might have re-thought my career choice."

"Please, we all know you don't think," Aaron said.

"Just for that, I'm partnering with Bertha on this little expedition." Flint got to his feet and looked expectantly at Cynthia. "Where do you want us?"

Cynthia stood as well and made for the door, motioning for everyone to follow. "We'll fan out by the Temple."

The cold air pinched Lucian's earlobes and nose and the powder snow crunched under his boots, centimeters giving way beneath his weight. He sniffled and his sinuses throbbed, protesting the increased pressure.

"I'll partner with Candice," Cynthia continued, leading them with long strides. Her breath came out in plumes of fog. "That leaves Aaron and Lucian."

"Nice." Aaron reached out to fist bump Lucian, his easy grin shining under the light of the moon. At least it was a clear night. The thought of herding a bunch of rampaging Piloswine through a snowstorm was unbearable.

Lucian's nose continued to run as they walked until he had to sniffle with every inhale, which in turn brought him dangerously close to a sneezing fit. It was no good. He'd have to wipe his nose.

The tissues he'd stuffed into his jacket pockets were in a sorry state, but that was alright. Better crumpled-up tissues than a night of rubbing his nose along the collar of his hoodie. Still a disgusting thought, but significantly less humiliating than sniveling like a child in front of his coworkers. He shuddered at the thought of it, although that might have been the cold wind working its way across his neck, since he'd forgotten his scarf.

"You okay?" Aaron asked in a low voice.

Lucian was obliged to wipe his nose again before he could answer, nonchalantly tucking the sullied tissue away in his other pocket as he did so: "Fine," he said. Ouch. In the dry air, the word stung his throat.

"Okay," said Cynthia. Probably her polite way of telling them to focus. Lucian coughed and rolling fog spilled from his lips, sparkling in the moonlight just like the snow underfoot. "We don't have a lot of information from the Rangers, but it seems—" A cry ripped through the still air, a quiet rumbling rattling Lucian's teeth. Mamoswine. They were rare in the wild but not unheard of. "Fan out. Direct them toward Lake Acuity."

They split up. Lucian found himself walking ahead of Aaron. Probably not the best course of action, not when his head felt so foggy and congested that all he wanted was to face-plant in the snow. At least numbness would be better than this all-consuming pressure in his forehead. Though the cold would really only make him feel worse in the end, hard as it was to imagine a reality where that was even possible. Ugh. He wiped his nose again, unable to bring himself to blow it properly when Aaron was so near.

"What's the plan?" Aaron asked. Oh, right.

"Um," said Lucian. Synapses fired somewhere deep within the brain fog, gummed up and stuttering. "Uh." Bertha's Piloswine had recently evolved, hadn't it? They really should have asked her what to do.

Too late now.

The rumbling beneath their feet had picked up. It intensified slowly, then. Dangerous. If they didn't pay attention, they could end up in serious trouble.

In the distance, Flint's Rapidash made bright patterns with its flames. That was something. "I think it would be best not to attack them," Lucian said, hating the miserable scrape of his voice across his throat. Congestion deadened his vowel sounds to a thick slur. "Maybe if we used bright lights— We'll have to do a bit of experimenting on the fly. If they're scared of the lights, we point them one way. If they follow them, we aim."

"Sounds good," Aaron said. He released Vespiquen as the rumbling picked up to a roar, the wall of pine trees shuddering. Frantic Piloswine and Swinub cries blurred into the sound until it was nothing but a tidal wave of overstimulation.

"Here we go!" Lucian shouted, releasing Alakazam. Then he sneezed.

"Power Gem!" Aaron called. Perfect timing— The first Piloswine emerged from the trees and screeched, banking away from the sudden light.

"Nice one," Lucian rasped. His throat really didn't appreciate it, ripping his voice to shreds when he tried to call to Alakazam. It used Energy Ball regardless and Lucian sighed. Thank the Guardians for Psychic types.

The plan worked better than it should have, considering they'd worked in three little groups with no communication between them. Chalk it up to that elusive Elite Four synergy.

Every swallow was agony, Lucian's abused throat having not appreciated all the shouting he'd done in the cold, dry air. "Good work," he said, hissing and rasping like an angry Arbok.

"Ooh, Lucian." Aaron made a face. A breeze washed over them both, stinging at Lucian's exposed skin. The numb ache hinted at potential frostbite, as did the urgent pink of Aaron's cheeks. "You sound rough."

Lucian sneezed in triplet time and palmed his forehead. Pressure behind his temples, beating like a particularly aggressive Belly Drum. The thick knit of his hat kept his squeezing from doing much good and his fingers ached inside his gloves. "-t's just… inside." He cleared his throat. "Get inside."

"Yeah."

They trudged back to where the others were waiting. At this angle, he could just make out the first rays of dawn peering over Mount Coronet, just a slight blue tinge to the otherwise indigo sky.

"Good work, team," Cynthia said, sounding just as wrung-out as Lucian felt. Her cheeks had gone ruddy with the cold, golden hair snarled from the wind.

"I hope those poor Piloswine are alright," Bertha said. "I'm sure they didn't mean any harm."

The conversation faded away on the walk back, existing only as murmurs at the periphery of Lucian's brain. It was like his ears had had enough— of the cold, of the congestion, of the cacophony produced by two dozen stampeding Pokémon.

The cozy warmth of the Pokémon Center seared against his skin. Bypassing the coffee station the nurse had set up while they were gone, he went straight back to his armchair and collapsed into it. His face hurt. No, everything hurt. His face just hurt the worst. And his nose was still running. Ah, to Hell with it. Clumsily, Lucian pulled off his gloves and yanked a few tissues from his pocket. He blew his nose as quietly as he could and Guardians, nothing so disgusting should ever feel so good. The perpetual irritated itch vanished, the constant dripping sensation at the tip of his nose. He got up to throw the tissues away, his whole body protesting the movement.

"Hey, Lucian." Aaron caught his eye. "You want some coffee? They have decaf."

"...you." Small cough. "No, thank you." Tea might be nice. Later. When he could move without feeling as creaky as the Old Chateau.

The sound of his mangled voice elicited a collective wince from all assembled. The intake of breath made his face burn.

"Oh, Lucian." He couldn't help the sweet frisson that ran through him at Cynthia's concerned gaze. Even her pity made his heart sing. "You're sick?"

Why did it feel like confessing to a crime? He hadn't been trying to hide it. But the simple act of nodding his head was equal parts shameful and liberating. Yes, he was sick and a little bit disgusting; he wasn't this sniffly and disheveled all the time, in secret. "A head cold," he rasped. He burned from the weight of all those eyes on him, and shivered because he really was quite cold at his core.

"Sit down," said Cynthia. "I know something that will help your throat."

They were murmuring about his health now, but his congested head was refusing to cooperate again, blocking his ears and sending waves of pressure-pain all through his nose and temples. He closed his itching eyes for some relief from the fluorescent lights and felt his posture slip.

"Are you awake?"

Stinging in the back of his throat, awful, thick saliva gumming up his mouth. Post-nasal drip, said some unhelpful bookish part of himself. A pain in the ass. He pulled his hoodie up over his mouth and coughed until the itch abated.

All the while, Cynthia watched from her vantagepoint. Curiously, at eye level. Oh, Guardians. The floor. She was kneeling on the floor beside him with a look of such ardent concern in her eyes it nearly made him sick.

"I'll take that as a no," she said, smiling a little. "Don't try to talk."

He nodded, blinking away tears. Somebody had draped a Pokémon Center blanket over him at some point. The pastel yellow covered his lap and, loath as he was to admit it, was quite cozy.

Cynthia handed him a ceramic coffee mug. 'I survived The Snowpoint Polar Plunge!' it proclaimed in faded cursive. "Try this. It should help your throat."

He raised an eyebrow at the milky liquid. Hopefully that looked politely quizzical and not rude, like he doubted her.

Cythia's smile took a turn for the mischievous. "Call it a home remedy." Oh, she was beautiful. "Oh, but before you try it, I want to take your temperature."

"...have one last… checked," Lucian said. Hard, painful swallow. His nose was starting to run again. "I didn't have a temperature earlier."

"I know, but…"

"You look like shit," Flint chimed in from somewhere. No point wasting energy lifting his head to look.

"You don't look very well," Cynthia agreed diplomatically.

Arceus on high, what did he look like? He cleared his throat. "Is it the hat? I knew I wasn't a beanie person, but that s… seems harsh."

"Actually, can you pull that up a little?" Cynthia brandished the thermometer she'd been holding low by her side. Conical tip. Tympanic thermometer. Lucian sniffled and coerced his stiff fingers into moving so he could push up his beanie. The sensation of hard plastic against his ear made him shudder and the beep of the thermometer made him flinch. Hm, maybe he did have a temperature. He wasn't usually this sensitive. "38.3," Cynthia said, touching her ice-cold fingers to his neck. He flinched again, so violently a few drops of Cynthia's questionably milk-based concoction sloshed onto his snow pants. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I scare you?"

Lucian shook his head, wary of the coughing fit lurking in the back of his throat. It dislodged itself with his next breath anyway, just to spite him, and he ducked his head. The smooth handle of the mug slipped out of his hand, probably Cynthia taking it away so he didn't make a mess. "-haps I sh… home," he rasped before anyone else could say anything. "Think…" He coughed roughly into his fist and his warmth breath cascaded over the back of his. Oh, that's right, he'd already taken his gloves off. Awful. Coughing only sent a metallic spike down his throat and with a sigh, he sank back in the armchair and gave up on talking, instead lifting his hands to Cynthia.

She passed the mug back to him with a cautious smile and raised eyebrows. What did that mean? Few people had ever looked at him so tenderly, fewer still when he felt this grimy and embarrassed. He took a sip of whatever concoction Cynthia had whipped up. The taste was muted thanks to his congested nose, but what notes came through were sweet and rich. Milk and honey. It stung a little, too, and made his nose run. There was more in it, but he was far too tired to figure out exactly what.

"Just sit quietly and drink that," Cynthia said, rubbing his shoulder. Her fingers made an awful scritching sound against the nylon of his jacket.

Lucian nodded, relaxing by degrees as the warmth of Cynthia's kindness washed over him.

#ethereous writes #sicktember 2022

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