How About "When Was The Last Time You Slept?" From The Latest Ask Meme? I Am Craving That Good Exhaustion

It starts as nothing more but a small, easily managed cold. A few tissues, a throat lozenge and a nap and they feel okay enough to brave the winter weather. But the wind tearing at their cheeks, slush pelting from above and melting into their shoes, even the stuffy air of the heater when they finally get to work has them feeling like they would rather be lying down. Through it all, they perservere. When they run out of their tissues, they use rough paper towels from the bathrooms. They take two pills for the congestion and try to forget about it while they get their work done.

Ignoring their ailment only pushes it further. Itchy, fittish sneezes burst out of them at the most inopportune moments, a fever brews and their winter coat suddenly seems okay to wear indoors. Their cough moves lower, deep into their lungs to stay there, sets up camp. Closing their eyes only permits a moment of relief as a hand grazes their forehead. A frown, as they realise maybe it’s not just a small cold, it’s a flu.

“I thought you weren’t looking too well. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

I want to play

Character A and Character B are on an adventure together. Character A has a streaming cold. Character B gets injured. Despite being terribly sneezy and ill, Character A is totally concerned about Character B and protects them and takes care of them all the while worrying about giving Character B their cold. They finally get to safety, Character B gets bandaged up by Character A, and B finally gets to take care of poor A, who is quite a cold-ridden mess by this point.

Hey! I may have already asked this (I forgot) but can your write something on whumpee-turned-caretaker? Like whumpee has the flu, and gives it to caretaker, and whumpee takes care of them even though their still sick? How does caretaker react to being comforted and coddled when their usually doing the comforting? Thanks!!

Oh yes! Here you go!

(This...got out of hand. This is one of my favourite tropes too - I did this one a little different style wise than what I usually do, hope you enjoy!)

Day One:

B comes down with something bad, and fast. But they've always been stubborn, and refuse to stay in bed until A and C all but force them. Without B's help, C is busier than normal with chores around the house, so A does most of the caretaking. Which B rejects, of course. Even too weak to sit up without shaking, they struggle to do so whenever A brings them water or medicine, continuing to use there raspy voice out of sheer spite. A tries to be patient. They're not worried yet - B is tough, and they've been through far worse than this. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to see their friend ill.

***

Day Two:

Stubborn though they are, B can't deny they're feeling worse than yesterday. No more trying to drag themselves into the kitchen to make their own soup, no more sarcastic remarks whenever they're asked how they feel. This time A and C switch off; with A taking over chores and C spending much of their day at B's side. B's fever worsens as the day goes on, but no matter how much A asks if there's anything they can do, C insists they're handling it. Their protests become steadily more snappish as true worry for B sets in. Outside, it starts to snow.

***

Day Three:

B's coughing keeps both of them up. A knows, lying awake in their bed, that C is still with them, comforting them and caring for them, and guilt eats away at them. In the morning, C has dark shadows under their eyes and A's concerns about them only earn them a glare or two. They take over work around the house again, feeling like a caged animal as they go back and forth through the rooms, hearing B's cough and C's gentle murmurs of response. The snow that's climbed almost up to the windows doesn't help. In the evening, they catch C starting to nod off at B's bedside, and offer to take a shift looking after them. To their surprise, C relents, giving A a rare squeeze on the shoulder before they go. After an hour of sitting at B's side, trying to ease their raging fever, A is all but exhausted. B falls asleep eventually, and soon A can't help but follow curled up in their chair.

***

Day Four:

It hits C. They don't want to admit it, but overnight they're too sick to get out of bed, let alone tend to B. They try to anyway, but A refuses to let them. A spends the day taking care of both B and C, as well as dealing with the regular household chores. It's snowing again, making the little house feel like an icebox no matter how much wood they throw on the fire. And the woodpile itself is getting low, but when A digs themselves outside to chop more wood, the snow only piles up behind them and leaves them panicking for a minute - almost unable to get back inside. With the wood they lock themselves in, not daring to set foot out into the storm again. It takes a long time for life to come back into their stiff and frozen limbs. They're up late into the night before they're finally able to sleep themselves.

***

Day Five:

A drags themselves out of bed. They work themselves to the bone - their one solace being that none of their patients are hungry, and neither are they. Nevertheless, there's plenty of work to do even without preparing food. All the while the snow continues to build up outside. B is feeling better, but is still too weak to be out of bed for very long, and A won't allow them to get worse again. C sleeps through most of the day, and when they're awake they're miserable, no matter how much they try to hide it. They ask A for nothing, but it only worries A how much their normally sharp manner is gone. And how feeble their voice is when they do manage to speak. Despite their own sickness and exhaustion, C convinces A to go to bed early. By the time they make it to their room their head is swimming with tiredness, and no matter how much water they drink they can't seem to get rid of the dryness in their throat.

***

Day Six:

All day A feels like they can barely stay awake, like they never woke up in the first place. Their head spins and the floor rocks gently under them, as if they stand on the deck of a ship. No matter how many sweaters they pull over their head, they can't seem to get warm. B tries to get up and help them, but can do little more than shuffle tiredly around the house and A doesn't want them overexerting themselves. C is still exhausted and weak, and gives A instructions on how to be cared for even from their own sickbed. A carries them out no matter what, even when their own bones feel like they might crumble if they take another step. The whole world looks and feels like they're watching it from inside a fishbowl full of water, and though it pains them they have to ask C to repeat their instructions several times before they fully understand.

***

Day Seven:

All night A lies freezing and aching in their bed, unable to sleep for even a minute. In the morning they have to force themselves to get up, their head pounding and eyes sore in the too-bright light. A cough gnaws at their chest. But they have to take care of the others. To their surprise C is out of bed too, they're shaky on their feet but insist on helping out with some of the chores. B spends the day resting. Halfway through the day A finds themselves no longer able to stand, their knees suddenly turning to water and giving out under them. By the time they hit the floor, they've only just understood what's happening. In less than a minute a familiar figure is my their side, looking anxiously down at them. C, their eyes still ringed with exhaustion. A can't seem to form words. But C understands without any, helping them back to their feet with a gentle word and a steady hand on their back. On trembling legs and with their vision blurring they're hardly able to make it to their room. They do, though, C at their side the whole time. They're shaking all over by the time they're in bed, and when C tucks their blankets around their shoulders a wave of humiliating weakness overwhelms them and they start to cry uncontrollably. All those days of taking care of their friends without fail, hardly tiring, and now they're sick too. C shushes them, brushing the hair back from their face until their tears slow. They're so hot and so cold and their skin hurts, and they can't believe they're finally falling apart. Don't B and C still need them? Shouldn't they still be fighting? But they can't fight anymore. All the strength has gone out of them. They can't do anything more now than lie where they are and allow C to speak softly to them, the waves of their voice carrying them away into soft darkness.

***

Day ?:

They don't know how long they lie there, slipping in and out of a feverish sleep. Soon they're hot again, and have to toss away the blankets smothering them. They dream of scratching claws and flapping wings, of a scorching sun followed by icy cold water that drowns them. When they wake up they're gasping for air and freezing cold, drenched in sweat and shivering violently in their blankets. A hand brushes against their cheek and their teeth chatter so hard they're afraid they might break. C's voice shushes them gently, soothing words just at their edge of hearing. Another blanket is pulled over them, and something bitter slipped between their lips on a spoon. A thin, disturbed sleep takes them once again. When they next wake, their fever dreams dissipating in a mist, they think they're seeing ghosts at first. But after they flinch away from them, the smoky grey figures turn into something recognizable - the tired and worried faces of both B and C at their bedside. They try to sit up but the bed under them rocks and their arms turn to jelly, and soon two pairs of hands are pushing them back down to their pillow. Right away they try to protest, feeble words coming from them about how the other two are still recovering and should be careful, how they'll be all right, they just need a bit of rest, how it's their job to take care of everyone else - not the other way around. It's not long at all until they talk themselves into exhaustion. Embarrassing, unstoppable tears run from the corners of their eyes, knowing they've lost. B cracks a weak joke that would make them smile if they weren't so miserable. C lays a tender hand on their cheek, telling them they've done enough. More than enough. Telling them B an C are more than grateful, and couldn't have asked for better care. It's A's turn, now.

um, im fucking loved this short whump fic by @secret-bug-pain-blog so i drew some art of it <3

O Olho da Deusa/Deus - arte indígena muito conhecida só que na sua forma com fios de lã. Um amuleto lindo que normalmente confeccionamos para pedir algo simples aos deuses como esperança, felicidade, prosperidade, amor e etc. Faço esse amuleto nas cores prata, preto,vermelho,lilás, azul ou verde…só por encomenda falando comigo por mensagem privada!🍃💚

*feito com fio colorido de alumínio.

#dhyngetal #olhodedeus #olhodadeusa #wicca #arteindigena #amuleto https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Ar3Dnhty2/?igshid=1qkoj9gmn6dx5

[Vi (derogatory)]

Just gonna drop two of my favorite requests to give and ask if you'd be willing to draw Queen Bianca and/or Eetl. Thanks a ton if you do it!

Wonder what they're chatting about...

🐝🪲

I just think they would be pals...............