Yay For Whumpee Simon!! I Love Whumpee Simon

Yay for whumpee Simon!! I love whumpee Simon

whumperless whump event day 8: put your head on my shoulder! @whumperless-whump-event

migraine / light & sound sensitivity / “i can close the curtains…”

see this post for character information!

caretaker: Archie

whumpee: Simon

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“Simon! I’m here and I have the takeout!” Archie chirped, letting himself into his friend’s apartment. It felt odd not crashing through the window for once.

As he passed the threshold, he was caught a bit off guard by the.. silence.

Simon was not a loud person, not at all, but he always at least had some kind of music playing or TV show on, and he even sometimes hummed his way through tasks around his home.

No, this eery quiet was wrong. It felt off.

“Simon? Did you hear me? I’m here and I have your food! The sooner you get your butt out here, the sooner we get to have our Star Wars marathon!” He repeated, putting a little volume behind his voice.

Then, he heard it. An unmistakeable groan coming from Simon’s bedroom.

“Simon..?”

He set down the bags of takeout on Simon’s small table in the kitchen and padded over to the bedroom door. He tapped a knuckle against it.

“Simon?? I know you’re in thereeee,” Archie teased.

Nothing. No response. Not even a groan like before.

“Dude, if you don’t say something, I’m coming in."

A beat.

Then 2.

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Archie murmured, before pushing open the door.

Suddenly, everything made a little bit more sense.

Illuminated by the afternoon light streaming through Simon’s windows, he opened the door to the sight of his friend curled up in bed, every pillow and blanket pulled around his head. 

He let out a pathetic grunt.

“Could you talk any louder?” Simon muttered, pulling the bedding tighter.

Archie breathed a soft laugh as everything clicked. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice to a whisper.

“How long have you have your migraine so far?” He asked, ignoring Simon’s hostile tone and sitting beside him on the bed.

“…A few hours now..” He mewled, throwing an arm over his eyes.

“That’ll do it,” Archie huffed. “Why aren’t your curtains closed? Can’t imagine the light is helping much..”

“Couldn’t.. I couldn’t get up to close them..” Simon breathed, shuddering at the thought of leaving his cocoon of pillows.

Archie let out another breathy laugh. “And you get angry at me for not calling when I need help..” He murmured, getting up and taking care to shut every curtain tightly. He could see Simon visibly deflate as the piercing light finally let up.

“… I’m sorry..” He said, voice muffled by the pillows.

“Hm?”

Simon lifted his head slightly.

“I’m sorry.. for snapping earlier.. and for ruining the movie marathon..” He whispered.

Archie felt his heart clench in a way that he would have to decipher another time. No, for now, he just sat beside his friend and placed a warm hand on his back.

“Don’t worry. This just means we’ll take a rain check, and the next marathon will be twice as long.”

Simon let out an annoyed groan, but there was no heat behind it. In truth, he couldn’t be more excited.

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GUYS IT'S TIME. i now introduce.....

THE SCARAB CREW!!!!!! 𓆣𓆣

(scarab is the name of the ship they are all on do you guys get it. because. whumbug. beetle. scarab. the ship is shaped like a beetle--okay im done)

the vibes/tropes are: sci-fi/space fantasy, dysfunction junction, found family, accidental child acquisition, AND MORE!!!

HUGE thank you to @lemlem21 for listening to me Yap about them and helping me iron out a lot of the details!!! also for recoloring some of the skincolors!!!!

i apologize in advance. this is a long post. please please feel free to ask questions because this can get confusing. there are 6 characters all with complex traits and names so please ask me for clarification if you need it! i apologize for all the reading guys (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥⋆)

OKAY! ONTO MY SPACE SILLIES! they are Everything to me.

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THE EXPEDITION PROGRAM (TEP):

okay just before i start, i want to briefly explain why all these people are together on a ship.

in this universe, theres a central government that spans across many planets in neighboring star systems. this is known as the Provinces of the Allied Galactic Empire (PAGE). this is the explored and "civilized" part of the galaxy.

recently, there have been more attacks on PAGE-affiliated planets and systems from the unexplored galaxy (known as the Outer Sector, or just Outsec in shorthand) and PAGE intends to get to the bottom of it.

and that's where Scarab Crew comes in! multiple teams were formed of people with exceptional talents in their species/planets and were sent on multi-year long exploratory missions under the name The Expedition Program (TEP). the scarabs are one team of many!

TEP's goal is to record and report all that they find as well as identify threats and/or the planets responible for the attacks. they are to come back with information and new technology that would make PAGE stronger and more well-rounded!

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NOW ONTO THE SILLIES!! i used different picrws for each of them to match their Vibe

(also i added pronounciation guides to the best of my abilities i hope it helps im sorry in advance)

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Captain Nieven Alaric (Nee-ven Ah-la-rik)

pronouns: he/him

role: captain/leader/correspondence with PAGE

planet of origin:  Asto’is (species: Asto’isian)

age and height: late '30s to early '40s / 6 ft. 0 in.

description: the competent, calculated, and and cold head of The Scarab. he was a well-off government official before TEP, but unfortunately, he lost his family in an attack by Outsec rogues. he is a man hardened by life and unwilling to get attached to others again and because of this, is very efficient when it comes to running his ship. still, efficiency is not always the most important thing when it comes to leading a team. this is something nieven must learn.

species-specific traits: horns on the top of the head-- very interconnected with the central nervous system. decorated as a sign of age and/or accomplishment. also, asto'isians have pointy teeth! they are carnivores!

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Hari Khurana (Huh-ree Ku-rahna)

pronouns: relaxed he/him

role: engineer/medic/chemist

planet of origin:  Earth (species: Homo Sapien)

age and height: mid to late '30s / 6 ft. 2 in.

description: a simple human that started from the bottom. hari grew up in a trailer park, raised by his older sister when his father worked 3 jobs to put food on the table. since he was little, it was known he was a genius when it came to stem subjects. into adulthood, he excelled in every stem job he took on. still, no one expected him to get singled out when TEP was recruiting. aside from his smarts, hari is cheeky, sly, a bit of a Bastard™ but he also has tremendously big heart. he's passionate about what he does, no matter how hard it can be for him sometimes.

species-specific traits: despite his brains, hari is... a defective human. due to malnourishment as a child, he has a plethora of health problems that worry his team to no end. some include: asthma, lactose intolerance, allergies to many foods, marie antoinette syndrome, POTS, among others. he is also a below-the-knee amputee on his left leg due to an accident in his teens.

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Nylathrania (Nyla) Qifir (Nye-lah-trah-nya Kee-feer)

pronouns: she/her

role: pilot/navigator

planet of origin: Harye (species: Haryen)

age and height: mid '20s / 5 ft. 7 in.

description: the haryan are an extremely superstitious, winged race that place an extreme importance on flight. when a child was born with in inability to even lift her wings because of nerve damage, you can imagine it did not bode well. nyla was passed around from household to household with no place to call home. she wants to prove herself to her homeland by becoming the most successful pilot in TEP with her pride and joy of a ship, The Scarab, but even that will never make her good enough for her people, and consequently, herself.

species-specific traits: the bat-like wings and short horns are trademarks of the haryen people. unlike nieven's, nyla's horns are simply bony-keratin structures as extra protection for her brain. her wings are a bit smaller than other haryen's due to muscle atrophy.

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Ytzel (Zel) Mixca (Ee-tsel Micsh-cka)

pronouns: relaxed she/her

role: gunsman/conflict strategist

planet of origin: Huelxa (species: Huelxcan)

age and height: mid '20s / 5 ft. 4 in.

description: born to a planet of war, zel grew up around bloodshed and violence throughout her life. in her culture, getting close to people was discouraged becasue you never knew who would be on the other side of the next civil war. she was often forced to fight her siblings and friends (to an extreme level) as a test of strength, so she comes off as abrasive and rude because violence makes her feel in control. it's a familiar pattern. she hasn't yet learned that love does not need to be painful.

species-specific traits: the huelxcan actually have a second pair of arms! these arms sit slightly more towards her back, in the middle of her rib cage. the huelxcan people also have evolved with enhanced hearing, and wear accessories on the ears to enhance it further.

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Vin’ri (Vinny) L’aoh (Vin-ree Luh-ow)

pronouns: they/them

role: scribe/recorder/photographer

planet of origin: Z’edin (species: Z’edinra)

age and height: late teens (17-19) / 5 ft. 9 in.

description: vinny is heralded as the voice of reason when tensions are high amongst the rest of the crew. they are level-headed and approachable, making them an instrumental member of the team. but their secret? they're so lonely. in their culture, it's customary to stop being affectionate with children when they reach about 14 to encourage growth and independence. vinny didn't have a problem with this at first, but now that they're so far from home? they feel the need for comfort more than they'd like to admit.

species-specific traits: the z’edinra all have a prehensile tail that is about an armspan in length. it is capable of grasping, and can hold their body weight. also, z'edin is an ice planet which leads vinny to be prone to overheating in even mildly warm environments quite easily

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Ren "Alaric" (Rehn Ah-la-rick)

pronouns: he/him

role: healer/newest member (not with scarab crew initially)

planet of origin: Siea W5M (species: Amb’toman)

age and height: about 7-9 years old / 4 ft. 3 in.

description: ren's parent's were killed when he was only 4, and he was taken to Seia W5M to be sold as a commodity-- his species is sought after for their abilities. he was under the ownership of a man for a few years before he escaped and has been on the run ever since. he covers his eyes with a blindfold to conceal the signature trait of amb'tomans-- white scleras lacking a cornea. because of his years blindfolded, light tends to overwhelm him. he is skittish, flighty, and in need of people who will take care of and love him.

species-specific traits: the amb'toman are a desert-dwelling species that evolved healing abilities to cope with the harsh climate. the short version of how the abilities work is essentially: people spend a certain amount of energy to heal themselves of injury or illness. ren can spend that energy all at once on himself or another person to heal them exponetially faster. the draw back is gets extremely sleepy after healing, and tends to be unable to stay awake

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RELATIONSHIPS: ask me about them!!! there are Some romantic relationships but i also love platonic and familial relationships so ask about whoever you'd like! i'm aiming to start the story early on to when they first meet so it'll be fun to develop their relationships as i write!!

PICREWS: 1 2 3 4 5 6

BONUS: here is all their height differences (ren is itty bitty guys)

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and that's it!!! thank you SO much if you've read to the end, it honestly means so much. and like i said before please please PLEASE dont be afraid to ask as many questions as you want (about specific scarabs, or the crew as a whole but just know if its the crew it might not be as detailed because. theres 6 of them.) these characters can get confusing and i want to make as easy of a reading experience as i can!

i hope you enjoy my little passion project and im so excited to develop these sillies further!! (✿◦’ᴗ˘◦)♡

tagging: @sethlost and @mellowwhumps (≧▽≦)

HELLO!!! IT IS HERE!!! SCARAB CREW INTRO FIC!!!

i'm sorry it took so long guys i've been in a bit of a funk these last few days BUT i really wanted to post this!! i have much more planned for them but i am trying to pace myself because i've been struggling a little bit!

this also counts for early whumperless whump event day 23: well, that doesn't taste right @whumperless-whump-event (allergic reaction / anaphylaxis)

word count: 2507

see this post for info on the scarabs crew!

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In hindsight, Hari probably should have told the team his allergies to start.

There just wasn’t a convenient time for him to do it. It felt weird.

He already felt their judging eyes on him because he was human. Humans weren’t necessarily looked down upon, but it was quite the common consensus that they had more biological flaws than most other races.

This was, of course, made worse by Hari’s precarious condition. 

Introducing himself as the human missing a leg with a blood circulation disorder, an inflammatory lung disease, and food allergies was not something Hari imagined would get him much in the way of respect.

So, he stayed quiet.

After all the introductions and mission briefings came and went, everyone retreated to their respective rooms to settle in. A message over the intercom told Hari that Nyla, the pilot, was going to start making dinner.

He supposed now could be a good time to mention it. He remembered how to get to the kitchen, and Nyla should be in there cooking already, but Hari had just taken off his prosthesis. He didn’t feel like going through the trouble.

Besides, what were the chances that, out of all the things in the galaxy, Nyla made something Hari couldn’t eat.

An hour came and went before Nyla’s chipper voice came over the intercom once again.

“Food’s ready, everyone! Come on down to the kitchen!”

Hari perked up. Now that he thought of it, he was hungry. He hadn’t eaten anything more than protein bars and yogurt cups since the initial launch. An actual meal sounded wonderful.

He grabbed his crutches and began making his way to the kitchen. 

As he walked through the halls of The Scarab, he couldn’t help but feel a bit astonished. Just a few days ago, he was on his home planet, Earth. Then, he was shipped off to Asto’is. Now, here he was, floating in space with a group of strangers towards countless unexplored territories and potentially dangerous star systems.

What a story he was going to have to tell.

He arrived at the kitchen and quickly saw he was the last to do so.

Captain Nieven Alaric, the Asto’isian, was sitting at the head of the table, typing away on his detpad. A cigarette was held loosely in his free hand, and he brought it up to his lips with a deep inhale. His brow was furrowed, like he was trying to figure something out. 

Zel, the Huelxcan, was sitting towards the middle of the table, but her entire body was tensed up. She looked terribly awkward, like she’d rather be anywhere but there. Her gaze remained trained at a spot on the table, but upon Hari’s entry, she lifted her head. Hari met her eyes on accident and flashed a small smile, and he could have sworn she snarled at him.

Vinny, the Z’edin, was sitting opposite to Zel, but they looked significantly less uncomfortable. On the contrary, their knees were pulled up to their chest with their own detpad balancing on top. A peek over their shoulder told Hari that they were reading.. a scientific article? On biochemistry? For fun? That was perhaps scarier than the Huelxcan staring daggers at him from across the table.

And finally, indicated by the soft humming from the kitchen, Hari caught a glimpse of Nyla plating the final dish with her back turned to him.

Hari hadn’t seen many Haryen in his time. The race preferred not to make too much contact with the other PAGE territories, so seeing one out in the open felt odd.

Still, Hari didn’t need to know much about the race to know their signature trait—large crimson wings on their back with a span almost longer than their full height. Hari also didn’t need to know much about the race to know that this particular Haryen’s wings were not paradigmatic of her people’s.

Nyla’s wings were small and curled tight against her body. The muscles in them looked atrophied and shriveled, and even the way they moved with her body seemed off.

Nyla didn’t offer much of an explanation. She simply stated that she was born differently and left it at that. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation anyway; Hari figured. Still, it was not something someone saw every day.

Hari finally took a seat beside Vinny and rested his crutches against the edge of the metal table. Vinny’s gaze flitted to him before coming back to their detpad.

Hari risked another glance at their screen, and saw that not only were they finished with the first article, but they had moved on to another longer one. Hari had to ask.

“What’cha reading about?”

Vinny’s ears flicked at his voice. “Botany.”

“Botany?”

“Mhm. The first planet on the course is a forest planet, so I wanted to brush up.”

“I see—”

“Do you know much about botany? You’re the medic, after all. Figured you’ve at least taken some life science classes, but I don’t know how much time the curriculum would have spent on botany specifically.”

“Well, I was in highschool when—”

“I guess if it was a general biology class, the content would be broader, so you probably spent a little bit on each subsection. Still, I think botany is underappreciated. There’s so much to learn about a planet based on what kind of flora thrives in it.”

“I agree—”

“Plus, it can tell you so much about culture! Your planet, for example, has such a diverse ecosystem with so many different biomes. The different ways your people use the plants in each area is fascinating!”

“Thank you?”

“Not to mention—”

“Dinner is ready!” Nyla chirped, padding into the room with plates precariously balanced on her arms. Hari silently sighed in relief.

Nieven set down his detpad immediately and stood up to take two of the plates from Nyla.

“Thank you very much for making dinner, Nylath... Nylathrania.”

The syllables sounded clumsy on the Captain’s lips and a slight flush creeped up his cheeks at his fumbling.

“Oh please, just call me Nyla. Nylathrania is a hard one, even back on Harye.”

Nieven cleared his throat. “Very well. Thank you, Nyla.”

“It’s my pleasure! What better way to welcome you all onto my ship than good food?” She smiled and set a plate in front of each person at the table before taking her own seat next to Zel.

Hari smiled right back at her and, he figured he could try probing about the ingredients. Subtly, of course. “Yes, thank you, Nyla. This looks good! What is it?”

“Oh! I wanted to start with something pretty universally liked. It’s noodles with a darzel nut sauce, wozoik leaves, and some poultry from Earth! It’s pretty simple. I didn’t want to try anything too wild on the first night.”

Vinny, finally, lifted their head from their detpad and faced Nyla. “You took the meat out of mine, right?”

“Mhm!”

Vinny’s tail swayed slightly and a slight smile overtook their face. “Thank you, Nyla.”

Hari suddenly felt very stupid. If the kid could let Nyla know about their dietary preferences, why couldn’t Hari? 

Still, it was fine. Nothing she said was on his allergy list. He’d just let her know after this meal and everything would be fine.

Nyla picked up her fork. “Well, dig in everyone!”

And with that, they did.

Zel sniffed the food experimentally and swirled a forkful of noodles onto the prongs of the utensil before lifting it to her mouth. The usual scowl on her face lessened greatly and she turned to Nyla.

“You made this?” She said softly.

“...I did. Why? Is something wrong with it?” Nyla almost looked sheepish.

Zel said nothing. She simply turned her face back down to her plate and began scarfing down the noodles.

Vinny was following suit, tail swaying freely as they forked mouthful after mouthful into their mouth.

Nieven was a bit more polite. He ate slowly, and in small bites, but the enjoyment of the food was written all over his face in the way his eyes shone.

Alright, now, Hari needed to try it.

He scooped some of the noodles onto his fork, took a bite and—wow. If this was the kind of food he’d be eating for the next few years, he had no complaints.

The nutty flavor of the sauce was light and fresh, enhanced further by the aromatic greens. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Hari’s eyes nearly rolled back into his head. 

Nyla swallowed a mouthful of food and tapped her finger idly on the table. “So... How is everyone feeling about the trip so far?”

Vinny perked their head up. “So far it’s been interesting. Your ship is really cool. I can’t believe you fly it yourself.”

“I do! She’s my pride and joy.” She turned to Hari. “You’re somewhat of an aerospace engineer, right? What kind of ships have you worked on?”

Hari startled at his name and glanced up. 

“Me? I’ve worked on a few. I worked mostly on airplanes, though.”

“Oh? So a bit different, then?”

Hari nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but found that his tongue didn’t move the way he intended it to. It felt tingly, like it was swollen in his mouth. He furrowed his brows.

“Sorry. I just— My throat feels weird.” He swallowed convulsively. 

Nyla tilted her head and leaned forward to get a better look at him. Zel followed suit, sharing a glance with Nieven.

“Are you okay?” Nyla asked.

“I’m fine... I’m...” Hari swallowed again as an abrupt wave of nausea had him clamping his mouth shut.

Nieven suddenly turned his gaze to meet Hari. “Hari? Are you sure? You’re quite... flushed.”

Hari nodded and scratched at the side of his neck. Stars, when did it get so itchy?

And then it occurred to him. The way he was feeling—the way it felt like his throat was swelling and the way his skin felt too hot for his body—stars, he was allergic to the damn food.

Of all the foods in the galaxy! This delicious meal was one his body decided was a threat! He would have groaned if he could.

Instead, he let out a vaguely choked whine and clawed at his throat, desperately pulling at his collar to get some air. Hives were starting to break out along his arms and shoulders rapidly, and the heat was searing.

Everyone was staring at him now. Even Vinny, who had set their detpad on the table, was in a hurry to get a proper look at Hari. 

“Hari?” Vinny questioned. 

They stood and leaned over, scrutinizing his face. They looked like they were racking their brain for something. Hari truly hoped they were as smart as they came across, because he wasn’t sure he had the faculties to explain what he needed. With their knowledge on Earth and biology, they were probably Hari’s best bet.

They suddenly jolted with thought. “Anaphylaxis! Allergic reaction! That’s what's going on, isn’t it? Your symptoms match!”

Bingo. Hari nodded frantically, pulling in a wheezing breath. Shit, it really was getting difficult to breathe. He needed to do something—and fast.

“Allergic?! Why didn’t you say something earlier!” Nyla shrieked, practically leaping over the table to reach Hari. “What do we do?! You’re the medic!”

Hari wanted to tell her to relax and that it would probably be fine once he got his epi-pen, but he could quite literally feel his airways shrinking and he figured that might not be true for long.

Vinny tapped away on their detpad before whipping their head back up. “We have to give you epinephrine, don’t we? Where the hell are we going to get that?!”

Hari vaguely gestured to the bedrooms, hoping someone would get the hint. He had a small bright red first-aid kit in his luggage, left out in the open. Never had he ever been so grateful for his disorganized unpacking.

“On it,” Nieven muttered, racing toward the hall. Hari tugged at his collar once again, wheezing desperately. It felt like his head was going to explode now. He was sure he was quite the sorry sight with how red he felt his face getting. Not a very good first impression.

Finally, the captain came sprinting back with the little red pouch. He all but threw it onto the table and ripped it open, before realizing he had no idea what he was even looking for.

“Epi..pen..” Hari managed to rasp out, doubling over when another awful wave of nausea overtook him. 

Vinny watched Nieven frantically search for a few more moments before grumbling and lunging over to snatch the pouch from him. They procured the item immediately and began to read over it.

“It’s a needle?”

Hari nodded, wondering why that mattered. He didn’t care if someone had to cut his other damn leg off to get the epinephrine in him—he just wanted to breathe.

Vinny uncapped the needle and hesitantly crouched beside Hari. They were moving at far too leisurely a pace. Hari shot a weak glare.

He would have done it himself, if he could. It’s just that his hands were numb. He could barely lift his arm, let alone have the dexterity to administer it properly. Maybe he should start having his epi-pen with him for every meal. Stars, his head was spinning.

“I can’t do it!” Vinny cried, suddenly pulling away.

“For fuck’s sake—” Zel plucked the pen from their hands, skimmed the directions, and plunged the needle directly into Hari’s right leg with no hesitation.

Hari had never been so grateful in his life.

In just a few moments, Hari felt his breath starting to come easier. He slumped back against his chair and gulped down sweet, sweet oxygen.

No one said anything for a beat. And then, Nyla smacked the back of Hari’s head.

“You idiot! If you’re allergic to something you need to tell me! What was your plan if we didn’t get the epi-pen in time?! I would have been responsible for manslaughter!”

Hari blinked. “I didn’t know I’d be allergic to it.”

Vinny stepped in and crossed their arms. “But you have existing allergies, yes? I could have done some research on how similar the food was to your allergens. Darzel nuts, for example, are remarkably chemically similar to peanuts.”

Oh. That explains it, then. Hari felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. He said nothing.

Nyla let out a soft hmph and pointed a finger at Hari. “After we clean up here and I make you something else to eat, you’re going to sit down with me and make a list of your allergies. All of them. This won’t happen again.”

Hari could tell she meant to be vaguely reassuring, but with the way she said it, it sounded like a threat. He gulped and nodded.

Vinny let out a soft laugh that doubled as a sigh of relief. “Welcome to the expedition, I suppose.”

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THEY'RE SO SWEET I'M DEAD

HI GUYS

consider this my formal apology for my previous drawing. they deserved some fluff.

i love these sillies im going to Eat them

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text: "sorry for almost dying..." / "shut up."

(pose ref from @/mellon_soup)

tagging @lemlem21 because i finally drew them happy. Rare Occurrence.

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hey so I'm gonna send a lil prompt

You don't have to answer it of course but it's been rolling around in my head for a while and I doubt I'LL write it since I don't know how you feel about fanfics

so I figured

why not put it in your askbox just for the sake of it

The idea is that at some point, Archie goes to Simon's apartment for either a minor injury (really just an excuse to see him) or something that's kind of serious but can be delt with pretty easily. Basically anything that isn't fatal and wouldn't be fatal even without intervention. When he gets there he sees that Simon is clearly MUCH worse off than him for whatever reason and now they're BOTH fussing over each OTHER and fighting over who gets taken care of by the other

Definitely a whumpee-turned-caretaker/caretaker-turned-whumpee situation. I don't know I just think it'd be fun but if you're busy or something that's totally cool I just wanted to show it to you

HI ANON!!!!! like i said in a previous post, i will literally give you my firstborn child if you ever make a fanfic for my boys. i dont think you understand how thrilled i would be. you are ALWAYS welcome to write about my guys!!

anyways, heres a little prompt fill!!! it ended up being more about the fluff than it did about the fighting over who should be fussed over so i hope thats okay!! simon being cuddly when hes feverish is one of my favorite traits i gave him. i hope you enjoy too!!

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In hindsight, the cut on his leg really wasn’t too bad.

Archie was about ninety-nine percent sure he would have been able to suture it himself. He saw it done more times than he could count, and the wound itself was neat and shallow, though bleeding profusely. Wouldn’t have taken him more than twenty minutes.

But he really missed Simon.

Simon had been swamped with exams and lab practicals and volunteer hours for the last week and a half. The poor guy had 2 hours a day to himself if he was lucky. Archie made himself scarce to not add more to his plate, of course, but it had been three days.

He figured a little pit stop couldn’t hurt. Even though it was well past midnight, Archie knew Simon had finished his last final in the afternoon because he texted him that he was going to knock out, and then went radio silent.

It had been seven hours since then. Simon was definitely awake by now.

So that’s how Archie ended up silently slipping through Simon’s kitchen window, a common practice for him, angling his leg just right so as to not drip blood all over his floor. 

All the lights were off. Weird.

He shut the window gently behind him and padded into the living room, squinting as his eyes started adjusting to the dark.

Suddenly, a lamp flicked on and Archie nearly died of a heart attack then and there.

He blinked at the sudden brightness and was greeted by.. Simon?

His friend was slowly sitting up from the couch, head still lowered as he viciously scrubbed the sleep from his eyes. There was a mess of blankets and pillows surrounding him as he propped himself up on his forearms. 

Had he been sleeping?

“Archie?” His voice was rough. He blinked blearily, hair mussed from sleep. “What are you doing here?”

Simon’s gaze lowered to the bright red stain on Archie’s leg and he jolted a little bit. 

“Oh. I see. Come sit down, I’ll--” He was cut off by a soft yawn-- “take a look at it.”

Simon went to grab the suturing kit that was already on the coffee table from the last time Archie stopped by, but his hand slipped and he nearly toppled over. Archie rushed to catch him.

Something was not right.

Simon was never one to be this groggy. He was the kind of person that could go from dead asleep to awake and alert in a matter of seconds. He hardly ever had a “wake-up” period, and he was certainly never this out of it.

When Archie helped Simon back to sitting, he frowned at the unnatural heat he felt beneath his palms.

“Simon? Are you okay?” He cupped his cheek and stifled a hiss at the burning, fevered skin.

“You’re burning up!" Archie exclaimed.

He should have known something was up when Simon didn't text him after his nap. He suddenly felt a bit guilty. "I'm sorry for waking you, I should have called first. You should be sleeping.”

Simon shook his head, but it only succeeded in making him dizzier. “Mmh. I’m fine. You’re the one bleeding. Just sit down, would you?”

“No way. This--” Archie motioned to his leg-- “can wait. You’re sick. You’re exhausted. You need rest. I'll get you some medicine and some tea, okay?"

“Just sit down. You're dripping blood. I can still suture. I’m fine. I can practically do it with my eyes closed.” He looked up at Archie again in a hazy way that made him not want to test that theory.

Still, Archie knew Simon well enough to know that he wouldn’t back down, especially not while mildly delirious from fever. He had to improvise.

He made a show of sighing and sitting down as if he resigned to Simon’s orders, but then, when his guard was down, he reached over and snatched the suturing kit from Simon’s trembling hands.

“Hey!” He shouted, but it came out as more of a whine. He was too disoriented to do anything about it anyways.

“Shush. How about I let you sit here with me while I do suture myself, y’know, so you can supervise, as long as you promise to let me get you to bed when I’m done.”

Simon peered up at Archie with glassy, fever-bright eyes and finally relented.

“Fine.”

Archie smiled. Admittedly, he was very pleased with his small victory. He sat back on the couch, beside Simon, and propped up his leg.

He pulled out the pre-threaded needle and hemostats and got to work.

The process was actually relatively easy. Archie practically memorized how it looked when Simon did it, so it was no trouble at all. He fell into the rhythm of threading, looping, anf knotting.

He only faltered the smallest bit when he felt the weight of Simon chin settle on his shoulder. In the corner of his eye, he could see Simon was flagging. He was more exhausted than he was letting on. He was blinking slowly and lazily, gradually nuzzling further and further into the side of Archie’s neck.

By the time Archie finished the last knot, Simon was nearly a deadweight on him. Archie's heart clenched.

“Alright sleeping beauty. Let’s get you to bed, m’kay?” He murmured, replacing the items in the suturing kit and carefully getting up to crouch in front of Simon in an offer of a piggy back ride.

Simon was not one to decline.

It took Archie a bit longer because of the throbbing pain in his leg, but he eventually got Simon tucked into his bed with a damp washcloth on his chest and forehead. 

Just as Archie was leaving to go find the ibuprofen, he heard the smallest, saddest sound come from the bundle of blankets.

“You’re leaving..?”

Archie thought he might die right there. 

He all but dashed back to Simon’s bedside and cupped his face. “No. No, of course not. Not when you’re feeling this sick. I just wanted to get you some medicine. I’ll be right back.”

Simon just averted his hazy eyes and huffed a small whimper. “Stay? Please?”

Archie bit his lip in contemplation, but his mind was made up before the question even made its way out of Simon’s mouth. 

He kicked off his shoes and crawled under the covers next to Simon, who scooted over to make room, and pulled him into an all-consuming embrace. 

Simon melted easily into it, letting his head fall on Archie’s chest. Even in his foggy state of mind, he made sure to be careful of Archie’s injured leg as he wrapped himself around him. 

Finally, he felt like he could breathe again after such a hellish week.

Archie rubbed up and down his spine, reveling in how the tension in Simon’s muscles melted away with each pass.

Medicine would have to wait. For now, this was far more effective.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Mana-sicknes.

Mages generate mana and need to regularly use magic. If it builds up too much, they get sick. Whether it's weakness, nausea, fever, or symptoms related to poison, erosion, or decay.

I've used this on a Whumpee of my own 👍

Sounds delightful