A Sneeze Is Not The Windy Thing

[nintendonut1]

Once they had returned to the Communal Hive, John was heavily relieved to learn that each of their apartment rooms were now fully-furnished. He still had his own to add his personal touch to, but right now that was the last thing on his mind.

He hit the bed in seconds, but took his time to get comfortable in the blankets. His body was so incredibly tired and sore, and it took a much greater effort than it should have to finally settle. With a shaky hand, still red from mild frostbite, he grasped at his glasses and listlessly pulled them off, almost dropping them on the side table. That was all the energy he had left, and his arm dropped limply over the side of the bed, and he finally shut his eyes.

When he opened them again, it took even more effort than what was surely deemed necessary, and his eyelids felt hot and heavy.

John tried to push himself up, at least onto his elbows, but his arms violently trembled from the effort, and he hit the mattress again and he let out a reflexive moan, more pitiful-sounded than he would’ve liked. The sun peeking in through the windows, that were almost too bright for his blurred, weakened eyesight, told him it was morning, but his body was stiff and sore, like he hadn’t slept a wink. All energy had left him overnight.

Not able to see much without his glasses anyway, John shut his eyes tight when the room started spinning. His lips thinned at the effort, and he then noticed the putrid taste lingering in his mouth, openly gagging. He tried breathing through his nose and found it to be heavily clogged, making the mistake of giving a hard, disgusting inward snort, and wet pain shot through his cranium. Reeling, he moaned again, certain he was sounding absolutely pathetic, but it WAS how he was feeling.

Gradually, he forced himself to turn onto his back, the jarring movement making his head throb, eliciting a wet gasp and another groan, followed by throaty, phlegmy coughs that rocked his entire chest. As he weakly stared at the ceiling, his thoughts swam in hot, groggy haze, and it took quite a rather lot of concentration to come to the realization of why he was in this condition.

Should’ve… brought a… jacket. Stupid dumb retarded idiot-pants. Thinking he was immune to the cold blizzards of the North Mountains. Stupid stupid idiot.

[shiftyPotentate]

That was a pawsitively weird expurrience...

Nepeta's thoughts were dull and slurred as she walked back home. Somewhat of an after effect of communing up close and personal with horrorterrors, presumably. She held her head. About the only thing she could process right now was what it took to walk back home. No complex thoughts, no feelings. Just walking. It took her all night just to get back to the city, and from there, until it was bright outside again. Fortunately for her, the dulling effect had worn off by then.

She remembered John and Jade had headed up north to explore! She wondered for a moment how they had fared, and hoped they made it back okay. She came upon the apartment complex. In the back of it, lay the "Communal Hives" wing. She'd bought this entire wing with her boondollars and still had bank left over. Plenty of it. It didn't really occur to her that she could probably just retire on the island with all this money. It seemed normal since she'd been playing Sburb for so long, before she died.

The communal wing had room enough for about 30 rooms or so. One she knew for sure was occupied, but she'd asked to have fifteen other rooms, at least, made and customized. Each had a name over the door. Each name was of one of her friends. Sleeping together in her room was nice and all, but privacy was nice too. She uncaptchalogued the key to the apartment and opened the door, putting it away again. The inside of the apartment was a welcome change to the cool air outside. Nice and warm and snuggly. She technically owned this building and she would see to it her guests were at absolute comfort!

Nepeta walked down the halls, looking at the names as she passed them. Feferi Peixes, Eridan Ampora, Gamzee Makara, Equius Zahhak (she'd found some horse-themed furniture and put them in especially for him!) Vriska Serket, Terezi Pyrope, Nepeta Leijon. Her own room. She was about to enter when she heard a noise coming from down the hall. So she continued down the hall. Karkat Vantas (Hee hee, his room was right next to hers! <3) Sollux Captor, Tavros Nitram, Aradia Megido, Jade Harley, Dave Strider, Rose Lalonde...

It was coming from in here. John Egbert. Oh no, what was happening to John? She knocked on the door.

"John?" she called out, hoping for a response. Response or not, she started to open the door anyway and check on her moirail!

[nintendonut1]

Half of John was grateful for the voice calling to him, more so because it was his endearing moirail. But half of him also hated her seeing him like this, all sick and measly.

It was this natural, embedded fear that got him moving again, throwing his blanket over himself as he flopped back on his side, curling into a miserable little ball of heat and phlegm. He was visibly shaking even underneath the thick blankets, and he moaned and coughed violently again.

Gradually, he peeked his head out, glancing meekly at a blurry Nepeta at the doorway. Eyes were sulken and dark with exhaustion, a thin coat of sweat on his forehead and matting his usually scruffy hair.

“Mmmmmnnnngh. Nep…” he got hoarsely, barely holding back more coughing. “I dun feal suh gud.”

[shiftyPotentate]

She opened the door in time to see John toss the blanket over himself. He peeked out at her, and she could tell just from looking at him that he was sick. She approached him and crawled onto the bed beside him, laying a gloved hand on his side. Nepeta's face was long with her concern for him, and all she could think to do was to comfort and nurture him.

Thank Pounce for those instincts. Mother cat behavior ran in her family, so to speak.

"John... what... what happened to you?" she asked, pulling the blanket down a little to get a better look at him. His face was messy of bodily fluids and he was clearly suffering. Despite her better judgment, she leaned forward and lay her upper body on top of him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her cheek against his. She cooed concernedly, wishing she could just hug him better.

Some of her Heart power started to activate, assauging at least the very worst of his symptoms, but with as severe an illness as he had, and the little power she had available, she would have to heal him gradually. She lingered with her hug, her concern for her moirail too much to resist.

[sleepZombie]

Young, but not a baby. The little grubling that currently lay curled up against it's new guardian's side (lusus, a part of it's mind told it) was able to take in it's surrounds and comprehend things. It was more akin to a human 2 or 3 year old... there would be a change for it coming soon, it felt it sure as it also knew that it's guardian was not going to be waking up any time soon.

And it was bored.

Geiger uncurled and shuffled down over the blankets, balking at the edge of the bed as it looked down. With a disgruntled buzz it paced back and forth before finally latching onto the fabric of a blanket that spilled over the side and awkwardly leveraging itself down. It ended up loosing it's grip and plopping down the rest of the way with a bounce and slight roll that left it giving a hiccup of a sob. It fussed for a bit, before finally getting up and beginning to skitter across the floor.

Freedom!

Exploration!

Geiger didn't get far, however, distracted by a familiar pitch from behind a door left cracked open. He nudged it open wiggling inside and stopping a moment as he saw the two Others. One he recognized as the Blue One and immediately he scuttered forward, letting out a series of clicks and churlps in greeting. Thankfully a larger piece of comforter was spilled over onto the floor here and he quickly latched on and climbed his way up with sticky little grubby legs. Once scaled he dodged around the hip of this Other that he didn't know, making a quick bee-line for Blue.

Multiple sets of pokey little legs scurried over John's shoulder and over his side to immediately turn into a tiny ball curled tight against his chest, little head butted right under his chin where he'd be able to feel the curved bumps of his horns pressing. Geiger let out a series of inquisitive chrulps and squeaks followed by a long, high pitched purr as it rubbed it's face into his shoulder.

[nintendonut1]

“Hmngh,” John croaked up at Nepeta, cringing as a light shiver ran up his body from where she had placed her hand. “I wus dumb… did-in bring a jack-et,” he explained, unable to hold back and launching into a fit of painful coughing. At some point he felt moisture on his upper lip and realized his nose had been running; awesome.

He supposed this was his punishment for getting them into that horrible situation in the first place. God he must look so gross and ugly right now, and Nepeta was right there above him and she lifted the blanket and exposed more of his shivering body which curled in tighter in the cold air and he never felt more vulnerable in his life and—

Everything stopped when she laid beside him and cuddled up to him, ignoring all his snot and nuzzling his face. For the first time since he had awakened, he was able to lift his eyelids enough to widen open in surprise.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, he heard familiar clicks and chirps and before he could realize what was happening, little Geiger was nestled right in between them, nuzzling into his shoulder making just about the cutest sounds ever. And—

John cracked a weak smile. He quickly relaxed his tense body—how long he’d been so tense, he didn’t know—and somehow, someway, he already began to feel a little bit better. A bit of the overall ache began to fade, and the pounding in his head reduced down to low throbs.

He tried not to move as much as he could, as every little movement still strained him, but he eased against them, and let out a soft sigh of content.

[tsifan]

Outside of the apartment wing a lone troll stood outside of the door. He looks rather irritable and angry as he stared at the door, in a deathstare contest for the most part. He was holding his soaked cape and a bag of new clothing, AKA a few black shirts and some fashionable HIPSTER clothing as well as scarves. He was pretty wet as well, his hands gripped into fists as he shivered slightly, thank cod most of the water dried off.

======

Only mere minutes ago was he at the mall flaunting off his highbloodness in the means of his wonderous jewelry, looking down on the many weirdoes in the vicinity. He believed he was going to meet nepeta there, but that didn't really happen. He found a few stores that sold clothes that he proclaimed was 'suitable for that of a wwonderful highblooded seadweller like himself', but not a lot of people cared to listen to his soliloquies. Anyways upon exiting a series of events that don't really matter occured, but all in all he got thrown inside the mall fountain, saving most of his clothes was his cape, HIS FUCKING CAPE.

After that he then went back to the apartment and try and rent one out, he remembered nepeta was doing something like, renting communal hives or something, he didn't really remember. He felt kinda peeved that she wasn't there to meet him at all, but that was in the back of his mind when he found out someone had RENTED A WHOLE FUCKIN WING LEAVING HIM WITH NO SPARE ROOMS TO RENT. However the owner did say that the strange person who bought it said it was for important people or something of the like, but still yet Eridan was displeased

======

So there the seadweller troll stood outside, fucking wet and cold. Irritable, but hey that wouldn't effect his behaviour right? Wrong.

"WHAM WHAM WHAM"

"I WWANT TO SPEAK TO THE OWWNER A THIS WWING"

No one was answering

"Fuck"

[shiftyPotentate]

Nepeta smiled, glad she could help John feel better, and took notice of the squeaks and chirps and purrs. She had a vague memory of those sounds. She herself made them at one point, she realized. A grub?

She looked down. A bright red grub was nuzzled up against John. She resisted the urge to squeal at the cuteness, instead plucking it from John and giving it a tender hug as well. "Oh my gosh he's so cute and adorable and red and soft and he reminds me of Karkitty!!" She giggled, making sure the grub was as comfortable as she could make it. Of course, being torn from Blue and suddenly STRANGER DANGER might be disconcerting.

Fortunately for Geiger, Nepeta heard loud shouting coming from outside. She set the grub back on John and got up. "I'm... um, going to go see what that sound is," she said. "I'll be right back, John!" She excused herself from the room and went to the door of the complex, opening it up.

"Mr. Ampurra!" she said, excitedly giving him a hug. "I was beginning to worry you might pawssibly have trouble finding the appurrtment complicks!"

[sleepZombie]

Geiger's whirrs raised in alarmed pitch as he was suddenly plucked up and held by someone he did not know. He gave a chittering little sound of anxiety and then almost as quickly as he was lifted up he was set back down ontop of familiar Blue, whom he crouched upon, huddling into the folds of the blanket.

When STRANGER DANGER left he felt safe, the velveteen along his carapace smoothing down and he crawled up along Blue's chest. Little grub legs drumming a fluttering beat as he moved to press his face against Blue's.

Geigar churrip'd curiously, front two legs reaching out to grasp at either side of his cheeks. For a few moments Geiger just stared at the guardian, little tiny brows pushed up in a vague expression of curious concern. When Blue did not respond he tilted his head to the side, leaning in and rubbing the top of his head between his two little nubby horns all over against Blue's chin and against his neck, trilling loud and high pitched.

[nintendonut1]

John hiccupped a bit when Nepeta drew back, her healing touch leaving him cold and shaking again. And then she plucked up Geiger, who began to panic, and his breath hitched. Oh god he was going to bite her and there wasn’t anything John could do besides weakly lift a hand and try to mumble out, “W-wait, Nep, he’s, wait--!”

Then, just as suddenly as she had drawn back, she set the troll baby down and skedaddled out, leaving John blinking in confusion. She seemed to do that a lot, he noticed. Well… best to leave her to the disturbance. He hadn’t even heard the yelling until now.

Either way… that left him with just Geiger. Which frankly, was just fine with him. The grub had healing powers of his own, though less literal as they were. As Geiger settled, he slowly brought his hand up to rest on the soft little grub body, pulling the blanket back up with his other hand. His thoughts wandered again, as he ran his fingers slowly over the segments, taking in the sensation of the soft texture with a hazy delight.

Soon enough, he found his face being prodded and examined by the curious troll baby, and he listlessly blinked his eyes open. He couldn’t help a lopsided smile at Geiger’s contemplative face, and like a good subject of observation, he stayed quiet at let it go about its inspection.

Until Geiger nuzzled him in earnest, in which he got out low, weak, but clearly charmed chuckling. He slid his hand up to pet Geiger’s head, snuffling a bit before nuzzling back. “Hehe… ssssorry, Geiger. M’jus a liddle sick.” He sniffed again, groaning a little, but getting out another weak grin in assurance. “Ahll be ok. Dun worry.”

[tsifan]

Eridan growled noting the door wasn't opening, but then he heard a few step as he then posed his 'high and mighty' stance, posing his chest up high. However this was short lived as suddenly the voice he's heard before rang through his ears, as he lost his posing to a tight squeeze from the green-blooded troll he knew as Nepeta Leijon.

"N-nep? W-what.." was all he could amange to say before realizing something, the one who purchased the wing was HER. Almost cussing out loud, he immedietly regretted the idea of yelling at poor nep as she droned on about her concerns as he barely heard her then snapping back into reality looking at her. His cheeks slightly flushed, but not to the point of noticibility as he was only flushed at the fact she was hugging him again.

He thought she was worried about him

"I, erm. Wwell I wwas at the mall a course nep, but i spent a lot of time shoppin for these.. garments." He then replied in a truthful lie as then looked at her.

"Wwhen did you havve enough boonbucks to buy this all though..?!" He then asked in awe pretty much, he never really watched nepeta play in the game and fly through the rungs, but then again he spent most of the game killing angels.

He figured he'd leave the question as to why so many rooms for the near future.

[shiftyPotentate]

"Hee hee. Equius and I did a bit more than admire the scenery, Mr. Ampurra." She gave him a wide, delighted smile. She whispered in his ear, even though no one was around to keep a secret from. "Don't tell efurryone, but Ms. Purrope shared some with us too." She giggled, her best roleplaying partner had always been apt to sharing things with her.

She took Eridan's hand. "Come on in, I'll show you our rooms!" She led him inside, walking past John's room on past all the other ones. "I made sure there was at least one room fur all of our furriends, even the humans!" She was a little disappointed that only two humans and three other trolls were here that she knew of, but the rest would show up later! "And down here, we have yours, between Gamzee and Fefurry's rooms!" She'd tried to include fishy things for Eridan and Feferi, but she didn't know what kinds of things seadwelling trolls liked, so she'd had to guess.

Nepeta opened the door to Eridan's room to show him inside. The scheme of each room in the apartment as far as color was based on that troll or human's color. Blood for the trolls, eyes for the humans. Though for Karkat's sake, she kept his room gray (with very subtle tinges of red). Eridan's was no different, purple being the dominant color. "What do you think?"

[sleepZombie]

Geiger churlped, only slightly comforted by the assuring sounds that Blue made along with the pats. He gave a little huffy sound beneath the heavy hand and backed away, shaking his head slightly to get the downy fluffy mess of hair out of his eyes.

Something Blue did, shifted or moved in a way that made the blankets scrunch up. All Geiger knew is that suddenly he was off balance. Little eyes widened in surprise, multiple legs scrambling at the blankets to gain purchase only for the grub to topple over and roll down Blue's side. He tucked up, tumbling down onto the mattress. He remained still a few moments, feeling dizzy and mixed up and not sure which direction was the right direction before uncurling. He squeaked and popped his head up back into the line Blue's sight.

And his eyes were huge.

With eagerness he scrambled back up and stood, half braced on John's chest again, an expression of pure and simple delight written across his tiny face. He looked up at Blue expectantly, ready for him to do... whateveritwas again so that the fun times could just keep rolling!

[nintendonut1]

Ideally, John would’ve been just fine with cuddling Geiger, holding it close atop his chest, the grub bobbing lightly with each deep breath he took. In little time, he was close to dosing off and getting the rest he needed.

He shifted very slightly to get comfortable, but stiffened up when he felt Geiger scramble and tumble off his chest. “Uh? Ohp!” He stayed on his back, but lolled his head to the side to find Geiger rolled up like a pillbug on the mattress beside him. John bit his lip and held his breath, waiting for the grub’s response to be sure he was alright.

Then huge buggy eyes met his. John recognized the glint in those eyes anywhere. He himself would wear it whenever he watched Nic Cage narrowly escape an explosion or whatever.

“Hehe, was that fun—oompnh!” He puffed out a gust of air when Geiger climbed back on his chest, and he openly laughed at that adorably eager grin. For a moment, sickness was forgotten as he tilted his torso again until the grub had lost its footing and tumbled down again. It was still clicking and chirping, but John could have sworn they sounded like giggling, and Geiger quickly scrambled up to do it again.

This had obviously turned into a game, one that lasted longer than it felt for either of them. Too soon, John went limp again, remembering his exhaustion.

“Whew… okay… no more,” he wheezed. “No more, Geiger, Uncle John’s tired…”

[tsifan]

Eridan raised an eyebrow hearing what he was being told, regarding her gaining of the money in pure grinding to the shared amount from that other landweller lowblood Terezi, otherwise known as Ms. Pyrope. In confusion, he didn't recall Terezi ever flaunting off that amount of boonbucks or anything of the sort as he could only shrug it off as SUPER GRINDING. In any case he blinked as his hand was grabbed, the wet seadweller pulled in with his clothings at hand.

Well at least she answered the big question as to why there were so many rooms in the first place, but confused thinking most of these people were... well dead! Feeling a shudder of guilt shiver down his spine hearing fef, and yet the questioning of who the fuck was John in his mind, they had to disperse as he was shown 'his' room. A sweet thought, she cared enough about him as he couldnt' help but feel the flush in his cheek, grow slightly more purple.

The room was rather bland, strange choice of aquatic based objects, but the color of the room was majestic enough for his tastes.

"Wwhoa, this looks... Wwell amazin'! Nep, you're the most wwonderful person evver!" he then exclaimed, rather cheery and happy, almost the point of tears, but no. Men didn't cry. He already had forgotten the less than wonderous details of the day.