dont get me wrong this is #mood but just try eating a piece of bread with salt. please, seriously. ok? at least a tiny bit. salt helps with nausea, bread calms the stomach acid. if you really can’t face eating anything, just lick some salt like a damn elk, then wait and see if you can manage the bread. make some broth if you’re into that kind of thing. no spices, yes salt. if you’re feeling too weak and shaky to do much, just have a cup of tea with sugar (energy) and lemon (again, good against nausea). nibble on the lemon first, it will feel good, but don’t overdo - citric acid on an empty stomach is a majorly bad idea. take care of yourself, you’re the only you we’ve got
“You’re the only youwe’ve got”
“just lick some salt like a damn elk” is the new “touch grass”
Pretzels and crackers are bread with salt. Try those if you have any
Lick some salt is genuinely good advice. I have used this on several occasions
Come se già non bastasse la scena pietosa e ripugnante dei cori da curva di ieri al senato, ecco che arriva pure Pillon a ringraziare nientepopodimeno che Iddio per aver toccato la coscienza di chi ha votato per affossare il ddl Zan. A prescindere da come la si pensi, un po’ di nausea è lecita, suvvia.
Endometriosis—the struggle is real. Killer cramps are NOT normal. Periods that last longer than 7 days are NOT normal. Heavy bleeding that soaks through a tampon every 2 hours is NOT normal; pain during sex is NOT normal. Bouts of diarrhea and vomiting that accompany every menstrual cycle are NOT normal. No, no, and no! For many people, this reality is just endometriosis at work.
Sad truth: Many of us are taught to downplay these symptoms. Our pain is diminished by parents, siblings, friends and even health care professionals who convince us that everyone goes through this.
Maybe that is why, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America, it takes 10 years on average to receive an accurate endometriosis diagnosis. That’s a decade, people! That’s 130 periods of agony, 912 days of someone asking you to take Advil and suck it up. That…is not okay.
Endometriosis is pervasive. It affects 1 in 20 Americans of reproductive age and an estimated 176 million people worldwide. It occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) is found outside the uterus on other parts of the body.
There are lots of symptoms that can vary among patients. Pelvic pain is most common, as well as pain that coincides with menstruation. Other symptoms include heavy cramps, long-lasting bleeding, nausea or vomiting, pain during sex and, unfortunately, infertility. Some people may even experience symptoms throughout their entire cycle—a real drag.
In addition to these physical symptoms, endometriosis takes a toll on someone’s personal and professional life. Chronic pain can severely affect quality of life day-to-day; medical care can be extremely costly. Furthermore, absenteeism can alter relationships in the workplace and at home.
Despite the intense discomfort, many people do not realize they have endometriosis until they try to get pregnant. And because the disease tends to get progressively worse over time, approximately 30-40% of people who have endometriosis experience fertility challenges.
There is no simple diagnostic test for endometriosis—no blood, urine, or saliva testing can confirm the condition. The only way to verify endometriosis is to undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy with pathology confirmation of biopsy specimens.
On the bright side, many endometriosis symptoms— including infertility—can be addressed after diagnosis. The gold standard for endometriosis treatment is laparoscopic excision surgery. This involves a careful removal of the entire endometrial lesion from wherever it grows.
The first step to getting there is recognizing that your pain is not normal and seeking timely intervention. The earlier endometriosis is detected and treated, the better the results. Tracking your symptoms will make you better informed for your next doctor’s visit, and set you on a path to better (and less painful!) menstrual health.
This is SO IMPORTANT. It took me 23 years of horrific periods and masking the condition with nearly every hormonal birth control under the sun, tens of doctors dismissing me and telling me to go away and take the pill, and my own mother on my second ever period (as I screamed and cried) telling me ‘it’s just like this for our family, it’ll go away when you have a baby’ (I was NINE years old), before I shouted NO MORE and finally got to see a gynecologist. One of my periods (off birth control) was so horrendous that I vomited bile in the street after being kicked off a bus for being ill (I think they thought I was either ON drugs, or withdrawing) - that was after being sent home from work for being 'clearly contagious’. Many a period have made me actually pass out, let alone the week leading up to them where my colon painfully freaks out. There are many more symptoms I experience but they are mostly covered in the original post. If any of this sounds familiar, demand to see a gynecologist. It is NOT okay to live like this, and regardless of how many other women you listen to talking about their painful periods, yours are far worse, please don’t try to downplay your own experience and think that what you go through is what they’re talking about; it’s not. Even if female GPs have told you some women are just 'unlucky’ or however else they like to brush it off, please don’t take that as an answer. You deserve that referral to a gynecologist to get checked out and get a proper line of care.
Trigger Warning: Throwing up. First trimester symptoms.
This is a continuation from (Part 1) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At first things didn’t seem any different. Ava felt a little more sluggish and not as sex hungry. She even requested clothes, which was unusual for her. She had spent so much time naked, being unable to have any clothes coded, and physical clothes worn into the game felt awful and couldn’t be removed. So this was a first.
Clothes were granted with the nifty new program that Bethany had been trying out. Whether it was jealousy of seeing that amazing night gown on Bethany or just a general feeling of wanting to be covered she was granted a shirt that was probably a man’s 2XL. It stretched comfortably to her knees, basically swallowing her body. It was extremely comfortable which was good, Because after about 20 minutes she started getting ridiculously tired.
Sitting up on the bed she opened her arms out to Bethany making a whining noise. Bethany turned around from the menu she was interfacing with. “Yes my love?” she asked
Ava just pouted “Cuddle.” She demanded, which brought a soft grin to Bethany’s face, it was one of those moments where Ava could see Brian poking through.
“Of course.” Bethany acquiesced, climbing into the bed and cuddling down with her little impregnated lover. Bethany ran her long slender fingers over ava’s body. Across her flat stomach which was guaranteed not to stay that way for long. Before running her hand up Ava’s body. He fingers wandered through ava’s undercut and over to the long side of her hair. Ava gave a small coo of approval in her sleepy state. “Rest little one” Bethany cooed as Ava rested her head near Bethany’s breasts and closed her eyes. Ava didn’t have much of a choice. Her eyelids were so heavy that she simply couldn’t keep them open any more. Bethany’s hands wandered from Ava’s hair to her shoulder, then her arm, around to her back. Before long sighs, turned into light breathing and Ava was out like a light.
“Signs indicate that Subject A is asleep” Q commented softly over the intercom. There was a small sigh of relief from those on the project.
“Let her sleep” Bethany mused watching the small girl as she slumbered. “She has a rough road ahead.” Ava slept with her face cast up towards Bethany before lightly rolling forward, her mouth just slightly opened. The small girl carried so much tension in her demeanor, when she slept she looked so peaceful.
“Wonder if she will sleep through the whole first trimester?” another voice commented from the booth.
“Oh hey Jay.” Bethany greeted, lightly covering Ava’s ear, so the voices would be muffled. Bethany looked toward the window which she knew they were virtually beyond. “Didn’t even know you were here.”
“Oh, sorry. Forgot to log uhhh, facilitator J. Code analyst on standby to adjust code as needed.” Bethany gave a nod. “I’ll check in again when A is awake.” J assured Bethany “Just know there is going to be a certain point when I wont be able to modify the code anymore.”
“Good to know thanks” Bethany nodded.
“We’ll check in again if there is a change. For now just relax” Q offered, muting the conversation from his end. No doubt they were eating some kind of snacks, monitoring the chat from the investors and enjoying the calm before the storm.
Jay was close to right, Ava did sleep for about an hour and a half. Right around the benchmark time for the end of the first trimester, as if on cue. Ava sat up suddenly, feeling incredibly nauseous. Without enough time for as much of a word, She took off into the bathroom with little warning, and heaved into the toilet. Those on the project were suddenly alert once more. “Ava honey.” Bethany asked quickly making her way from the bed to the bathroom. Brian had temporarily disassociated, but now that ava was awake he was back on, and rushing to her side. Ava’s mouth felt dry, even virtually that wasn’t a pleasant experience. Bethany got her a glass of water, as Ava upheaved again. She was starting to feel miserable. “How is it?” Came the booming voice. “Uggggh” Ava groaned resting her head on the rim of the bowl. Covering her eyes and ears from the light and the noise. Her head pounded, as her stomach churned. This was not fun.
Bethany held up a hand to those watching on, more concerned for the sick girl then the project as a whole. She sat next to ava giving her the water, gently rubbing her back. “You ok?” She asked her lover gently. “He’s too loud” Ave complained, rubbing her head. Bethany gave a soft smile, and froze for a minute going offline to ask the onlookers something directly. Ava noticed the blank expression and frowned, taking the water, and taking a drink. She swished it in her mouth before splitting it into the toilet. Once Bethany was back Ava glared at her. “Don’t leave me again.” she insisted harshly. Bethany gave a sweet sympathetic smile. Gently brushing Ava’s hair out of her face. “Not my intention” She assured her lover. “I was setting up a direct com with Q. So I can be their middle man.” She rubbed her lover’s temples gently. “That way it’s less of a headache for you.”
Ava wanted to pout and stay mad at Bethany, but she couldn’t not when her lover was being so sweet. She closed her eyes basking in the gentle touch from Bethany. Her head and heart was still pounding from the sudden ordeal. However her lover’s actions give her some relief.
Bethany got an annoyed face for a moment, which Ava couldn’t help but snicker at when she noticed that Q was probably bombarding Brian with questions. “We want to know how you’re feeling, and what that experience was like.” Bethany filled her in.
Now that Ava knew she wasn’t just filling in Bethany but the project leaders as well she got more serious. “I feel like shit" she reported honestly “my stomach is constantly churning. I feel like I am going to throw up any second.” She quickly gave a report before throwing up again. Bethany rubbed Avas back encouraging her to do what she needed to do. Ava spit and into the bowl she gave a dark chuckle. “It didn’t taste as rank as a usual throw up does.” She commented, sitting up and swishing the water once more. “It was more like just the action and not so much the burning or the nasty taste.”
Ava felt a rush again, she tried to hold it in, holding her stomach for a moment. She was just unable to hold it back this time, she turned and let it out. This time was much less pleasant. The bile tasted horrible and far too realistic, it immediately made her go again. She spat before groaning into the bowl. “Oh god.” she groaned between heaves. Bethany frowned, pulling the lever. “You ok?”
“No” Ava yelled harshly into the bowl, her body threatening to heave again. “Was that really necessary!!” She yelled into the nothingness.
Bethany sighed, rubbing her back and offering more water. “It’s ok, just breathe. This will only last an hour. You can do this.” they flushed the toilet which made ava feel a bit better.
Ava breathed taking a tiny sip and spitting it back out. She handed the cup back to bethany. Ava leaned up against the wall. It felt cool against her back. She sighed, her eyes closed subconsciously stroking her stomach.
That was when she froze and she looked up and Saw Bethany beaming. Bethany put her hand on Ava’s stomach. It was the smallest bump hardly noticeable, but it was there. The linked fingers over her nearly flat stomach. Leaning in their foreheads touching. That was when she believed Bethany’s words, she could do this. The tender moment didn’t last long. But it was long enough to get her through the next hour of torment… how the hell did women do this for 3 months?!
As the third hour faded so did the headache and nausea that plagued Ava. So as the fourth hour dawned Ava told Bethany that they could put Q back on the mainline. His voice could be heard once again but it wasn’t as booming now. “We patched the volume” He informed them. Jay also introduced himself to Ava. Ava was well familiar with Jay, so it was nice knowing he was around. “You ready for phase four kiddo?” Q asked knowing it was time to move on. Ava stretched, already seeing the bump pooching out of her small frame. “As I’ll ever be.” She gave a sigh as she came out of the stretch. She noted in her mind that she didn’t have much of a choice. After throwing her guts out endlessly for the last hour. She was getting very hungry. She had studied the process and the phases. Like an expecting mother should. She knew the next few hours would be much easier.
“You hungry?” Bethany asked, hearing her lover’s grumbling stomach. Ava nodded, her hunger grew by the minute. “Lucky you. Q can we show her the new toy?”
Ava’s eyes lit up “Another new toy? Where have I been?”
“Project prep” Bethany and Q reminded her in unison. Which made Ava laugh it seemed her attitude was improving with this new hour. Bethany showed Ava to the kitchen which materialized as they entered. Bethany kept a hand on the small of Avas back, rubbing small circles there to ease any minor discomfort. She was very protective of her little love, any chance she got she had a hand on her, keeping her safe and comfortable.
It was as if their virtual home was materializing as needs arose. As they entered the kitchen Ava couldn’t help but think how beautiful it was. Perfectly state of the art, and everything looked and felt so real. If only her one bedroom apartment was this cool.
"Incredible.” Ava breathed. Feeling the counter tops, while her other hand was firmly on her belly which seemed to slightly inflate. It was growing by the minute. She tried not to be alarmed. But she was starting to look pregnant which made her slightly nervous.
“We could cook.” Bethany showed her how the burners admitted a realistic glow. “Or.” She swung open the fridge. “We could just eat stuff right out of here.” There was plenty of greens and meats, leftovers and anything imaginable. Oh man she was starving and felt like Bethany was just teasing her.
“Or.” She offered to walk back over to Ava, with a little spin her hands landing around ava. Bethany gently ran her hands along the growing bump. It was becoming more apparent by the passing minutes that there was indeed life in there. Well, artificial life, but life all the same. “Since you are probably exhausted and craving something specific.” Bethany led her lover over to a tablet on the counter. She swiped and it opened a menu.
“What are you craving?” She asked
“Ramen.” Ava stated quickly her stomach beginning to rumble again, a headache threatening to return. The tablet keyed to her voice command and showed her many bowls of ramen. Ava wanted to see how far this thing could go. So instead of touching she just told the computer exactly how she wanted it. With an odd twist. Instantly it appeared on the counter. “Mmmmm” ava smiled at the smell alone. “This is incredible.” she put her face down by the bowl unceremoniously sipping a bit of the broth giving a small contented sigh.
“It even tastes like real food.” Bethany informed Ava excitedly, as she watched her sample it like a dog to a bowl. “But we can’t eat like this.” She turned to the window. “Jay, can you put the table here and materialize our chairs?”
Ava quickly clarified “I want my study chair.”
The room began to shift and materialized differently again. The square table top island transformed into a round dining table, with the soup still on it. A slender tall white dining chair materialized by Bethany. A squat wingback armchair appeared, it was wide and worn by design. Ava immediately sank into it. The chair moved on its own to the table, where Ava greedily grabbed her bowl and began to devour it.
She had to keep reminding herself that it was just a game, none of this was real. But the comfort felt real, the warmth of the soup was real, and the bloating in her stomach felt uncomfortably real. She rubbed her side which already seemed to be pulling as the shirt began to outline her body.
This wasn’t the first time she had eaten virtually. But it was weird each time. Not in a bad way. Just a sort of mind fuck. It tasted incredible, and gave her body the nutrients she was in desperate need of. She also made a few odd requests that raised a few eyebrows. She felt like she was having a muck bang. J offered to alter the code so that she wouldn’t be so hungry, but she was enjoying herself. Tasting new foods. Even odd ones. The kitchen was more than willing to produce whatever she wanted.
However one code that he couldn’t alter that plagued her was her ever growing stomach which stretched and pulled at her body. Ava groaned in pain rubbed in stomach as it began to protrude. Bethany went and grabbed some lotion from the bathroom cabinet. Lovingly she lifted her lovers shirt and lathered the soft cream onto her stretching stomach, as red marks started to tear at her sides. Bethany cooed and rubbed the lotion over a few of them running her fingers along the grooves minimizing them like magic.
They spent the rest of fourth phase with Bethany rubbing her ever growing tummy offering comfort and lubrication so it didn’t hurt her too much. Ava moaned and breathed through it. But honestly she felt much better then she had that first rushed trimester. Flawlessly they transitioned from forth to fifth, which the little one was willing to announce before Q got a chance to.
“Oh!” Ava blinked looking up at bethany who smiled, she had sort of felt it too. A change a shift.
“Did you feel that?” Ava asked her eyes wide. Bethany nodded. “You feeling butterflies?” she asked. Ava nodded “Yeah like my stomach flipped was that-”
“You bet!” Q claimed happily. “Kicking, we are in phase five!”
“Woo!” Ava Cheered, hyped up and excited. She gave a stretch “I wanna walk around!” she told them. “And maybe change.” Yep energetic little ava was hyped and feeling powerfully pregnant. She strutted around trying on all kinds of outfits but settled on a cute short flowy dress with sunflowers on it. It was comfortable and she felt cute as hell. Plus it was easy for Bethany to get up under it to kiss her lover’s tummy or rub more of that magic cream which her pressing and growing tummy loved. Every once in a while her joyful rampage was interrupted by aching joints as her body insisted on changing quickly, and as they moved to phase six she really started to slow down. The aches become more constant and hurt more. The child kicked and moved not to often but enough to make it’s presents known. Not to mention her body was still growing. They moved back to the bed, and Ava gave her feet a rest. Ava’s stomach was huge! So much bigger than she anticipated. She asked J to tone it down but he told her.
“It’s calibrating constantly; it’s part of the base program, We need to test the limits of the program. Not much I can do on my end.” he tried to mitigate the pain, but it was complicated. Ava wasn’t very happy with that answer but she accepted it. She felt like she looked full term already. Internally Bethany agreed, she looked huge, but all they said was that they looked beautiful and not nearly as big as she felt. The symptoms were a combination of the accuracy of the pain programing, which were based on tests she had completed prior to this test, and a month’s worth of growth and symptoms being jam packed into the span of an hour.
She felt uncomfortable in this sixth hour Bethany really did her best to make her feel more comfortable rubbing every part of her body, allowing her time to rest. Whispering how sexy she thought ava looked. As they were cuddling and Bethany was rubbing ava’s tummy as she groaned Bethany whispered “I love the idea of you carrying my child. You look so hot. I just want to be inside you again.”
Well that certainly woke Ava up, a wicked little smile pulling at her lips. She couldn’t help but hear Brian’s voice behind Bethany’s shamelessly flirting with her. It was mean… but it was working.
“You don’t mean that for real.” She whispered trying to keep such real world talk from the microphones. Which was impossible.
“Maybe I do. Your body is certainly convincing me right now.”
Ava grabbed Bethany’s neck and laid a wonton kiss on her lips. The viewers and investors were getting more than they bargained for.
Bethany rolled over her lover making out with her sensually. She slipped her hand between Ava’s legs, running her hand over her mound. Ava tilted her head back in pleasure letting out a sweet moan.
Bethany took perfect advantage of her lover’s bare and exposed neck leaving sweet marks along the thin skin. That was just the beginning. Bethany’s hands were not shy in getting under her lovers dress. Touching her now exposed stomach and pressing their lips on her stomach and her sweet pussy. Within minutes Ava was writhing on the bed moaning in pleasure, Her hands gripping the sheet. Wiggling and squirming feeling useless unable to reach anything with a big stomach in the way. However Bethany had her covered. On no time at all Ava’s legs were shaking. She cried out passionately, thankful to her love for touching what she was losing the ability to reach. Begging for more.
Bethany was using everything at her disposal: her lips, her fingers, her tongue. She knew exactly how to push Ava’s buttons to have gushing into her palm and her waiting, wanting mouth. Ava for the first time in hours was lost in the pleasure. She knew she shouldn’t have been but in her mind she wasn’t in the game at all. She was with Brian, his mouth and fingers touching her the same way his avatar did. She was completely lost to her orgasm and her lovers embrace.
With the way she was squirting, if Bethany didn’t know any better, she would have thought she had broken her water. But in the heat of the moment, they didn’t realize they had moved into the third trimester, and Q was not about to interrupt this with a stupid update announcement.
“So… why are you here now?” asked Andrea, tentatively. “I’ve had upset stomachs before.”
“Well, for starters, the Mediterranean is kind of a rich place for my kind. And tonight there’s a high level of morphic resonance. Happens from time to time. Sometimes folks can see behind the veil. And it’s the usual drill - only you can see and hear me, etc.”
She seemed to perk up.
“This is most exciting,” she said. “I don’t usually get to talk to my patients- Ooh, we should get a photo!”
She waved her hand, and suddenly his smartphone was floating in the air in front of them. She threw her arm around his shoulders, festively.
“Frown and say ‘Ooh!’” she grinned. Suddenly, she reached around with both arms and squeezed his torso exactly where his dinner was sitting. The camera clicked in mid-groan. She then looked down to check it. She smiled with satisfaction, and absently massaged her midsection with her hand.
Andrea sat down and rubbed his own belly in the same spot, gloomily. “So how do you get to be the Stomachache Fairy or whatever?”
“I am NOT the Stomachache Fairy, thank you” snapped the spirit. “I don’t leave nickels under pillows. I get little enough respect as it is, so there’s no need to be hurtful.”
Andrea muttered, wincing at the dull, steady pain in his abdomen. He noticed she massaged hers, in the same spot, absently.
“I’ll explain when we go out. Whenever you’re ready,” she said, impatiently.
A few minutes later, after a trip to the restroom, they stepped from his room into the corridor. Immediately he noticed a young woman in the hallway, who had the same severe look as Gastralgia. Her hair was askew and hung slightly in front of her face. Andrea noticed what looked like two tiny horns poking up through her hair. She stared balefully up from below her eyebrows.
“Oh, hey sis. My sister, Cephalagia,” said Gastralgia. “She does headaches.”
Cephalagia curtsied. “Eye strains, stress, migraines, and all manner of cranial neuralgia.”
Gastralgia leaned in to Andrea. “She can be a real pain in the neck,” she whispered.
Cephalagia chuckled menacingly. “There’s a couple here for their honeymoon. Unfortunately, she’s going to have a headache tonight.” She smirked and her horns twitched. She then jerked her head at Andrea. “Another one from the banquet tonight?”
“Yup,” said Gastralgia. “We’re heading out. Have fun.”
“I will,” said the headache spirit, “They won’t.” She melted through the door.
“This is too surreal,” moaned Andrea. “Some kind of dream.”
Suddenly, he winced in discomfort from a sudden shift in his midsection.
“That felt real, right?” she asked.
“Okay, well, either way I’m not sure I’m up to it,” moaned Andrea, with a burp.
“Oh, quit your bellyaching. Let’s go have fun.” Gastralgia led the way, but as they passed by the banquet hall, which still had some activity in it, she suddenly gasped.
“Oh no,” said Gastralgia, under her breath, and held her hand up to hide her face.
Andrea noticed a strange sight just under the arches of the vast room; a figure standing near a small cauldron, on top of a snapping fire. He was stirring it with a large pestle. The substance in the cauldron boiled and churned. Some of it boiled over the lip, and caked around the outside.
“Do you feel nauseous, at all?” whispered Gastralgia, urgently.
Andrea shook his head.
“Thank God,” said Gastralgia. “Keep walking.”
Andrea looked at the guy. He was wearing a hood and toga, but looked terrible. He had a horrible, malevolent grin. He was gaunt, but his belly bulged out from under his toga. His skin was an unhealthy, waxy pallor and his greasy hair hung around his face.
“Don’t look,” whispered Gastralgia urgently. “Don’t get his attention.”
“You know him?” Andrea asked.
“Uh… co-worker. Sometimes. I do NOT want to work with him tonight.”
“Who is he?” said Andrea. The gaunt figure continued stirring.
“Nausea,” said Gastralgia. “You don’t want anything to do with him.”
Suddenly Nausea leaned over the cauldron and began to make horrible wretching noises. Andrea averted his eyes at the last second and tried to ignore the noise, trying not to feel nauseous.
I’ve been feeling nauseous after eating since last Thursday. Also having lots of acid reflux, and it woke me up the other night.
On Saturday, I felt so unwell while waiting for Canada Day fireworks. My husband actually suggested that we go home, cause I felt and looked like hot garbage. By the time we came home (stuck it out because Canada), I had chills and a 100° fever.
I’ve had no fever since then, but last night the intense nausea struck again after dinner, and I had to take gravol and go to bed. The gravol actually didn’t help much, and I was up a few times feeling like I was on the verge of vomiting, but nothing actually came up.
So far today I’ve had a breakfast pita thing, and soup, and I feel reasonable. Going to try bland dinner and see what happens.
I have no idea if this is Crohn’s or some kind of bug?
I never know what’s happening with my body because my symptoms never seem to be the same. First flare was 12+ bloody diarrhea bathroom trips, pain, fatigue, and weight loss. Flare #2 involved joint pain, pain around my terminal ileum, but no blood, and not much diarrhea. Whatever the eff this is has so far included: perianal symptoms, nausea, fatigue, general malaise, and some pain around my terminal ileum (but nothing severe).
The assertion on trial in this paper is the idea that metaphysics and existentialism are as incompatible as they are often considered to be. First, we shall define both metaphysics and existentialism. Purely for convenience, I borrow the two definitions entirely. Most readers will understand these two terms readily, but they set a useful foundation for the discussion. “Metaphysics is a branch of…
Can we ever truly be free? And what does it mean to really be free anyway? To be completely free, we could simply say, is to be able to act however we wish to, without any restraints blocking our ability to act and think in accordance with our volition. Taking this as ultimate, pure freedom, we must ask what exactly stops ultimate freedom from being ours. The first thing which we must accept is…
Context: Cadeverse, the morning after Cade tried to treat a panic attack with copious amounts of alcohol
~~~
Cade blinked open bleary eyes, flinched away from the sun shining in through Donnie’s living room window, and shrank back into the couch, pulling the thin blanket over his head. “Ow.”
“I’d say good morning, but it doesn’t look like one for you,” Donnie said genially from the doorway. “How do you feel?”
A pained, profane grumble came from under the blanket.
“About what I expected. Be right back.”
Donnie rummaged around in his kitchen for a few moments and then returned. “Disentangle yourself, dude, I have breakfast.”
The blanket cringed. “Eurgh. That’s the absolute last thing I want right now.”
“That’s why today’s breakfast is water. You won’t feel any better until you rehydrate. Up and at ‘em, sport.”
Reluctantly, the blanket folded back. Cade sat up and put his head in his hands, pressing his thumbs into his temples. “Ow. Ow ow ow.”
Donnie proffered a filled glass. “Come on, drink up, whiny-ass.”
“No sympathy, huh?” Cade eyed the cloudy liquid doubtfully as he took it. “What’s in this?”
“Electrolytes. And no, no sympathy,” Donnie grinned. “You completely did this to yourself with your so-called science.”
Cade took a sip of the fortified water. “I should’ve remembered…I never got good grades in science.”
“Obviously, since you didn’t learn Rule #1: don’t use yourself as a test subject, dumbass.”
“Nobody else volunteered.” Cade stared at the glass for another moment, then raised bloodshot eyes to meet Donnie’s. “Thank you.”
“For calling you a dumbass? Happy to do that anytime you need it, bud.”
A tired smile crossed Cade’s face. “Pretty much constantly. But I meant for the water.”
After months of remission with just minor problems the past two days reminded me of my life with active Crohn’s disease again. And I definitely don’t miss it. At all. I guess I overdid the whole “Oh I’m in deep remission I can try salad and eat some more cheese again…” thing. Seems like my intestines still struggle with more processed/dairy foods. But I don’t think that I’m flaring. Hopefully. Oh well. Woke up at night. Now nauseous and in pain again. And look like pregnant the third day in a row. Took 7 extra pills. Tomorrow will be a better day. It has to be.
There is no meaning to life. Trying to figure out an answer is beyond us all. People always assume meaning comes through religion, the social structure, the family, the work. That’s all an excuse for people not being able to cope with the fact that we’re here and nobody knows our true purpose. Anybody who tries to apply a direct meaning to life is just grabbing for a security blanket.
Life’s destructive forces are authoritarian powers, ruling forces such as government, police, the educational system, the religious system. People were not meant to have power over them. We’re meant to have a power within, to run things through ourselves through mutual respect and honor. Too many people abide by laws they don’t really believe in, laws they practice through fear instead of sincerity.
I believe in a form of anarchy but it’s a misconceived term. It has nothing to do with chaos and violence. It has to do with people leading themselves in a freer form of existence. In true anarchy, there is no chaos because there is self-respect and respect for the world. My responsibility is to help evolve our society and our world toward a state in which people want to create a free existence for everybody to mutually enjoy. People don’t want to destroy, they want to create.
Amy Keim is a lead singer in Nausea, an anarcho-punk band.
After@fungusfangs made that really cute sequence with Geten and Skep I felt compelled to write a kink fic based on that scene with some burps and wholesomeness attached ;3
Redestro and Curious were working tirelessly to finish up so they could all head back to the villa. After a long hard day some rest was desperately needed~especially for Skeptic and Geten. Lunch that day turned out to be a dreadful affair for the two of them. They both made the mistake of ordering the soup; Geten because he loved the feeling of something warm flowing down his throat and filling his tummy and Skeptic because he just wanted something quick he could drink without it interrupting his work.
Well evidently the soup really didn’t agree with either of them be it the intense spices and peppers used or the meat itself possibly being undercooked. Whatever the case the end result left them both incredibly sick. Skeptic had been violently throwing up for several minutes straight. He only ordered a cup of soup yet everything stirred so miserably that he was still aggressively expelling bile until his entire body felt hollowed. The end result left him shivering and weak but it also gave him an incredibly painful migraine.
Skeptic was on the couch after Redestro insisted he take a break. He’d popped several migraine pills in the vein hopes to dull the throbbing pain pulsating from his temples.
But too bad for him his migraine wasn’t made any better by Geten…
Uh-HuuUUUUUUURRRRPP!!!
A thick and noisy burp rang out from the youngest member of MLA which left him panting. Skeptic clenched his eyes shut and gritted his oversized teeth when the sound made the throbbing worse.
Geten groaned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to the older taller villain. His puffy blue jacket was undone and wrapped around his waist. Geten’s usually flat tummy bulged out noticeably against his navy blue t-shirt stretching it out and pushing down on the jacket tied beneath his waist. One hand rested gently against his belly and rubbed it carefully up and down as a thick acidic gurgle rumbled forth. It was immediately followed by another large burp that blared out from the normally quiet boy.
“…Unngh…ulp…your one saving grace is usually how quiet you are…” Skeptic all but hissed queasily after the sound made his headache worse.
“…S-Sorry…” Geten mumbled quietly seconds before yet another thick burp rang from his mouth and exposed his almost fang-like teeth. “Ahh…it’s helping a lot though…”
“...You’ve literally been burping for ten minutes straight…” Skeptic sneered while pressing his fingers against his temple and kneading into them. “Seriously how the fuck are you this gassy…?? Even that burnt staple-covered scrotum isn’t this bad…and he’s awful!”
“…I ate more soup than youuuuUurhp!!” Geten replied then accidentally burped the word ‘you’ out. He huffed after and patted his belly. Skeptic cringed when he actually heard all that soup slosh rather noisily inside of the boys tummy.
“…I can see…and hear that…” Skeptic said dully. “But who told you to order a goddamn pint of that horrible slop?”
“…I-I was hungry,” Geten said defensively and then he shifted again and murmured under his breath something about how good warm stuff feels in his stomach. “Maybe if you burped more you wouldn’t have thrown up or wouldn’t still be sooOoOOOoorp-ah…q-queasy…”
“Because it’s worked wonders for you right?” Skeptic said dismissively.
“…I haven’t thrown up yet…” Geten replied a little more self-consciously.
Geten cringed when his tummy gave an especially forceful grumble. It made him lurch forward in his seat and hold his hand over his mouth like he was about to be sick. Instead Geten let rip a huge painful burp that dragged on for a few seconds and caused some drool to fly out of Geten’s mouth and pelt his palm.
Skeptic clenched his eyes shut when the sound made his veins feel like they were going to burst in his temple.
“…I swear to fucking fuck...”
“Unnf…I-I can’t help it!” Geten said defensively after grunting in relief. “It’s better than me throwing up isn’t it?” He gripped his turbulent tummy firmly in his hand and let rip a really throaty burp that left him grimacing until he palmed the side of his belly firmly and let rip an even thicker burp right after that.
“...Can…you…at least..trrry…to hold those in...”
Geten frowned and shifted again in his seat like he was a little embarrassed. Usually when his tummy gave his grief and he had to burp most of the other MLA members didn’t keep drawing attention to it. But he usually suffered alone so having to deal with Skeptic who was notoriously verbal about his bitchiness wasn’t something Geten was used to dealing with when he felt nauseous.
A sizable gas bubble worked its way up his throat but because he wanted to at least try and keep Skeptic’s migraine from getting worse he pushed his fist firmly against his mouth and let rip a really raunchy closed mouth burp. The gas rumbled heavily in his mouth for a few seconds and puffed his cheeks out. Geten cringed and burped in his mouth again.
He huffed and blew the gas off to the side. His hand very gently rubbed his churning tummy while it stirred painfully. Its gurgling grew so intense that it eventually worked up a big closed mouth burp that rumbled for nearly five seconds and very dangerously came close to rupturing past Geten’s lips. It took genuine effort to hold a big one like that in and the end result looked painful judging by the strained look of discomfort
Skeptic could see on Geten’s face.
Skeptic could also see Geten looking like he was getting a touch green. Muffling the gas wasn’t bringing the relief that Geten needed and seemed to be making him increasingly more nauseous than when he was letting loose freely and loudly. And for as absolutely asinine and headache inducing as geten’s burps were getting Skeptic didn’t want the boy to start throwing up the way he had been earlier.
So he sighed and shook his head in defeat.
“God dammit…lean back…” he finally ordered.
“Huh?” Geten replied a little groggily.
Rather than repeat himself Skeptic surprised Geten by grabbing the boy and carefully leaning him back against the couch. Despite his quiet reserved nature Geten yelped rather uncharacteristically when Skeptic did something equally uncharacteristic and put his hand on Geten’s belly. It was obviously from from its bloat but there was a soft and subtle sloshiness to it thanks to Geten being so full of soup.
Whatever the case Skeptic began to rub Geten’s churning tummy in circles. The boy swallowed thinly and blushed intensely. He wanted to ask what in the world Skeptic thought he was doing but found himself biting his lower lip in a flustered kind of way. Not only was he a deeply affection-starved young man but Skeptic’s long delicate fingers running over the glutted curve of his belly felt so unbelievably good. Better than any physical sensation he’d ever felt before.
“…O-Oh…w-wow…” he murmured quietly.
Skeptic just shook his head and grumbled. He’d have much rather been stroking Hawks’ tummy but he was just beyond sick of dealing with this so he thought he’d clear Geten up now.
“Your stomach is pent up with gas. I’m stimulating the stomach muscles by rubbing like this. Doing this to ease the tension in your belly so I can force it all up,” Skeptic said in a biting kind of way.
Not that it mattered because the feeling of having his tummy rubbed felt positively divine for Geten.
The boy’s blush intensified when Skeptic’s rubbing caused his shirt to ride up and start to expose his bare pale tummy in the process. It teased just around his belly button while Skeptic continued to knead smaller and smaller circles into the middle of Geten’s tummy.
A thick churning erupted from inside of Geten’s stomach after a while.
“That means it’s working,” Skeptic said with a begrudging sigh. He wasn’t happy about what was about to happen when his long delicate fingers rested on the upper center of Geten’s belly. The villain braced himself right as he pushed down on the troubled organ.
His migraine was not made the least bit better when Geten’s jaws parted way to give the most aggressively loud and harsh sounding burp Skeptic had ever heard…and he’d unfortunately eaten with Shigaraki and Dabi on multiple occasions! That eruption dragged on for what felt like eternity until it left Geten panting. Skeptic’s temples throbbed but he was in it already so he pushed both thumbs into Geten’s belly once again and leaned into it. Geten released another gigantic burp so harsh that not only did some drool fly out from his mouth but it sounded almost painful coming up.
It was like a cork had been popped free with that monstrous eruption Skeptic squeezed out. Suddenly a rush of gas was flying out of Geten’s mouth causing him to let rip one tonsil-ratting burp after another. It was making Skeptic’s headache so very much worse. To the point where he almost felt like his own nausea was creeping back up on him.
But he powered through it and pushed down one final time. Geten’s last burp had to be at least six plus second in length!
When it blared from his mouth the ice quirk boy gave a comically cute little hiccuping burp. He panted breathlessly then slumped back in his seat with his bloated tummy rising and falling with his labored breathing.
“Faaaah…hhhaaah…” he groaned out breathlessly.
Skeptic’s veins were throbbing in agony but he managed. He experimentally pushed down on Geten’s belly a few times but mercifully nothing else came up.
“…Good it’s all up…thank the fucking lord…” he murmured and then slumped back against his side of the couch to massage his temples.
Geten was still heaving to catch his breath but then groggily addressed his fellow villain. “…Haaah…th-thank you…”
“…Thank me by just being quiet already…” Skeptic groaned out as he rubbed his forehead in a stressed out and aching kind of way which pulled his bangs back to actually expose his stressed out looking eyes.
Geten frowned then tugged his shirt back on over his pooching tummy. Yet again he squirmed uncomfortably but not because his stomach was giving him grief. “…Look I know you don’t think very highly of me but I do-”
“Tch. Idiot kid,” Skeptic mumbled to himself dismissively which caught Geten by surprise.
Skeptic was always a jerk to everyone who wasn’t Hawks Curious or Redestro but even for him that was kind of cold. Geten wasn’t a big fan of the villain. The two never got along even if the younger villain at least respected Skeptic’s talents.
But the way Geten looked down made it seem like he was actually kind of hurt by that. He may not be the friendliest member of the MLA himself but he still had feelings and was often a bit self conscious. He even with his turbulent tummy still giving him grief he wanted to just get up from the couch and leave Skeptic alone.
That was until Skeptic continued talking.
“You’re one of the most skilled meta-users I’ve ever seen, compounded by your abilities as a highly effective strategist. You read your enemies even in the heat of battle and exploit their weaknesses to maximize their defeat and minimize chance of them coming back against you. You’re one of the most invaluable guardians that the Grand Commander could have protecting him. How you could possibly think otherwise is just plain idiotic…”
Geten sat there completely stunned. His jaw parted open slightly as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Skeptic…the supreme bitchiest being in all of Japan…filled him with praise so genuine and matter of fact that it legitimately left Geten at a loss for words. It also left his face redder than one would even think capable for the icy boy.
“…Y…Y-You really think that about me…?” Geten asked in a quiet almost genuinely hopeful tone of voice.
“Would I waste my breath if I didn’t?” Skeptic asked in a way that made it sound like his answer should have been obvious.
“…I…d-don’t know what to say…”
“Nothing? Nothing would be a really great start…?” Skeptic replied with his snark as sharp as ever. But not as sharp as the searing headache he was still suffering that led to him hunching over and putting a hand over his own stomach as it burbled sickly.
“…Ngh…If I throw up again I’m gonna lose it…”
Geten frowned. Even if the two didn’t necessarily like each other Skeptic at least helped to make Geten’s tummy feel a lot better. And after the shocking words of praise Skeptic just gave him it was only fair he repay the favor. So with Skeptic still hunch over cradling both the side of his head and his stomach Geten raised his hand and thumped
Skeptic’s back a few times.
Skeptic’s eyes very sharply turned to Geten with startled outrage.
“…What the fuck are youuuUUUUUUUuuurrrAAAAAARRRLHP!!!!!”
But Skeptic’s question was soon answered when his words were cut off by thick rumbling burp that rang out of him for a few seconds straight. He quickly covered his mouth and glared daggers back at Geten.
“Did that help you feel any better?” Geten asked seemingly oblivious to Skeptic’s embarrassment.
He wanted to shout every insult he could at the young ice wielder. But he couldn’t help but sigh softly at the realization that the sour feeling in his stomach had dimmed tremendously. With a huff he begrudgingly nodded.
“…Thanks,” Skeptic finally verbalized some gratitude to the boy whose face almost seemed to light up.
Skeptic had to admit. There was something oddly endearing about seeing the usually quiet and stoic Geten smile like that…
…A smile disrupted by Geten wincing and hitting his chest to work out one last especially thick and noisy burp that left him panting and once again apologizing quietly.
“…E-Excuse me…still a little gassy I think…”
Skeptic could only sigh at that point.
…Next time they were on a job, Skeptic was definitely going to invest in some soundproof headphones…
I got an idea to write out a flashback scene between Dabi and Mr. Compress after @fungusfangs came up with an interesting scene; Dabi cauterizing Mr. Compress’ arm after it got blown up by Chisaki. So I ended up making a fic that was sort of based on the fun drawing she made and sort of ended up being a little more feelsy in the end.
Dabi’s face was hard to read.
…Granted it was always hard to read due to his scarred patchwork flesh but this was different.
“…Unnnf…s-shouldn’t you be with Tomura and the others? Ngh…n-no doubt they're…owww…ngh…n-no doubt they’re strategizing as we speak…” Mr. Compress could barely speak. Even with his sad faced mask on Dabi could hear him clenching his teeth from the mindnumbing pain. He grasped at the now bandaged stump where his arm used to be. His bicep was still pulsating from the ruptured nerve ends now severed. Compress’ breathing was visibly hitched and shaky.
His yellow shirt was only halfway on with his right arm still in his sleeve. His left arm…or what was left of it was left exposed. It rendered him mostly bare chested but he still insisted on keeping something on. The masks on the other hand he slipped back on more out of shame. Something about throwing up at the smell of his own flesh cooking from Dabi’s cauterizing was more than a bit embarrassing for the villain who had already lost more than his fair share that night.
Dabi cracked his jokes throughout. He even lightly ribbed Compress about no one ever being able to anticipate the smell of their own flesh burning. A horrid sickly sweet smell Dabi himself was probably more familiar with than literally anyone alive today.
But even when he joked there was something ‘forced’ about it.
After all Mr. Compress wasn’t a fighter. Sleight of hand and evasion were his tricks of the trade. That was going to be a lot harder with only one hand now…
Dabi exhaled through his small nostrils. He slid down into a hunched position next to Mr. Compress. His sky blue eyes remained laser focused on the stump he just cauterized not too long ago. Dabi’s fingers twitched as they usually did when he was lost in thought.
“…Dabi?” Compress spoke up.
“…Well least you ain’t cryin’,” Dabi finally said in a casual and deceptively snarky way.
“D-Do you have any idea what it’s like to…” Mr. Compress’ complaining trailed off when he glanced at Dabi's…everything. Even Dabi couldn’t help but raise a brow with a sly smirk that seemed to say 'please finish that thought’.
Compress spared himself that indignity.
“…A-At any rate I wasn’t crying, thank you very much. Merely howling in agony. Big difference…”
“Whatever you say ol’ man,” Dabi said then he smirked. “But next time you give me shit for gettin’ nauseous, ya better remember tonight.”
Mr. Compress shuddered and held a fist against his masked mouth.
“…Hrp…p-please don’t remind me…” Mr. Compress insisted after giving a small nauseous burp in his mouth. Just the thought of his arm burning and that damn smell emanating made his stomach turn all over again.
Still even with his continued teasing Dabi’s eyes never averted away from the bandaged stump.
Dabi always used his patchwork face to his advantage. It gave him an impossible to read expression unless he was being especially snarky or downright malicious. Dabi’s neutral expression was deadpanned as it got.
But it was the eyes that tended to give him away. Compress saw something in Dabi’s eyes. It was the same thing he saw in Jin’s eyes after the meeting with that bastard Yakuza boss went so bad.
…It almost looked like...guilt…
“…Y-You know…Dabi…” Compress tried to speak without too much pain being etched onto his voice. “…Those red little bullets of his…they got to me before I could use my quirk on that Chisaki mongrel. He had his gunmen trained on us before the meeting even happened. Lurking and waiting. They would’ve gotten to you long before you could burn him to cinders…”
Dabi said nothing.
“M-My point is…this…what happened to Magne…y-you can’t-”
“-Dude…you don’t seriously think I blame myself for what happened to you and her do ya?” Dabi asked with a soft scoff. “You said it yourself. It all happened so fast right? So my being there wouldn’t have changed anything.”
“…R-Right. Exactly!” Mr. Compress said assuringly. But despite what Dabi just said Compress could still see in his eyes what he was really feeling.
“…Tch. You’re soft ol man. Actin’ like I care about any of you guys. Gimme a break. I told ya didn’t I? Y'all are just a means to an end. Nothin’ more…nah…nothin’ at all…” Dabi said in a way that sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than Compress.
He sat himself down next to the older more theatrical villain.
“…She was…pretty cool though…”
Mr. Compress nodded quietly.
“…There was that one night my gut was such a mess I was pukin’ all night…”
“…That is…unfortunately…far more than one night,” Mr. Compress replied in a delightfully sickened way.
“Ain’t my fault my body hates me. But anyway. She not only stayed with me that whole night, but she even wrapped me up in a blanket'n cuddled close…rubbin’ my back'n strokin’ my head all comforting'n shit…she…she didn’t hafta do that…ain’t like she owed me anything…”
“Toga and Jin didn’t call her 'Big Sister Mag’ for nothing after all,” Mr. Compress said fondly with the pain in his voice somewhat dimmed.
Dabi was quiet again.
“…She wasn’t my friend or nothin’ but…I’m gonna miss her…”
Mr. Compress’ mask covered his facial expressions but he was genuinely taken aback listening to Dabi speak the softest he’d ever heard him speak before. His eyes were drifting down to the ground. Compress was starting to think that if he still had functioning tear ducts…Dabi might have started tearing up if he could…
The two men sat there on the ground together with Compress still squirming from the pain he was enduring. Then he looked back at Dabi and managed as close to a stiff upper lip as he could manage.
“…Y-You really should get back to Tomura. That boy hates repeating himself and no doubt his plans are going to be very layered and detailed,” Mr. Compress insisted.
“Nahhh…” Dabi said in a more casual way. “You ain’t there either so the boss is gonna be repeatin’ himself regardless. Won’t make a difference if he’s just repeatin’ his plans t'you or both of us at the same time…and…if I’ve learned anything from her…it’s never leave a teammate alone and in pain, y'know?”
Despite the sheer amount of pain wracking his body…Mr. Compress smiled softly behind his mask at Dabi.
“…Thank you…”
“Whatever ol’ man. Just don’t expect me to cuddle ya the way she did for me,” Dabi said with a scoff while he got comfortable next to Compress.
The two men once again sat in silence but there was more comfort in their shared silence this time.
I cannot put into enough words how much I loooooooove this wonderful commission I got from @fungusfangs. It is absolutely incredible and just hits every one of my buttons <3
From seeing Hawks and Dabs both stuffed fat and burpy to the way Dabi pulls his pants down just to give that plump tummy some breathing room. And I didn’t even mention how unbelievably hot seeing characters burp-talk profanity was for me but fangs put that in anyway and made me love this piece even more than I already did >/////////<;
Thank you sooooooo so much for this lovely commission~
My entire life has been defined by sicknesses without names. Incredibly serious illness that knocked me out for weeks? Unnamed “Virus.” Nausea that had me carrying around a bucket for a literal year (thank heaven I was homeschooled)? Growing pains. I’ve just grown to accept that no matter how serious whatever I have is, I’ll never have the comfort of an impressive name I can rattle off. It sounds so stupid when I put it like that, so petty, but I’m so used to minimizing and delegitimizing.
