Headcanons: The (first 5) Blush Blush boys having a bad day
(Nimh, Volks, Kelby, Eli, Anon)
Nimh's bad days take a physical toll on him -- nausea, headaches, some disorientation.
His heart feels kind of numb today. And not for any particular reason that he can pinpoint...
Maybe he just woke up wrong? But he can't think clearly through this headache throbbing dully behind the delicate nerves of his eyes.
Nimh starts his day as usual -- perhaps he'll feel better after having breakfast and lots of water. Maybe some tea.
But afterwards, when nothing's changed and it feels as if an anchor sits heavy in his chest, he calls you.
"Hey, sweetheart. I'm sorry -- I just wanted to... talk? I guess? I'm okay, though! I'm just not really - I don't -"
He sighs sadly. He's too tired to make excuses, to get his thoughts together.
But his heart is overflowing with hurt today and he really wants to see you.
"Could you come over today? Please? Today's been a little heavy on me and... and I don't know what to do."
He doesn't have time to finish his request before you promise him that you're on your way.
"Really? Oh, thank you...! But -- please don't worry. Just having you around will help so much, I'm sure."
In the meantime, he curls up on the couch to rest. His eyes close all on their own.
And when he wakes, you're at the door.
"Oh gosh, you're here...! I'm so glad -- oh, but let me make some tea first -"
You shush him, and gently guide him to the couch while promising that you'll handle everything.
Nimh protests, and you're not having it. He's to stay on the couch and relax.
"Haha -- you don't have to do all of this you know... I just wanted your company! I'm not sick, sweetheart, only a little down in the dumps. :)"
You know this, but at the very least, you could make him a hot drink and prepare something light to eat. Nimh would do the same for you.
When all is said and done, you join Nimh on the couch, tugging a throw blanket over yourselves as you wrap around each other. You tell him that you'll be here for as long as he needs.
But the thing is, Nimh is already starting to feel better.
Volks is tired, irritable, and his irritability only embarrasses and annoys him even more. Why's he so moody all of a sudden?
He goes out for a run to clear his head -- then pulls a muscle. He goes home to take a nap -- then wakes up at five p.m. He runs a hot shower -- then spends the next hour in there, with the realisation that:
He just wasted his whole day. What is he doing?
The worst part -- when Volks gets super frustrated, not even angry or furious, but frustrated -- his eyes well up. No one's around to see him right now, but boy, is he humiliated.
God, this is embarrassing. He's acting like a child just because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
He scoffs at himself and decides he doesn't care anymore. He calls you, and his voice is fraught with a dull weariness.
"...Hey. You mind if I come over? Or... if you come over? I had the weirdest day. Or night. Whatever -- I don't really wanna talk about it, I just... can I see you?"
You assure him that he doesn't need an excuse to see you. You're on your way.
And just hearing your voice for that short moment was enough for Volks' fingers to start trembling with sheer relief.
The moment you open the door, he's right there. His arms come around you -- then he slumps into your shoulder, practically deflating as he presses his nose into your shirt.
"This is so stupid." you hear him murmur. "I... need you. I need your help. I don't know what for, but -- stay the night, okay? You don't need to do anything special. I'll make it up to you later."
His red-rimmed eyes barely suppress his self-directed frustration. Volks isn't sad, he just needs you right now. Something to make sense of himself.
He doesn't want to talk at first -- though he's clinging to you for your entire stay.
"No, I'm just tired tonight. How about you... tell me what you've been doing for the past week? That sounds a lot better."
You don't mind. You comb your fingers through his hair while you speak -- a gentle, repetitive motion that soothes and grounds him.
Eventually, he becomes a little more responsive the longer you talk. The air starts to feel lighter.
"Mnh, really?" "That sounds tiring," "Oh... that is kinda weird." "Heh, why'd that happen?" "Ah geez, I see what you mean, haha."
Volks' responses gradually soften into slurred murmurs as the night grows long, and in time, he drifts off to sleep in your arms.
Kelby doesn't actually notice it at first. His brain turns off whenever the stress piles on him -- with Kelby being who he is, with what he does for work and recreation, he can't exactly afford to be stressed.
Fight, flight, freeze -- no, Kelby fawns. Unusual, right? But Kelby's "fawning" doesn't involve him shying away or making himself smaller.
His brain simply turns off. It's helped him suppress emotional reactions in any first-aid scenario or life-or-death situation from his encounters.
But his brain's learned to do it for even the most minor of bad days. And so, Kelby doesn't even realise he's having a bad day. He's just a little tired, that's all.
Until you notice the little things: how he can't remember what he had for breakfast an hour ago, how he keeps spacing out, how he squints at bright lights.
"Hey, you okay? Wha -? Yeah, of course I'm okay! How come you ask? :)"
He's trying to direct the attention to you, and he's not even doing it intentionally. He just doesn't understand why you seem so concerned all of a sudden.
Though Kelby gets the idea soon enough. He really truly doesn't think anything is wrong, but --
"I... I guess I've been a little disoriented? It could just be the headache! I took something for the pain earlier, so I should be fine!"
But he knows it's not that simple. Part of him is a little frustrated for it -- he's normally so good at managing himself.
Still, he feels better with your company, with your reassurance that he's only human and that he shouldn't tackle this all at once.
"Rest? I mean -- I guess so. That's usually the strategy, huh? Man, I'm not used to that, haha!"
It won't solve all his problems and you both know this, but it's a good first step: letting himself spend a little time in his head, preferably when he's well-rested and mentally present.
"Thank you. Really. Gosh, I can't believe I was letting myself go on in this state. I'm gonna go and make some lunch -- don't worry, I'll take a nap soon! Promise! Then... can I call you when I wake up?"
Seriously? Of course he can. Kelby beams at you, gently taking you by the arms and tugging you in for an appreciative peck to your temple.
Then the exhaustion hits him like a freight train; shoulders sagging, a heaviness in his chest, his mind emptying out. It's like the fatigue is really coming to the front now that Kelby is acknowledging it.
But he's okay this time. He knows what he should do now, and he knows he'll be fine in due time.
Eli's first instinct is to call you. Or show up at your door. In any case, the moment he senses those bad vibes, he's on top of things.
"Heyyy! Are you there? Lemme in and lend me your lap -- I'm in DIRE need of a cute face to fiddle with my hair while I vent, 'kay?"
He's as chipper as always, but the exhaustion is evident even in his fluttery hand gestures. Your day is spent listening to his voice, simply lending him an ear.
Eli is great at talking. He paints a vivid image of his gloomy day with expressive language; you get the feeling he was at the library earlier.
Sometimes, he'll break off into a tangent. It's endearing, and clearly he just wants an ear, so you let him.
"-and so that begged the question, is Romeo and Juliet a satire or a tragedy? But pssh, have you read that play? It may as well be both, and more! Why restrict yourselves to 'either/or?' My good friend Mister Wilde once told us, 'To define is to limit,' my little munchkin. Eh -- what was I saying?"
He confronts what he's feeling head-on, being proactive in getting out of this slump. Even though he doesn't know why he's feeling this way - so pent-up and huffy - he also knows that these things just happen sometimes.
What matters to him right now is winding down and recuperating. Giving you a little love in the process was a happy bonus.
"But I am SO tired... You know what we need? A trip to the spa... and a smoothie or three. You're coming with me, obviously, and we'll finish off the day with some at-home karaoke. Ha! All of that rhymed!"
After deflating over your lap and pouring his heart out, this is Eli's way of firing himself up again. And he's so on top of things. Was it necessary for him to come and seek you out in the first place? Or take you with him on his impromptu spa trip? Did he even need you to help him through this?
You're special to Eli. Whether it's quietly supporting him, or matching his infectious enthusiasm, he doesn't mind at all.
"Where do you wanna go next? OH! After we're done here, I was thinking we could do a little thrift-store fashion show on the way back! I saw a cute jacket with rhinestones that looked like it was made for you."
Eli's going out of his way to include you in his fun little activities -- is because he wants this day to be about you too; an unspoken "thank you" for letting him spill his guts out to you, even if you're the one paying for the trip.
He's finding excuses to touch you throughout the trip: clinging to your arm, holding your hand, leaning against your shoulder, fiddling with your hair,
And when you return home with Eli at your side, he insists on some cuddles to wind down for the rest of the evening.
Anon's stress shows: finger-tapping, cheek biting, restlessness, compulsive habits coming in full-force.
He's frustrated. He can't even mutter angrily to himself without losing his train of thought and sputtering dumbly mid-swearing.
But the thing is, this was a mild day. And only because Anon was spending it distracting himself from the weird side effects of his stress; being aware of your teeth in your mouth should not be this uncomfortable.
He texts you, as he always does when he needs someone to hear him complain about his day.
"Heya. You there? Ah, no matter. Your Discord status is snitching on ya. Anyway, there's a game on sale right now that we ought to check out. Clear your schedule."
Each statement is its own message, fired off in rapid succession. Anon's twitchiness shows through the screen, but you think nothing of it this time; maybe he's just eager to play.
Although when you two join a voice call, it becomes evident that Anon is urgent need of relief. Stat.
"D'ya hear that? No? Just me? Eh, alright. Ah for fu-- shite, hang on a mo'... I've just got to close the damned blinds. I've bloody situated myself at an exact angle where the sun's blaring into my eyes."
He keeps getting distracted, and he's very chatty today, like he's trying to keep his mind busy at every second. Even the way he plays feels like he's on autopilot -- you just watched his avatar repeatedly run back and forth from a supplies chest and he still forgot to open it and grab anything.
"Frick! I just -- nope, I've got it. Hah! Bloody cockersnipe thought he could -- hm? Yeah, I'm alright... who's askin'?"
You can hear him tapping his fingers on his desk, and you're pretty sure he's grinding his teeth as he speaks.
It's uncommon to see Anon this... overstimulated, and you've decided that playing extremely-stimulating video games wasn't a smart way to release.
And so you tell him to get off the game and meet up at a café. You two are gonna get something nice to eat, and then -- you're going for a walk around the suburb, old-fashioned style, and staying on the sidewalk of course, because you know Anon would rather see what his feet are stepping on.
"Wait, what? Now what's brought this up, all of a sudden? Ah, blast -- alright, you've convinced me. Just because I can't say no to ye."
He finds you, and you're having a productive chat about each others' day as you stroll around the streets with your snacks and drinks in hand. You let Anon complain and rant about himself, his day, and it doesn't take long to realise why you invited him out today.
But by the time he does, he already feels sigificant relief. Not necessarily relaxation, but -- this was a vast improvement in his mood. Maybe the sunlight and fresh air helped. Maybe it was you.
"Aha. Ye caught me. Damn wizard, you are... But -- thanks... what a way to get sweet on me without bein' sappy. Although I also can't believe that leavin' the house actually worked here."
Anon is tired by the time your little outing is over. Tired, but rewardingly so. When he gets home, he doesn't feel the need to check his phone more than once, just to see if you got home safely. After that -- a nap calls to him, and he's out like a light.