here is another list i've curated for black people who have yet to meet their donation and gfm goals!! if you have the means please consider aiding black people, especially this month! nonblacks are heavily encouraged to reblog and other black people in need please feel free to drop your links (c*shapp, v*nmo, and p*ypals, etc.) !!
help boo get stable housing.
help chizzy, a nigerian trans woman get transition funds.
help baby sammy undergo heart surgery.
help an immune compromised black trans woman stock up on food & supplies during the pandemic.
help a black nonbinary get a new car to work.
help a black trans girl relocate for school.
help a black trans person with immigration and survival funds.
help a young black woman survive.
help fund a small black woman owned business.
help a black queer student stay in school.
alecia's sickle cell survival and wellness fund.
help dior fund college.
help a young black man recover from a house fire.
help a homeless black man fighting brain cancer.
help janeesa move into college.
free extra tuition for black boys.
help jasmine surgically transition.
i'll be adding more links later but again black people feel free to drop your donation posts and links!!
character b is laying down, burning with fever. character c comes and frowns. âTheyâre getting worse,â they murmur, gently placing a cool, wet rag on character bâs forehead. Character b whimpers, not liking the feeling. It burns. They reach up a shaky hand, trying to push the rag off, but character a grabs their hand. âLeave it, kiddo,â they say. âYou need it, itâs helping. Donât touch.â
"I'm not a vampire," he insists, cursing as he flattens himself to the wall to stay in the shadows. "I just pissed off the sun, which I don't recommend."
â · đ€ · â đđđ đ đđđđ đđđđ đ đđđđ đđ đđđ đđđđ ··· a collection of first loves and found family, the quiet courage of being seen, learning to take up space in a world that asked you to make yourself small. genre: romance, hurt and comfort, self discovery, queer joy.
I've been practicing saying it in the mirror for three weeks. It still doesn't sound real.
You're the first person I've told. I need you to understand what that means.
Don't make it a big deal. Also â it's the biggest deal of my life.
I knew when I was seven. I just didn't have the word for it yet.
You looked at her the same way I look at her. I think that's when I knew I wasn't alone.
Say it with me. You don't have to say it to anyone else. Just say it with me first.
My family doesn't know. I need tonight to just be about us knowing.
I came out twice today. Once on accident.
You held my hand in public and I forgot how to breathe for a second.
I spent so long pretending. I don't really know who I am without the pretending yet.
This is the first pride I've been to as myself. Bear with me if I cry a little.
I kept waiting to feel different after I said it. I just felt relieved.
Nobody gets to tell you what your identity means. Not even me.
You're allowed to still be figuring it out. The label can wait. The feeling doesn't have to.
I'm not asking you to announce anything. I'm asking you to stop hiding from me.
You looked so free today. I don't think I've ever seen you look that free.
Love is not a phase. I need you to say that back to me like you mean it.
I've loved you in every version of myself. That has to count for something.
My mother cried. I don't know yet if they were good tears or bad ones.
You didn't flinch. When I told you, you didn't flinch. Do you know what that meant to me?
I used to pray to be different. Now I think I was praying wrong.
Hold my hand. Not for anyone else. Just because I want you to.
I found the community before I found the word. That's how I knew I was home.
You are not too much. You have never been too much.
I spent years shrinking myself into something easier to love. I'm done doing that.
She smiled at me and I forgot every lie I ever told myself.
The world is loud today. Can we just be quiet together for a minute.
I'm not brave. I'm just tired of being afraid.
You loved me before I knew how to love myself. I don't know how to thank you for that.
Stop apologizing for existing so loudly. That's the whole point.
I kept the letter for two years before I sent it. I'm glad I finally sent it.
You're the first person who ever made me feel like this was something to celebrate.
I don't need anyone's permission. I just needed my own.
I'm not confused. I have never been less confused in my life.
You came. After everything, you came. That's all I needed to know.
There are so many of us. I keep forgetting how many of us there are until days like today.
I wrote it down before I could say it. Here. Read it. Take your time.
You make being this feel like the most natural thing in the world.
I hid it for so long it became a habit. Breaking habits is hard. You make it easier.
We don't have to call it anything. We just have to be honest.
I used to think the love I wanted was too much to ask for. Then I met you.
My chosen family showed up today. My blood family didn't. I know which one counts.
You kissed me in front of everyone and I think my whole life changed in that second.
I have never felt more like myself than I do standing here with you.
Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done. Everything else was the hard part.
You told me it gets better and I didn't believe you. I'm starting to believe you.
I don't want to be tolerated. I want to be celebrated. Is that too much to ask.
We made it. Look around. We actually made it here, together, and we're okay.
Relationship Conflicts that donât Center Romance
a healer in a plague-stricken city discovers their apprentice is immune to the symptoms, but also a silent carrier that is actively spreading the disease
two friends running a small criminal operation are offered immunity if one testifies against the other, but both begin separately planning to take the fall to protect the otherâs future
a successful warlord meets their former apprentice, who has become a pacifist negotiator
after growing up in an extremely toxic environment, one sibling wants to leave and the other doesnât understand why
when one of the kids of a supernatural hunter family is turned into a werewolf, their sibling needs to dismantle their belief system to help keep them safe
finding out that they only got their job because a friend pulled some strings without telling them causes someone to reevaluate their skill and success
former roommates at an academy for muscle-for-hire meet again. one has become a bodyguard, the other an assassin, and both now have the same mark
after finding out their best friend betrayed them years ago, they chose to get revenge now, as the pain is fresh
a spirit becomes accidentally attached to a random disaster of a person and helps them tackle everyday life
[Prompt Calender: June 5th, Aromantic Visibility Day]
â · đ€ · â đđđđ đđđđ đđđđ đđ ··· a collection of soup gone cold and blankets shared, the intimacy of being cared for when you are at your worst. genre: romance, hurt and comfort, soft angst, domestic.
You're burning up. Don't argue with me. Get back in bed.
I made soup. It's not great. Eat it anyway.
You should have called me the moment you started feeling like this.
Stop trying to get up. There is nothing on this earth that needs you upright right now.
I found three blankets and a hot water bottle. Pick your combination.
You look terrible. I mean that with so much love.
Let me take your temperature. Stop being difficult about the thermometer.
I cancelled everything. Don't apologize. I wanted to be here.
You fell asleep mid-sentence. I stayed anyway. I hope that's okay.
Drink the tea. Yes, all of it. I'll make more.
I've been checking on you every hour. You keep telling me to go home. I keep not going.
Your voice sounds awful. Rest it. We can talk tomorrow.
I'm not going anywhere. Stop thanking me for staying.
You hate being taken care of. I know. Do it for me anyway.
The fever broke. I don't think you know how relieved I am right now.
Sleep. I'll be right here. I'll wake you up if anything changes.
I brought your favourite thing from the place on the corner. Don't cry. Please don't cry.
You're a terrible patient and somehow I still want to be the one doing this.
I know you think you're being a burden. You are not a burden.
Let me sit with you. I don't need to talk. I just don't want you to be alone.
You tried to make your own tea and you could barely stand up. Sit down. I've got it.
I've seen you strong. This doesn't make you weak. It just makes you human.
You smell like fever and you still somehow look like everything to me.
Lay your head here. Right here. I've got nowhere I need to be.
I brought every movie you've ever mentioned. We have time.
You're mumbling in your sleep. I'm not going to tell you what you said.
I changed the sheets while you were in the shower. Don't make it weird.
You need to eat something real. I know you don't want to. Eat something real.
I've been sitting in this chair for four hours. I'd do it four more.
Stop apologizing for being sick. People get sick. Let me help you.
Your hands are cold. Give them here. I'll warm them up.
I found the medicine in the back of the cabinet. Take it. All of it. Don't negotiate.
You're not inconveniencing me. Taking care of you is exactly where I want to be.
I didn't know you got like this when you were sick. Softer. I like knowing this about you.
You asked for me. Out of everyone, you asked for me. I haven't stopped thinking about that.
The heating pad is on the lowest setting. Tell me if you need it warmer.
I'm not leaving until your temperature is normal. Make your peace with that.
You cried a little when the soup was too hot to eat yet. I pretended not to notice.
I've never seen you let anyone take care of you before. I'm honoured. I mean that.
Your hair is a mess. Can I? Is that okay? Let me just â there.
You keep saying you're fine every time I check and you are so obviously not fine.
This is the third night in a row. I'm not going anywhere. Stop looking at me like that.
You're delirious and still trying to be funny. It's working. Please stop, I'm worried about you.
I learned how to make your mother's recipe. It took three attempts. Don't tell her.
There's nowhere I'd rather be than right here, even like this. Especially like this.
You always take care of everyone else. Just this once, let someone take care of you.
I left the light on in the hall in case you woke up scared. I remember you mentioned that once.
I'm here. I've got you. Just rest. Everything else can wait.
Keep the Group Size Manageable. Smaller groups are easier to develop. Limiting the cast ensures each friend has purpose, personality, and meaningful screen time.
Give Each Friend a Distinct Role. Clear roles (leader, caretaker, skeptic, wildcard) help readers instantly understand the group dynamic and avoid character blur.
Let Roles Shift Over Time. Roles should not be static. Stress, growth, and conflict allow characters to take control, fall apart, or step back when needed.
Avoid the Hive Mind. Friends should disagree. Conflicting values, fears, and goals create tension and make the group feel realistic.
Create Unique Pair Dynamics. Every relationship within the group should feel different. Best friends, rivals, quiet alliances, and emotional distance add depth.
Use Shared History as Subtext. Inside jokes, brief references, and old wounds imply years of connection without slowing the story down.
Show Loyalty Through Action. Friendship is proven through choices and sacrifices, not dialogue. Let characters risk something for one another.
Balance Spotlight Moments. Each friend should influence the plot in some way. Avoid turning side characters into background props.
Use Natural, Intimate Dialogue. Friends interrupt, tease, speak in shorthand, and say the wrong thing. Their dialogue should feel loose and lived-in.
Put the Group Under Pressure. Stress reveals cracks, loyalty, and priorities. Conflict tests whether the friendship can survive change.
Allow the Group to Evolve or Break. Friendships grow, fracture, or end. Knowing what holds the group togetherâand what could destroy itâadds emotional weight.
Give Each Member Personal Goals. Friends should want different things. Individual motivations prevent characters from existing only to support the protagonist.
âThey felt sick.â â Vague.
âThey threw up.â â Sometimes, but not always.
Illness isnât a switch you flip. Fever and nausea creep, spike, ebb, lie to you, then come back worse. They live in the body first, and thatâs where your writing should live too.
Below, I've written a lil' cheat sheet for you. Reblog so you can come back later.
THE BODY LANGUAGE OF FEVER & NAUSEA
Skin & Temperature
Skin alternates between clammy and burning
Deep internal warmth
Sudden chills while sweating
Clothes feel wrong, either too heavy, too tight, too warm, not warm enough, etc.
Goosebumps even in a warm room
Face flushed, ears hot, neck damp
Head & Senses
Head feels pressurized or stuffed with cotton
Eyes ache when moving
Nose stuffed (on either one side, or both)
Ears ringing or deaf on one side
Lights are too bright/sharp
Sounds blur together
Food smells gross
Room feels tilted or surreal
Focus slips mid-thought
Food/water has an aftertaste
Stomach & Core
Nausea that comes in waves
Swallowing feels deliberate, effortful
Dry swallowing, dry throatâdry everything
Saliva thickens or pools suddenly
Abdomen tightens
Hunger exists but is nauseating at the same time
Body curls inward without thinking
Mouth & Throat
Tongue feels coated
Taste turns metallic, bitter, or flat
Lips dry; licking them doesnât help
Gag reflex hair-trigger sensitive
Breathing through the mouth makes it worse
Movement & Posture
Barely any movement
Sitting becomes slouching, then curling
Standing too fast triggers instant nausea/dizziness
Hands brace on thighs, counters, walls
Feet shuffle; balance checked constantly
Body seeks cold surfaces or firm pressure
Voice & Speech
Voice dulls or drops in volume (due to plugged nose and raspy throat)
Words come slower
Sentences trail off unfinished
Irritation spikes easily (even if people are being nice)
Delayed responses
Apologies come out automatically (âSorry. Sorry.â)
NOT ALL âSICKâ FEELS THE SAME
Fever (infection-based):
Comes with chills + heat
Mental fog, slowed reaction time
Body aches feel deep, joint-based
Thirst increases, appetite drops
Sleep is restless, sweaty, unrefreshing
Colds / Flu:
More head pressure, sinus heaviness
Heavy cough, sore throat
Heavy fatigue
Fever may be mild or absent (especially colds)
Chronic Illness Flares:
Pain is familiar but still intense
Less panic, more resigned
Symptoms stack (fatigue + nausea + pain)
Character may ration movement and speech
Recovery expectations are lower
Menstrual Cramps:
Pain pulses rhythmically
Heat helps
Nausea tied to motion and smell
Sensitive emotions (more prone to snapping, saying things they regret)
Body feels heavy
Stress-Induced Nausea:
No fever, no chills
Jaw tension, shallow breathing
Nausea spikes during stillness
Relief when distracted or moving
These differences matter. They change how a character reacts, not just how they feel.
So yeah, hope that helps. You don't need vomiting on the page every time. Sometimes being sick is feeling off-key, or sometimes it's quiet recovery. It varies. The symptoms are one part of your story, the rest is up to characterization and plot. Why is illness relevant to your story? Why is this character sick, and how is it different from another character? You can have a lot of fun with this.
Written by a human with a headache and too much experience lying very still, hoping it passes. If you liked this post, buy me a coffee... or cough medicine. đ
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