The Fumery(Secret Santa for Mr Black Cherry Berry Tea)

[Sneezingnonstop]

(Here's your Secret Santa @Mr.BlackCherryBerryTea . Just wanted to say hope you weren't too anxious waiting for this and I hope that now that I have posted it, you enjoy it! I know I enjoyed writing it! Sorry it took until the last minute to write lol.)

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Penelope shifted in her seat, sipping on a milkshake and she and her college friends ordered while they were on a casual hang-out at the City Mall. Her friend Meghan had decided the two nicest guys that the two of them knew, Tristan and Christopher. Christopher was well built with brown hair that went just over his ears. He wore a pair of jeans that went with a checkered T-shirt. Tristan was slim, more skinny than he was muscular and had black hair, which was cut short. Tristan wore a sweater, something a tad more sensible as they approached the winter months. Meghan wore a pair of blue skinny jeans and a purple jacket on top of her T-shirt. Penelope herself wore a pink tanktop and a nice knee-length skirt.

“So where do you guys wanna head to next?” Tristan asked, tapping his fingers against the edge of the table.

“Beats me.” Meghan responded.

“You always say that.”

“Well it does!”

“You must have some idea of what you wanna do. You're the most rambunctious of us.”

Penelope rolled her eyes, listening to the two of her friends bicker, noting that her other friend, Tristan, was sniffling and his nostrils were tinged red.

“You feeling okay Tristan?” Penelope asked, but her question was drowned out by the bickering of Meghan and Chris.

“You're a girl! You must have some sort of idea what kind of place you wanna go shopping?”

“Oh, so now we’re stereotyping? You're a guy, you should be wanting to check out all of the sport stores!”

“Um, Tristan? You feeling alrigh-“

“HEEEEEEEEKKKKKCCCHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

Tristan let out a sudden and enormous sneeze, cupping his nose into the flap of his sweater jacket as his body jumped slightly. The sound echoed through the mall’s food court. Thankfully for Tristan though, most people were talking loud enough that most didn't notice the strong sneeze, only a few heads turned. Enough did though that it made Tristan flush and nervously rub the back of his neck after sniffling.

“My….uh…my allergies have been acting up. Sorry.” He said, nervously looking at his two friends and his boyfriend.

Christopher smiled sympathetically and wrapped his arm around Tristan. “Don’t worry about it, it happens to all of us.”

“Well, I mean, technically it would only happen to me or Penelope….”

Christopher laughed and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, earning a “Awwwe” from Meghan. The four of them were actually on a double date. Meghan had asked Tristan and Christopher to be the middle men as she wanted to get Penelope to like. Or at least that’s what Penelope had managed to get out of Tristan before they had arrived at the mall.

“Anyhow,” Christopher started again, “You sure there aren't any stores you wanna go to? Malls are closing down after all.”

That was true. Malls were closing and thinking about it made Penelope sad. Also disappointed since she had a bunch of coupons she could use but not when some of the corresponding stores were closing.

“Alright, alright, fine. I have an idea. There's a new perfume shop that replaced an old store. Why don't we check that out?”

Penelope shuttered that suggestion. “A perfume shop? Why do we wanna go there?”

“Well, why not?” Tristan said, “This is the first idea thats come up ever since we sat down for lunch.”

“I’m fine with it.” Christopher shrugged nonchalantly.

“Alright then. What do you say Penelope?” Meghan asked.

Penelope barely said anything, deciding of whether or not she would agree to this crazy idea, but she wasn't given much time to decide.

“It’ll be fine, might as well after all. Not like we have any other ideas.” Christopher butted in, earning a slightly frustrated look from Meghan for not waiting for Penelope’s answer.

“Alright.” Penelope said, muffling the dread in her voice. “Let's go.”

Not another word was spoken as all four of them left for the food court and headed towards the perfume shop. When they got there, Penelope was actually surprised on how empty it seemed. The walls had shelves with them that had cases with perfumes and colognes no the display cases had some as well, but the space in the middle of the small store was completely empty. Almost felt like too much room for the stores’ visual dynamic. Though, thats not too much what Penelope was worried about.

Penelope felt her nose was extremely irritated the moment that the four of them stepped into the store. Almost immediately, she rubbed the underside of her nose with her base palm, which had begun to itch. They had barely walked in! Penelope thought to herself, why did her nose insist on being so itchy!

There was only one person in the store at the counter, but the lady didn’t waist any opportunity trying to sell the four of them something.

“Welcome to The Fumery! Can I help any of you find something today?”

“Uh, not really,” Christopher started, acting as the talker of the group, “We’re sorta just browsing. Although…maybe you could show me some of the good colognes that you have?”

The lady nodded and went to rummage behind one of the counters on the men's side, while Tristan came up to to Christopher.

“You know I’m allergic to most perfumes, don't you?”

“Yes, I’m aware, but we’ll have to make sure that we find one that doesn't make you so sneezy.”

Tristan blushed, tapping his fingers at his sides with his arms straight as well. But nevertheless, the two of them starting going through various colognes.

Penelope was having hard time though. She tried to make it seem like she was checking out the perfumes for women, but her nose had become so incredibly itchy!! Her nostrils were tinged pink now as she rubbed the tip of her nose back and forth with the palm of her hand, sniffling as well. Meghan had been browsing herself, but stopped now that she could tell that Penelope was clearly bothered by something.

“Hey, Penelope, you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m EHH-HEEHHH-fu-fine.”

“You sure? That was quite a hitch a moment ago.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve just had a sneeze stuck in my nose?”

Meghan frowned suspiciously, “From lunch that whole time? Or since we walked into the store?”

“GEEHHH-HEHEHH-Really, I’m totally fi-“

“HIIIIITTTTTTCCCCHHEEEEE!!!!!”

Both Penelope and Meghan turned towards the source of the disruptive and sudden sneeze, to see Tristan tucking his nose into elbow. His head came back up to immediately rub his nose. He flushed for a moment as everyone was now staring at him inside of the perfume store.

“I…uh….I’m allergic to that one I think Chris.”

“I agree with you. Next Ms.?”

Tristan and Christopher went back to looking at various perfumes, and Penelope and Meghan regained eye contact with one another.

Meghan half gaped and half whispered, “He’s got such a big sneeze! I swear, he could knock something over with those thunderous sneezes.”

“If his are like thunder then mine are the lightning strike…” Penelope mumbled.

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. Just nothing.” Penelope tried to say again reassuringly, only to rub her nose again, the level of redness increasing as the itchiness hadn't faded in the slightest. If anything, Penelope rubbing her nose seemed to make it more enflamed and the need to sneeze building up.

“So…” Meghan started, leaning against the counter to face Penelope, “You're allergic to perfume aren't you?”

“No, I’m not allergic t-Okay, yeah. I am pretty allergic to perfume.”

“Did you take any allergy medicine today?”

Penelope shook her head as she used her decent nails to scratch the bridge of her nose, which had begun to twitch as much as it itched.

“Silly me.” Meghan said with realization. “Any idea which perfumes you're allergic to?”

“N-NAAHHHH-HAAAHHHHH-hahhhhh….sorry, really thought that sneeze was finally gonna come out. No I don’t really. This whole store is making my nose super itchy.”

“Hmmmm, wanna try some to figure out if you're allergic to any specific ones?” Meghan asked, clearly curious.

“Ummmm, I guess we could. But I mean, my sneezes can be kinda…big.”

Meghan giggled and shrugged, “Who cares? And theres no way they could be bigger than Tristan over ther-

“EEEEAAAAATTTTTTCCCCCCCCHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” Right on cue.

Penelope jumped again as she turned in Tristan’s direction, who had unleashed another loud sneeze, to see Christopher holding him from behind the back to keep him upright as he could.

“Here, lets start here.” Meghan reached over the counter and grabbed a sample perfume, spraying a little onto her forearm. She held her arm out to Penelope, who unintentionally inhaled with surprise.

“HUUUH-HEEEHHHHH-HEEEeeehhhh…” Penelope didn't have many words to respond as the sudden flare of irritation caused her nose to burn and itch. She dragged her palm up her face, rubbing her nose as well as the area right above the bridge of her nose.

Meghan giggled like a child. “That one is not too bad, didn't make you sneeze. Let's try another one!”

Penelope couldn’t make an overall proper response. “HEEHH….HEEHHH…n-no, I’m fine, my nose is alreaaad…..*sniff*….already really on fire…”

Meghan payed her no mind as she sprayed another bit of perfume on the same spot on her arm, holding it out to Penelope. Penelope’s constant hitching caused her to sniff Meghan’s perfume decorated arm once again.

Penelope felt another large flare up in her nose and gasped as she rubbed it furiously, as her nose was red from irritation. 

“Meghan….HEEHHH-HEHHH-T-T-That's quite enough plehhh-plehhh-please……*sniffle*.”

“Come on, one more.” Meghan said, already reaching for a third sample perfume just behind the counter. Across the store, Christopher was paying for a cologne he finally picked out, which Tristan looked at leeringly as he rubbed his own irritated nose.

Penelope was too distracted watching Christopher and Tristan approach them with the newly bought cologne in the bag, when Meghan playfully put her arm underneath Penelope’s enflamed nose once more. Penelope stepped back this time, leaning against the counter like Meghan was.

“Hey, is Penelope alright?” Tristan asked, making his slow walk a brisker pace faster, Chris right behind him.

Meghan looked between Penelope and the two boys. “I-I think so, I was just having some fun with some of the perfumes.”

Penelope rubbed the bridge of her nose with both of her hands, but the burning itch of her nose was increasing to no end as her entire upper body moved up and down with the incoming fit.

“HEHhhhh….I’m gonna……o-oh gosh, I’m gonna…..EEEETTTTTCCCHHHHHHIIIEEEEEE!!!!! HEEEEEEEETTTTCCCHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYY!!!!!!! HUUUHH-

HUUHHH-HUUUUUTTTTTCCCCHHHHHIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”

Penelope’s sneezes rocked her entire body, causing her to hit the counter with her back and her knees to bend as she sneezed into her cupped hands.

“HUUUUUTTTTCCCHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!! HEEEHHH-HEEEHH-HEEEEETTTTTTCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! HIIIAAAATTTTTCCCCCHHHIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!!”

While Penelope continued her rampaging sneezing fit, Meghan’s jaw dropped as Penelope collapsed onto the floor while sneezed, each one sending the upper half of her body pitching forward. Tristan covered his mouth, almost in awe while Christopher gasped.

“We should hold a competition.” Christopher spoke softly into Tristan’s ear.

“Is she alright?” The lady who ran the store asked.

While Penelope continued to sneeze uncontrollably, Meghan helped her to feet, very shakily at that, while Chris did some explaining. “Yeah, she's alright. She's actually more allergic to the scents here than my boyfriend is. Kinda surprising actually. I think this cologne is all we’re gonna buy, so have a nice day Ms.!”

The four of them promptly left the perfume shop, with Penelope holding herself up on Meghan’s shoulder while the walked further away from The Fumery.

Meghan looked at Penelope apologetically. “Sorry for al that, i was trying to have some fun. Can I make it up to you with another date?”

Penelope breathed ragged through her nose, which was red and nearly throbbing with the scents dancing within her nostrils, and nodded yes. “On one….HHEEHHH…HEEEHHHH…condition.”

“Whats that?”

“Lemme switch arms, this one is the one that's making me…me…HEEEEETTTCCCCHHYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!”

Penelope sneezed suddenly, the force of her sneeze blowing Meghan’s hair into her face for a moment. The two stopped for a moment to have Penelope switch which arm she was leaning on, while Meghan agreed to Penelope’s conditions.

Christopher and Tristan walked a few paces behind, Christopher smiling goofily. He leaned towards his boyfriend, “Told you this was gonna go without a hitch.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Haha……HAAAAAASTTTTCCCCCCCHHHOOOOO!!!!”

Tristan's sneeze echoed through the walls of the mall’s white walls, as the four of them headed for the exit

The End.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Sneezingnonstop

[HideAndGoSneeze]

Real good work! Nice story, and I like the buildups

[Mr. Black Cherry Berry Tea]

Hey there!! So sorry it has taken me FOREVER to respond to this. Thank you SO MUCH!! This was wonderful. I LOVED the couples and I LOVED Tristan's sneezes coming out of nowhere and shocking everybody... it was really, really a delight. Thank you again!

[NoV]

Penelope sounds like just my sort of character  I particularly like the term 'rampaging sneezing fit'  Thanks for posting

[M214186]

Very delightful story 

[Sneezingnonstop]

On 8/2/2017 at 5:15 PM, HideAndGoSneeze said:

Real good work! Nice story, and I like the buildups

 

On 8/3/2017 at 2:18 AM, Mr. Black Cherry Berry Tea said:

Hey there!! So sorry it has taken me FOREVER to respond to this. Thank you SO MUCH!! This was wonderful. I LOVED the couples and I LOVED Tristan's sneezes coming out of nowhere and shocking everybody... it was really, really a delight. Thank you again!

 

On 8/5/2017 at 6:28 AM, NoV said:

Penelope sounds like just my sort of character  I particularly like the term 'rampaging sneezing fit'  Thanks for posting

 

On 8/5/2017 at 10:19 AM, M214186 said:

Very delightful story 

Thank you so much everyone for commenting, I'm glad everyone enjoyed it!