SFAlrek

Sometimes, the tickle burns slow, and I can feel the itch going for at least several minutes before it makes me actually sneeze. But again, almost no buildup.

Please, buy me dinner first, goodness.

Just saw the slew of llm-backed chatbots and the various websites that host them. They've got lil generated pictures to match them, and my first thought was "Why do they all look Like That?" That... Lidded-eye and sinewy-neck and dog-tried-to-eat-a-bee look. I'm very curious as to what these things latch onto as "desirable," but that's a new topic for a new day.

It's cooking in my mind, and it will blend my ~*professional*~ writing skills with my other creative attempts.

Hiya Anon,

Apologies! I have been around for quite a while, but my online presence comes and goes. I did have a blog here some time ago (maybe c. 12 years ago, even under the same handle, I think) but it has since been deactivated. I think I pulled it some time in 2019-2021?

Wow, that long??

For a while I used different names, for some reason. I think I just thought I was being cute, who knows. 'Alrek' (from a random name picker) and 'Muscovy' (like the big duck) have stuck the most. Now I just keep 'Alrek' because it's simpler.

But, it could very well be that you're thinking of someone else! A lot of the elements of my little sketches get carried forward by other artists with real skill, so there are many parallel themes going on. Which is the beauty of art communities, I think!

(Also, I will not claim to have "invented" or "started" any of these ideas, which imo is impossible. Just that we collectively influence each other. Despite my reclusivity, I won't deny that I am connected to the other snz-artists!)

I won't post it here because

1. I think it was kinda poorly drawn, and I'm embarrassed.

2. It was very explicitly fetishy, and I'm embarrassed.

3. I can't remember what I called it, and I'm embarrassed.

May 2020!

Anyway, it works instantly. And I think I might be coming down with a lil cold or something (nose and throat are a bit bunged feeling). It makes me sneeze, twice.

Partner calls from the next room over, "hey, that sneeze doesn't sound normal, you feeling sick?"

Here is one from five years ago (June 2021).

Was standing on the platform, trying to understand which lines were going where. Me and maybe hundreds of others. Rather than listen to the garbled announcements, we were reading the Infoboards with track changes and departure times.

A fellow in front of me with short grey hair, a short beard and thick rimmed spectacles starts sniffling a bit. Then he suddenly turns to the side, totally openly sneezing across the tracks.

"--HTSSHH! --PPTSSHHH! --HHPPSSH!"

A rapid triple, each getting a bit harsher and "less formed" relative to the last, if that makes sense. Each one is accompanied by a plume of misty spray, mingled with heavier drops that fly in arcs across the tracks.

He sniffs and wipes his nose with the back of his wrist and continues to look up at the Infoboard. About 15 seconds later, he quickly turns and sneezes once more.

"HHA-TSHHH!"