>>58215619
>Parting your lips, you started at the front.
>Back and forth.
>Back and forth.
>Slow and steady, you went.
>The motion was supremely strange.
>This otherwise simple task was monumentally difficult and tired your arms.
>Smacking your lips, you brought your face closer to the mirror and inspected your pearly whites.
>It paid off, there was notably less gunk and they seemed a little cleaner.
>The next step disquieted you more than the act of grabbing the toothbrush.
>A lot of flavors disgusted you now.
>And this mint.
>This was a strong peppermint.
>Your sinuses cleared the instant the cap came off.
>Not unpleasant.
>But incredibly strong.
>Patting the tube, you gently squeezed a dollop out.
>It landed on the edge of the brush, then gravity pulled it to the counter.
>Sighing, you leaned down.
>After a moment of hesitation, you gave the toothpaste a lick.
>You nearly hurled.
>Coldness spread down your tongue, and the roof of your mouth felt like you’d bitten a snowball.
>Your eyes watered.
>Gripping the edge of the sink, you spit the gunk out.
>A cup of water would take too long.
>You stuck your mouth below the running water, lapping at the cool liquid and letting it rinse away what remained.
>You’d need a weaker mint.
>Or better yet, something else.
>They had berry toothpaste, right?
>Children toothpaste had flavors adult toothpaste didn’t have.
>This would, unfortunately, also mean going into a store where people were.
>And unchecked, rampant emotions filled the ether...
>The mint must do.
>A second attempt also missed the brush.
>You didn’t try a third.
>Gripping the toothbrush, you swiped it over the counter to scoop up the missed paste.
>Hardly sanitary, but this had already taken enough of your time.
>All you had to do was…
>Not think about it.
>You started brushing.
>The incisors at the front were already scrubbed.
>And the mint was kept away from your tongue, which you held back.
>Your longer canines and pre-molars were easier than you thought.