#chicken pox parties

[ahhvernin]

A little microbiology lesson for folks who caught an active virus of chicken pox. Chicken pox is caused by a virus called: varicella-zoster virus.

THIS VIRUS GOES DORMANT IN YOUR BODY. Like a criminal on the run, it hides out in the neurons near your spinal cord. Until it thinks the coast is clear. THIS VIRUS CAN REACTIVATE AND GIVE YOU SHINGLES.

If you thought the Chicken Pox was uncomfortable and bad, well...its usually worse than Chicken Pox. THIS VIRUS NEVER GOES AWAY IT JUST GOES BACK TO SLEEP So if you went to a chicken pox party, and caught an active form of Chicken Pox and you are now an adult and you are getting these GNARLY ITCHY patchy sometimes bubbly rashes that are scab over...it might be Shingles, and that's from the same virus and its just been squatting around in your spine. If you're mad finding this info out, join the club, I read this in a textbook and asked my mom and she admitted to letting me hang out with someone with chicken pox. And I told her if I get shingles, I'm gonna be double mad, because I DID NOT SLEEP during that rash.

I just noticed that I still have some chicken pox scars even as an adult, so i'm curious. If you have scars from it, are they more on the left side of your body or the right? Mine are all on my right!

I wasn't given it on purpose, but I had a very miserable summer break in elementary school where i just stared out the window and tried not to itch.

[nonbinarynightcrawler]

Every time I hear a story about someone being horrified by "pox parties" I have to remember oh yeah they make a chicken pox vaccination now, don't they? Because when I was a kid that thing was brand new, and some older habits were still in place. Since it was safest to get chicken pox when you were elementary school aged, if one kid had it, pretty soon the whole school would. And most of the time it wasn't an accident - best get it done when it's safe rather than risk stuff like infertility in your 20s and beyond

[babybrotherism]

that personal space post had me thinking that the thought of having to quarantine from each other must've be an actual nightmare for them

[deesblanketfort]

Sick and regressed ☆´ˎ˗ ︶︶︶ 

Well, while I'm writting this I'm bedridden (likely with covid), and for some reason I really want to spend my sick days regressed and take something good out of it at least.

Getting comfy!

🧦: Pajamas time! Is there anything more regressor-coded than cozy printed pajamas, an animal kigurumi or onesie? I'd say no. And since I'm staying on bed, I'm surely wearing those all day long.

🛏️: Bed setup! When you're bedridden, a bed table ends up being really useful in case you want to do stuff that requires a flat surface. If you have one of those, lucky you! I, however had to improvise with a smooth wooden board standing on my lap, therefore any kind of long, resilient and flat surface can do the job just fine.

🧦: Blanket fort! Alternatively, if you're able to roam around your house or have someone to help, you can build a blanket fort over your bed or a comfy surface to stay in!

🛏️: Sick gear! Runny nose? Bring tissues. Got a fever? Make a cold damp towel for your forehead. Tummy aches or localized pain? Make a hot water compress. And make sure to keep track of the meds you're taking, of course.

🧦: Get your plushies! Since what I got is very contagious close contact with anyone is out of the table, but my stuffies are completely immune to sickness and ready to cuddle! (I'll have to wash them afterwards to disinfect them though)

Games and activities!

🎮: Viddy games! Either on computer, phone or a console (handheld preferred), videogames are perfectly stationary and don't require much movement from your part.

🖍️: Table games! Table games are also stationary and can be played right from your bed if you have a bed table, although most games need other people to play with you, your plushies can serve this purpose.

🎮: Play pretend! Playing pretend can be limited when you're bedridden, but there are some scenarios you're perfectly able to do! Such as pretending you're a shop owner and your stuffies are the clients, pretending your stuffies are your doctors/nurses taking care of you, or vice versa. Things like tea parties and pretend schools are still on the table!

🖍️: Arts and crafts! Being sick won't stop me from wanting to draw and color, since I can do it from my bed anyways! Aside from drawing and coloring, I might as well do some collage and paper craft, just might need help to clean up afterwards.

🎮: Cartoon time! No better opportunity to (re)watch your favorite cartoons than when you're sick, bedridden and bored, right? And since this brings me comfort, here are some cartoon episodes that center on being sick: Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound (Bluey), Steve Gets The Sniffles (Blues Clues), Bear Flu (We Bare Bears), Doctor Daisy M.D (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), Arthur's Chicken Pox (Arthur)

Snack time!

🍼: Hot drinks! Specially if you're with a cold or a sore throat in general, hot drinks such as hot cocoa and tea are perfect for warming up an icky throat.

🧁: Spices for a sore throat! Like mint, honey, ginger and lemon. I'm sure there's plentiful of drinks you can make using these!

🍼: Give preference to healthy snacks and meals! Like fruits and veggies, yogurt, noodles, soup or sandwiches. Bonus points if they're arranged in a fun shape (animal, plant, star, etc)!

🧁: Keep your appetite in check! It's pretty common to lose your appetite when sick, therefore I'd say it's ideal to keep your meals smaller (and sometimes eat more often) than usual.

Taking care of yourself!

🧸: Stay hydrated! Water is always good, and if you're sick you likely need it more than usual, drinking from sippy cups, baby bottles, straw cups or any kind of fun themed cup is usually more fun and encouraging than boring adult cups.

🧶: Keep your temperature in check as well! Besides from checking if you have a fever ever so often, it's also good to keep yourself warm with blankets and heating if your body feels cold, or alternatively, turning on fans and using lighter sheets instead of blankets if you're too hot.

🧸: Beware the germs! If you got a contagious disease (like me), make sure to properly wash and disinfect anything you bring to your mouth such as pacis, teethers, bottles and cutlery before and after using them. Plus, it's important to wear a mask or ask others to wear a mask when near you as well.

🧶: Resting is key! Some of these days I'm too tired to do anything above, and I'd rather just nap the whole day, and that's okay! Sometimes being sick means not being able to do anything at all and it's important to have your extended napping time to get better.

[lazyscience]

So for my followers who come with a factory-installed uterus I know you're concerned about your health and autonomy. And you well should be

But here's something all of you should be thinking about and planning for no matter what your plumbing - if Trump goes through with putting RFK Jr. in a position of power as far as the Department of Health and Human Services, he could do a LOT of damage as far as vaccines. Vaccines are not super profitable for pharma companies, despite what cranks think; they take a LOT of development for only a few uses. Vaccines are driven by public health requirements and a lot of places would shrug and say "ok, bet" if there isn't a guaranteed market for them.

The professional medical community will still have recommendations about when and how to vaccinate, but they won't have the force of law, and insurance will probably smell blood in the water and start kicking up a fuss about covering vaccines when they're not required. So then when doctors recommend them there'll be suspicion and pushback that they're just doing it for "kickbacks" even though the only doctor who would have gotten paid for vaccine is ironically Andrew Wakefield, the lying fuckshit, because his whole "vaccines cause autism" lie was to push his OWN, SPECIAL proprietary vaccines that wouldn't cause his made-up syndrome, because NO vaccines were causing it. May he roast somewhere warm when the devil comes for him.

This will not happen immediately, but. Because there will no doubt be anticipatory compliance on the part of drug companies and healthcare systems. I HIGHLY advise you get the fuck out there and get your Tdap updated (tetanus, diptheria and pertussis). Whooping cough is out there, and it is horrible for babies. If you are eligible for shingles vaccine and haven't done it, get that. Get your COVID vax if you haven't, there might not BE another one, at least not that's available in the US.

If you have kids, especially make sure THEY'RE up to date because their classmates might very well not be mandated to get them any more - state regulations will undoubtedly vary, but with the current composition of the Court, it will rule in favor of every possible exemption for antivaxxers as possible because the conservatives are all "fuck the weakest of us, I got mine fuck you." And expect idiocy like "pox parties" to spread (not like the average suburban parent can tell measles from rubella from chicken pox from hand foot and mouth by fuckin' looking at it, who knows what the christ they're going to be passing around). Measles is NOT just a "bit of a rash." Rubella is the world's leading preventable cause of birth defects. Chickenpox can result in scarring, encephalitis causing blindness or even death, and the risk of shingles later in life. I have a cousin who would be 57 this year who died as a toddler from hemophilus influenzae strain B meningitis, one of those "too many" childhood vaccines that were invented in the 1990s. Tell my aunt that's too many vaccines -oh, wait, you can't, she fucking killed herself out of grief her baby died.

tweens? get them the HPV vaccine if they haven't gotten it (given its associations with sex it'll probably be one of the first to go, but it prevents CANCER. who wants their child to get cervical cancer, or penile cancer, or throat cancer, or rectal cancer? IT PREVENTS CANCER. JUST DO IT.)

Similarly, if you have a child with any kind of immune issue that precludes vaccination, I would very much look into homeschooling, because bye-bye herd immunity.

If you have teenage kids, encourage them to update their Tdap and get the meningiococcal meningitis vaccine if they haven't been mandated to already by campus policy. Tetanus and meningitis aren't common, but they are frequently permanently life-altering when they're not fatal. We're talking months in the hospital. I'm old enough that I remember people fucking dying in college, and the panic that went around campus every time one of those breakouts happened in the state wondering if it would make its way to our campus.

Stay safe out there. I have no idea what this will do to our already teetering healthcare system but I don't think it'll be pretty. Everybody pray Trump pulls his usual scam and hangs RFK Jr. out to dry, because while the plutocrats consider regulations an unnecessary burden, they don't have a stake in creating a public health state of emergency when we already have a workforce not keeping up with demand, unlike Captain Convenient Brain Worm.

[askuemki]

Stickers

Valeria x Fem!reader

646 words Fluff..? Warnings: Implied sex, an attempt at formal formatting.

Needy bitch gets owned w/ stickers (idk how else to summarize it)

"Ugh! You're so... So picky!" you yapped, prodding your hands into your elbows, crossing your arms. Valeria wheezed a laugh, her fingers creeping and nipping at your cheek. "I'd argue the opposite, sweetheart."

For days now, your relationship tensed like a rubber band. You were lucky enough it hadn't snapped thin. Maybe, it was more like those 2000's silly bandz; the tension was fun. You were always bugging her, egging her on to hoard her attention. "Nuh-uh, you're always like: 'You're too weak; bleh-bleh-blehh...'" "I do NOT say that amor," Valeria jested, flicking at your forehead. You yipped, thwacking her side. A charming cackle cawed into your hair, bent over at your "sucker punches." She flumped, a deflated, jolly balloon. Her hand prowled to your locks, twirling within one another. "Such a silly girl." A soft snicker, and an even softer gaze-- a black hole. In her eyes, you were her sun. Her tiny dandelion in a field of weeds. Her firefly in the dark. Her ladybug in the woods. Those thoughts were something she cherished so terribly. "Please...?" "Please.. what?" Valeria's brow flexed. She was too focused on the flowers to even glance at the stem. A groan grumbled from your throat; her sun laid to rest, and the moon took her place. "Please what?? . . .Y'know, I can't work with this chula." Her gaze drooped as she echoed herself, looking down at her grumpy lover. A thumb teased at her lips, snaking to her neck. It swept back and forward, a hypnotizing pendant for both parties. A stuttering sigh broke the silence. "You never listen to me." "I do!" Your head shook. "You don't!! Ugh I was literally just asking you something, but you looked like a stoner." "The fuck about me looked like a stoner?" "You looked high. Duh." "I'm sorry that I'm in love with you." Valeria rolled her eyes, tossing herself away. "...Say that again." Valeria didn't know what the hell you were talking about, engulfing herself in the covers. Her sun glared down harder. It was hot. Torrid. She felt your stare burn through the covers. Then a chill seeped under the comforter. Wallowing in her pettiness grew overbearing, finding you basking in your study in solitude. Her eyes darted around, until an idea dinged in her head. She pussyfoots to your bookshelf, snagging a slip of paper. Sneaking over to you, her fingers slipped to your shoulders. An icky spot clustered on your figure It pestered at your skin...It was like chicken pox? How the fuck are you getting chicken pox at your age?? It was a sticker. Your lover had a smirk tugging her face, prancing away. That sly motherfucker... The sticker was cute, at least. A little glimmering star. Over the day, she kept slapping these stickers. A little meteor shower just for you. It was a bit hard to pinpoint why or when she kept doing this. Lounging around? Sticker slap. Making food? Sticker slap. Eating? Slap. Napping? Slap. Hobby...ing? Slap!! Dragging yourself to the bedroom, a slumbersome yawn belted into the air. A giggle rang from the bed, a piece of the night sky was in Valeria's bedroom, right beside her. Another sticker was placed right on your nose, gifted with a kiss. "You've been good today, I see." Valeria murmured, entranced by your widened eyes. "So you don't hate me?" "What?? No, no." She sighed, holding her universe in her hands. "But like.. You said you wanted to break up with me!!" Another sigh from Valeria, maybe you're the one who can't listen. A soft "no," huffed from her lips, squeezing your flabbergasted face as "punishment." "Stickers are there for a reason, stupid." "Yeah, I know that now, stupid. Maybe if you just said-" She ripped off a sticker, your eyes narrowing in retaliation. "Fuck you." "Gladly." And before you knew it, her hands slithered to your thighs.

[miraculouslumination]

Recently at work, I came into the break room to find two employees talking about vaccines and their opinions on them. One of them, who I knew was a Trump supporter, said that she personally doesn't get vaccinated for things like the flu, because she would rather build up her own natural, strong immune system by getting sick.

In the room was also one of our pharmacists, I think the head one, who was in the corner making some tea or coffee. He didn't say anything during this conversation, but I can only imagine how strongly he was holding his tongue.

Later, when I had the chance, I asked, "So, when you hear conversations like the one that happened earlier...how does that make you feel, as a pharmacist?"

And he said, "Well, I firstly have to remind myself that if people don't want to get vaccinated, that is their choice. It's their body, and no one can force them to get a vaccine they don't want.

"So, if they don't want to get vaccinated, and hold things like flu or chicken pox parties, go ahead.

"And if you really want to find out why we have things like the Polio vaccine, then go ahead, try to build your immune system, see how far it takes you. If you really want to learn first hand why we needed these vaccines in the first place, be my guest."

And that has honestly become a big part of my reaction to these types of people now.

If you want to find out why we have these vaccines, restrictions, guidelines, safety policies, and more, then go ahead. Fuck around and find out. Just don't expect us to attend your funeral.

[petersasteria]

Nonsense - E.P.

Pairing: Evan Peters x SabrinaCarpenter!Reader Summary: You mentioned him in your Nonsense outro. Did he listen to it? What was his reaction? How can you confront him when he's standing right in front of you at an after-party? Warning/s: none (i think), super fluff and some flirtatious banter A/N: Y/N is still Y/N in this one. The reader is just Sab in a musical way, but in terms of looks and everything, it's all you, babes <3

Words: 1055

Ever since you started your career, you’ve had the biggest crush on Evan Peters. Your paths have yet crossed, but you hoped that day would come sooner. Recently, your song ‘Nonsense’ has gone viral and for all the right reasons. It was catchy, it was flirty, and it was relatable to anyone who’s feeling this type of way for their crush or partner. Needless to say, it was a hit. When you announced your tour, all your fans were hyped up because they knew you’d be singing that song. What they didn’t know was that you’d come up with outros for specific cities you’ll be going to.

When you arrived at St. Louis, Missouri, you were excited to perform. You’ve been there a few times and your fans from there have always been energetic and lively. When it was time to sing ‘Nonsense’, everyone cheered when they heard the intro. You were singing and dancing around and as you were nearing the end of the song, all your fans pulled out their phones and started filming. You smiled as you sang the outro:

This song catchier than chicken pox is

I bet your house is where my other sock is 

Woke up this morning thought I’d write a pop hit

How quickly can you take your clothes off pop quiz

Everyone cheered before your improv outro. You chuckled a little before singing:

You guys are like family, not strangers

The crowd here in St. Louis are all lovers

My crush is from here, hello Evan Peters

As soon as everyone heard ‘Evan Peters’, your fans lost it. It immediately went viral. All your friends knew about your undying love for Evan Peters and they weren’t shocked when you confessed your love for him via concert. You, however, didn’t think much of it. After all, he’s such a big, big star. He also doesn’t have social media, so you were pretty confident that videos of you singing that verse won’t reach him.

But boy were you wrong. So wrong.

Somehow someone sent Evan the video and he found it entertaining and flattering. He thought it was the end of it, but of course he was asked about it at red carpet events and interviews. Every time he was asked about it, he’d always give a hearty laugh or a bright smile, and he’d say, “I find it flattering that I’m still qualified to be someone’s crush. It’s really cute and endearing.”

“Do you think there’s a chance for you and Y/N to date?” The interviewer would ask. He’d chuckle, shrug it off, and say something generic like, “Maybe.” or “Who knows, y’know? We never know what the future holds.”

Both of you went on with your careers until you finally met the man of your dreams at one event’s after party. You saw each other from afar and waved to each other. You took a deep breath and asked the bartender for another shot before taking it for liquid courage to approach your crush. Luckily for you, Evan was already on his way towards you. You turned around and were surprised to come face to face with him. He gave you a cute dimpled smile and said, “Hey, you’re Y/N Y/L/N, right? I recently learned that the verse you mentioned me in was actually improv. I’m very flattered.”

“Aww! It’s something I like to do in every city I’m in. When I realized I was performing in your hometown, I immediately changed the last line.” You said to him before flashing him a big smile.

“Oh, that’s so cool! Can I hear the original before the change?” He asked nicely.

“Oh, sure! It’s supposed to go: ‘you guys are like family, not strangers, the crowd here in St. Louis are all lovers, I don’t mind what they all say, fuck them haters’.” You sang to him.

“Hey, that’s good too! I’m obviously biased now that I’ve heard the one with my name in it.” Evan cheekily said.

You didn’t know what came over you (probably the alcohol in your system), but you had this sudden burst of flirting energy. You smiled at him flirtatiously and said, “I can always put your name in every outro I do.”

He caught on and raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Yeah, but you have to earn it.”

“How?” Evan asked with a cheeky grin. You were surprised at your back and forth flirting, but you liked it too much to stop.

“Well, we have to date, of course.” You said to him, smiling. He nodded with a bright smile before saying, “I mean I’d ask you out, but I’d have to hear another improv outro to convince me.”

“Is that so? Lucky for you, I’m a genius when it comes to that.” You grinned. You thought for a bit and sang:

This song catchier than chicken pox is

I bet your house is where my other sock is

Woke up this morning thought I’d write a pop hit

How quickly can you take your clothes off pop quiz

We are at the Oscars after party

I can be so flirty and so classy

If you date me I can show you dirty”

He looked impressed and gave you a dimpled grin and an applause. “That was amazing! So, when are you free?”

Your eyes widened. To be honest, you didn’t think he’d actually ask you out. You thought it was just playful flirting. Little did you know you already got his heart and attention. You intrigued him and he wanted more.

“Well, I’m free this week. I’ll go back on tour next week.” You told him as he nodded. He grabbed his phone to check the calendar and asked, “Does Thursday at 8pm sound good?” You frantically nodded and he chuckled at your reaction.

“Alright, Thursday it is, then. Can I ask one favor?”

“Anything for you, handsome.” You winked, making him blush.

“That outro you did… Can you sing it live on tour? I kinda wanna hear you sing about wanting me in front of a crowd.” Evan smirked. This man will be the death of you.

“Like I said, anything for you, handsome.” You grinned, exchanged numbers, and parted ways, not wanting anyone to bring attention to the both of you… not yet, at least.

----

A/N: There'll be part 2 dw ;) hope y'all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it hihi

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

req'd by @honourablefool

this brings to mind old school chicken pox parties and i have to say i am filled with fear

text: So, should we do a chlamydia party instead?

[bibittybopittybadbxtch]

Colors

Pairing: Wonwoo x Reader

Word Count: ~ 1.1K

Warnings: None…I think

A/N: I’m on a SVT kick. So….here’s another Wonwoo fic. Love him so much. The sweetest. I hope y’all enjoy! This was so much fun to write. I also kinda wanna turn this into a series….let me know your thoughts. I love hearing from y’all. The first part is inspired by Colors by Halsey. There’s also a couple of disney quotes sprinkled in.

NOT MY GIF‼️‼️‼️‼️

P.S.

I do NOT consent to have my work posted, translated or published to any third party site or app.

XOXO, Bibi🩷

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Your last relationship had come into your life like a hurricane. He settled over you for a while, but in the end you were just another casualty. You were red and he was blue, a combination that created a beautiful lilac. Until he decided that purple just wasn't for him. He left destruction in his wake. You were left to pick up your own broken pieces, and learned how to live with the scars on your heart. For a while you were just a shell of the person you were before him. But after a year, you were stronger. You held your head higher, shoulders back, all the things your therapist taught you. You were learning how to enjoy your life on your own until you met someone new, Wonwoo.

“One date. If you still hate the idea of dating me after that, I promise I’ll leave you alone.” Wonwoo looked two seconds away from getting on his knees and begging. He had sworn he did not believe in “love at first sight” until he saw you. As cliche as it sounds the sight of you was like looking into the sun. He’d told you so himself. To which you rolled your eyes in a very ladylike fashion and walked away. Back to the moment at hand, he had been asking you out for months. You were friends and he always presented date ideas in a respectful, light hearted manner but you knew he was serious. His eyes never told a lie. Looking up into those big brown orbs it broke your heart to say no to him once again. “Wonwoo, no. I told you. I don’t wanna jeopardize our friendship.” He hadn’t seen you before. He only knew the new and improved you. You feared that opening up to him would agitate old wounds. You had lost enough people over the years and weren’t willing to lose Wonwoo too. “Come on Sunshine, you know that wouldn’t happen. We won’t let it.” Despite what you thought to be your better judgment, you said yes.

First dates were awkward. Common knowledge, basic fact, first dates felt like having chicken pox. Except this was Wonwoo, and of course it wasn’t awkward. He was still your dorky best friend. He knew you, better than you knew yourself. He took you to a drive in movie. You sat in the car and cracked jokes and threw popcorn at each other. The night ended with ice cream and Wonwoo walked you to your door. “So..am I gonna get another date?” He asked hopefully. You saw his ears tinge pink under the porch light. You pretend to think about it. Just to watch him squirm before you smile at him, “Yes, I´d actually really like that”. The smile that stretches across Wonwoo’s face is forever burned in your memory. He sweeps you into a hug, before bidding you goodnight. That night you call your best friend, you recount every moment in detail. She knows before you do that you’re falling in love.

Wonwoo picks you up the following Friday, a beautiful bouquet of daisies in his hand.”You ready Sunshine?” He asks as he takes your hand. “Well, I’d say yes but I don’t know where we are going.” He chuckles and leads you to the car before opening the door, “Do you trust me?”. “With my life,” you reply earnestly as you get in the passenger seat. Trusting him was the easiest thing you had ever done. From the moment you met him Wonwoo had been nothing but reliable. It didn’t matter if it was 2am or snowing, he found a way to be there for you. Never one to disappoint, that was Wonwoo through and through.

When the car finally comes to a stop after an hour's drive to the outskirts of the city, the sight in front of you almost makes you cry. You were at a sky lantern festival. At the beginning of your friendship, you had mentioned how you wanted to go to him. He remembered. “Wonwoo..” you begin, you don't know what you had to say. Wonwoo just looks at you and smiles warmly before getting out of the car. You're unbelievably touched. Wonwoo was by all means not an outdoors person, but the fact he held on to your words and went out of his way, brings tears to your eyes. After retrieving your lanterns the two of you find a space on the large expanse of grass. You both sit down and start decorating your respective lanterns when an idea hits you. You grab your notebook from your bag and rip out a page. Wonwoo looks over at you puzzled, “What are you doing?” “Let’s make a wish. Write your wish on the paper, when the wish comes true we tell each other.” Wonwoo agrees because how could he ever say no to you. You finish your lanterns and release them at the end of the festival, wishes tucked safely in your respective pockets. That night when Wonwoo walks you to your door, he asks you to be his girlfriend.

Two years later Wonwoo takes you back to the same field that held the lantern festival, and proposes. In the ring box, there is a small piece of paper that you recognize from a notebook that has been long forgotten. You recognize Wonwoo’s chicken scratch. “Y/N” with a small heart. “Sunshine, you were always my wish. Will you marry me?” You launch yourself at him sobbing. “So, is that a yes?” he asks cheekily. “In every language. Oui, Si, Ja, Yes.”

On the car ride home, Wonwoo sees you digging around your bag for something. “What are you looking for?” “Hold on. I know it's in here somewhere.” You bring out your wallet before unzipping it. You shuffle around for a second before pulling out a small piece of paper. “What’s that?” Wonwoo asks as he glances over before returning his attention back to the road. “My wish” you state proudly. “Oh yeah? What was your wish?” You flash him your brightest smile before unfolding it and showing him. There is your delicate handwriting. He sees his name “Wonwoo” with a smiley face. Wonwoo swears his heart is gonna explode. “You made me believe in love again. You restored my faith in humanity. You made me whole.” You tell him through your tears. Wonwoo pulls the car over and cradles your face, wiping your tears. “No, Sunshine. You did that all by yourself. I’m just here to appreciate your hard work.” He kisses you.

[cocklessboy]

I never heard the word “transgender” until I was in my last year of university in the mid-00s, and when I thought “could I be a trans man?” the resounding answer was “no of COURSE not, trans people always know they’re trans, everyone knows what gender they are from birth, you would have known since you were a toddler.” Took me till I was 35 to work it out.

In the meantime, I was trying to find a label that fit. I wasn’t feminine, but I wasn’t allowed to be masculine if I wanted to date men (and I tried dating women but it didn’t go well because turns out I’m gay). I knew I was some variety of queer but had no label. I joined the university LGBT club and all the gays and lesbians (who regularly ranted about how bisexuals weren’t real and people who said they were bi should “pick a side”) told me I was obviously a lesbian, I just needed to find the right girl. I couldn’t be straight, after all, because straight girls are feminine. I discovered Eddie Izzard and showed up at the next meeting excitedly declaring myself a transvestite. I’m a straight girl who prefers to look like a man! I figured it out! And they all angrily lectured me for a solid hour about how women weren’t allowed to be transvestites “because it’s not socially unacceptable for women to wear jeans and t-shirts the way it is for men to wear dresses and makeup” and actually I was harming real transvestites by trying to claim that label for myself. I cried myself to sleep that night.

It was another 15 years before I finally figured out I was a man, and even now I struggle with constant imposter syndrome. My entire young life I was punished for being too masculine / not being feminine enough, lectured every time I asked to buy something from the boys’ department about how I would be alone forever and no one would ever love me if I didn’t learn to be more feminine, banned from being friends with boys because they were “clearly having a bad influence” on me, and the internalized guilt whenever I catch myself doing Guy Things is something I’ll probably struggle with for the rest of my life.

I’m overjoyed to hear it’s not like that anymore. The fight is still very much ongoing, but when I was a kid, “transgender” wasn’t a word anyone had ever heard. The closest thing that existed was a string of jokes in the media about female prostitutes turning out to “really be men” who were trying to trick male customers into doing something gay.

So these days there are just... trans kids at school. Existing and living their lives and being themselves - and having to fight for their rights against people who wish them harm! But at least knowing who they are. And that’s fucking miraculous to me. Not everything is getting worse.

Do high school kids these days just have trans classmates now. Like I keep seeing zoomer posts casually referring to it. Fucking wild if true.

[naritaren]

That poll has me thinking. Do you young people realize the chicken pox vaccine is newer? And people in their 30s and beyond likely never got it because it didn't exist at the time? Like I got chicken pox from a birthday party when I was in 1st grade and my grandma made my brother play with me when I had it so he would get it and we'd be through the process in one go. Chicken pox parties were common because it was easier to just have them and get through the process. There was no vaccine. It wasn't an anti-vax thing. It was a "the vaccine wasn't around yet" thing.

[tropes-and-tales]

Possibilities

December 8:  Party/Locket - Everyone can see it but them (Frankie Morales x F!reader)

(From the winter prompts found here)

CW:  Idiots in love

Word Count:  1221

AN:  Requested by @nuvoleincielo​!

AN:  There is a sequel here!

It’s painful to watch, and Santiago Garcia cannot figure out how to fix it.

In the field?  He can triage anything:  heat stroke, hypothermia, broken bone, gunshot wound.  He can save the people he loves, can keep them safe most of the time.

And yet, the two people he loves best in the world…he can’t seem to help them.

Frankie is his brother in combat, but you’re as close to a sister as Santi will ever get.  The daughter of his mother’s own best friend, you and Santi grew up together.  You had chicken pox together; you spent long hours playing video games together.  You never grew apart as you grew up, and Santi’s always held you close to his own heart.

It was like a dream, bringing you into the fold.  His oldest, dearest friend and the men he went to war with.  You fit in so well with them with your soft sarcasm, the way you smile when you tease the guys.

Santi knows you must fall for Frankie immediately.  He guesses so because you never say a word about it to him, and you’re usually so open with your crushes and infatuations.  Yet when he catches you once, early on, dipping your head in blushed embarrassment at something Frankie says, Santi can guess…

He doesn’t push it then.  He can’t:  Frankie is married then with a baby on the way.  And anyway, it’s just a crush.  Harmless.

Then Frankie’s addiction is revealed.  Frankie is left by his wife.  Frankie gets divorced.  

The guys help him get help.  You’re right there too, for the intervention and the support afterwards.  

Once Frankie gets stable, gets some sobriety under his belt, Santi thinks, now the two of them have a shot.  By then he’s noticed that Frankie has a way of looking at you from under the brim of his hat, his eyes following you like a forlorn dog.

Nothing ever happens.

Every get-together.  Every big blow-out party and every mundane night at the bar to watch the game.  Santi always thinks, this is it.

Nothing ever happens.

It hurts.  Santi loves you and Frankie more than anyone.  To see you each going home alone every night, tormented by your unrequited love for each other?  It’s painful.

And yet, when he broaches the subject with Frankie?  Gently suggests that you might like him, might want to be with him?

“Nah, man,” Frankie says once, running his hand through his hair before resettling his ballcap on his head.  “She’s just a sweetheart, you know?  Nice to everyone.  She’s not into me like that.”

And yet, when Santi tries to bring it up with you, mentions that Frankie might be burning a torch for you?

“Oh, I don’t think so, Santi,” you reply.  “I’m not the sort of woman he’d go for.”

You’re not wrong.  You’re the polar opposite of Frankie’s ex-wife.  You aren’t his typical type, but Santi thinks that’s a good thing…and moreover, he thinks Frankie knows it’s a good thing.

And anyway, Frankie’s type has always been the mean, hot sort of girl.  High-maintenance types that allowed him no time to relax or be himself.  

If there’s one thing Santi is certain of, it’s that Frankie is always relaxed around you.  Always himself.  

The only thing is getting the stubborn man to admit it.

-----

Now, this party, and Santi thinks that maybe Frankie isn’t stubborn so much as blind or stupid or both.

And if Frankie is blind and stupid, then you are too.

It’s just a holiday party, low-key with the guys and a few other friends.  Santi orders pizzas, gets a few kegs.  There’s no fuss, no agenda beyond drinks and food and time together.

It’s Will, at least, who notices this time.  He sidles up to Santi early on.

“This is sad,” he says, his voice low.  

“What is?”

Will gestures with his bottle of beer, points in the general direction where you and Frankie are chatting across the room.  It so fucking clear how the two of you feel for each other:  you’re facing each other, talking and laughing earnestly.  Frankie’s hat is pushed back so the brim isn’t hiding his eyes like it usually does.  Your eyes shine like two brand new pennies, never tearing your gaze from him.

“You could set a bomb off,” Will says.  “And those two wouldn’t even notice.  But you know damned well they’re both going home alone.”

“I dunno what to do for them,” Santi admits with a helpless shrug.

Will grunts and takes a sip of his beer.  They watch you and Frankie in silence for a moment, then Will offers, “he bought her something for Christmas, you know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup.”  Another sip of beer.  “Dude agonized over it for months.”

It’s news to Santi.  Frankie never said a word to him.

“What’d he get her?” he asks.

Will snorts, takes another sip.  “A necklace.  A locket.”

“Jewelry.  Huh.”  Santi peers at Frankie closer.  

“Yeah, apparently she mentioned how her mom had a locket she always wore, but her older sister got it when she married or whatever.  So Fish went through this whole thing, trying to get her one just as good.”

Santi smiles at the image, Frankie sweating over your family’s drama between you and your elder sister, the constant back and forth.  

“Maybe when he gives it to her, it’ll convince her how he feels,” he says.

“Nah, see, that’s the thing.”  Will turns to him.  “Fish lost his nerve.  He said he’s gonna return it.  Said he doesn’t want to freak her out with such a personal gift.”

“Goddamnit.”

“Exactly.  Hence…this is sad.”

----

It’s Benny, at least, who notices too.  But Benny has the vague idea of a plan…

“Remember Iraq?” he asks Santi and his brother later on.  “Hamrin Mountains?”

“The simple extract that was not so simple,” Santi replies.  “Sure, I remember.”

Benny nods in yours and Frankie’s direction—the two of you haven’t moved in all this time.  Still wrapped up in whatever conversation you’re sharing.  Wrapped up in each other.

“Why not pull a reverse Hamrin on them?” Benny asks.

“What do you mean?” asks Will.

“I mean, we’re some of the most highly trained soldiers in the world.  We’ve done a shit ton of dicey missions.  We got those soldiers out of Hamrin.  What if we put those two…somewhere.  Just the two of them?”

“Isolation instead of extraction?” Santi asks.

“Are you suggesting we lock them in a closet until they admit their feelings?” Will scoffs.  “Dumb. This isn’t middle school—”

“No kidding, dipshit,” Benny retorts.  “Not a closet.  Think about it.  Tom’s family has that cabin on the lake.  Our own parents need a house sitter over the holidays.  There’s possibilities…”  

Santi turns away from Benny and looks at you and Frankie.  Still laughing.  Still talking.  Still looking at each other like you each hung the moon, yet still not believing that the other person could possibly feel the same.

Possibilities, Benny said.  

They are some of the mostly highly trained at covert ops.  And so is Frankie, but it’s one against three—four, if they can get Tom in on it—and Frankie’s so wrapped up in his own head about you, he’d never even see it coming.

Possibilities.  Santiago Garcia can see them.

[theothersarshi]

Guys. Listen up. We need to talk about safety, germs, and social pressure.

The #1 biggest obstacle in doing the right thing when it comes to illnesses, as far as I've observed (which is not statistically relevant, but whatever) is people being worried to do the right thing because it contravenes a social norm. They know what the correct action is, and then don't do it.

My mother got COVID because somebody showed up to a very small birthday gathering coughing and with a fever, because they didn't want to offend the host by not showing up on their birthday. Birthdays are important, personal discomfort is something you can get over, right?

A man who had a severe alcohol problem and many health issues because of that was asked over and over by his friends to "have a drink" - again, because it was his birthday and the man enjoyed drinking. It was important that the man be happy on his special day!

And maybe someone has chicken pox, but you don't want them to feel like they're socially rejected so you avoid treating them like they're icky so as not to hurt their feelings, so you just... hang out as usual?

It sounds stupid when you look at it from a distance, but in the moment the social hurt you'd be causing would be clear and immediate, whereas the effects of the wrong choice are distant, in the future and uncertain. You'll feel social pressure even if you want to be careful.

So:

Learn to prioritize health. Don't think of it as offending others vs. maintaining your comfort. Think of it in terms of protection. You are protecting your birthday friend from your flu/covid. You are giving making sure someone has an easier time when struggling with alcoholism. You are giving someone the gift of not feeling guilty about making you sick (and also passing this gift on by not getting others sick yourself).

Learn to show friendliness and social affection at a distance, and in alternate ways. "I am so sick, I'm sorry to miss your party, I would love to be there, but know that I love you. I'll make it up to you. Also, don't get my germs, they suck." "I know you're isolating in another room and it feels silly to call you on the phone, but how about we video chat so you don't feel alone with the pox?"

Because people weren't very nice about not spreading their germs, when I was a kid I got saddles with herpes (cold sores). The virus never leaves the body, and I get sores about twice a year, every year. It sucks. I will do my damned best not to pass it on to anyone I love, because I'm protecting them as much as I can from this thing I don't want either. When I wash my hands for the tenth time that day because I can't recall if I touched my lip recently or not, I think of how I'm keeping others safe.

And since sores mean definitely no kissing, either I show affection to my partner in other ways. E.g., I headbutt him against the shoulder like I'm a goat. It's a workaround, but it works and it makes him laugh, so hey.

Just... remember that not passing on illnesses is also a nice thing to do, and that you're smart enough to be kind to others in alternate ways when the normal routes are temporarily out of order.

[maybeimamuppet]

44 for Regina;

12 and 20 for Cady;

24 for Janis;

2,3, 19, 20 and 43 for Veronica for the character thingy

hello friend holy cow this is gonna take me a while tysm!!! <3

REGINA

44 - their happiest memory

she is six years old. it is her birthday. her mom took her shopping the day before and she got the most perfect pink birthday dress. she’s allowed to wear a little makeup since it’s her special day. her parents smile at her at the breakfast table and she gets to eat as many eggo waffles as she wants. her friends all come over in the afternoon and they have a special tea party in the backyard with pink lemonade and finger sandwiches and cookies that are a little gross but make them feel grown up and real china plates and teacups and flowers and everyone’s in their pretty dresses and regina gets a crown.

she opens her presents after they’ve had their meal and gets a pretty dollhouse from her parents. janis gets her the new barbie doll, her first one that isn’t a hand-me-down from her mother. gretchen gives her a paint your own teacup kit. karen gets her a dvd of their favorite barbie princess movie. she’s piled with other gifts from her other friends.

they play on the swings and slides and climb trees. she and janis hold hands on the swings and almost break their elbows. her cake is vanilla and has astronaut barbie printed on it with a pink trim. it is the most delicious thing she’s ever tasted.

janis and gretchen and karen sleep over and they stay up late playing with all regina’s new toys and watching her new movie. they fall asleep on the living room floor and get cake for breakfast the next day.

CADY

12 - crack headcanon

as a child she tried to bring a lion cub as her dinner guest by hiding it in her shirt. it took her parents 20 minutes to notice.

as an adult she uses the same strategy to trick her partner into getting a cat. it works.

20 - scars (related lmao)

one near her right eyebrow because she had a growth spurt, didn’t notice, and ran headfirst into a tree branch

her left ear is slightly deformed at the top bc of a particularly vicious lion cub play session

one right against her lip in the mid-left because she had a stubborn pimple and wouldn’t leave it alone

one on the bottom of her chin because her first time somewhere with them, she fell up the stairs. not down. up.

one on her upper stomach/lower chest where a mama lion got mad and scratched her. her first time needing stitches! but nothing life threatening

some on her back from when she had chicken pox

one on her right arm where she scraped it on some of her parents research equipment

scraped elbows and knees from playing and tripping so much

old shaving nicks on her legs

permanent bite mark just above her right knee because she fell out of a tree, landed biting herself, and the wound got infected

bottom of her left foot, stepped on a thumb tack in her parents’ study room

JANIS

24 - most annoying habit

it’s so hard to pick just one this girl is annoyance personified lmao. and a lot of them are more traits/ symptoms (of adhd mostly) than habits

she steals EVERY writing implement she can get her hands on. her household has no pens or pencils bc she HAS TO SKETCH SMTH IMMEDIATELY and doesn’t put it back. they are actually everywhere. mostly in her pillowcase because she puts them behind her ear and they fall off while she sleeps, in the shower because again, behind the ear and she finds them while she washes her hair, and in her art studio/area place. her partners/damian are fed tf up.

VERONICA hoo boy

2 - a canon or headcanon hill i will die on

she’s tall. that’s genuinely the first one that came into my head. i love a short gremlin type as much as the next person but she’s a minimum of 5’6.

(i haven’t consumed canon or fic in so long i can’t think of anything personality related i’m v sorry)

3 - obscure headcanon

she’s allergic to a lot of really uncommon/“weird” things and everyone is like ??? how can you even be- okay. she has the fun ones like dairy and bee stings and dogs but she’s also allergic to the cold. her own sweat. gelatin. water. coins. babygirl is literally allergic to the sun.

19 - vices/bad habits tw for sh, alcohol, drugs, etc

obvs drinking and smoking. she becomes an alcoholic after canon and dabbles with harder drugs. she goes to rehab when she’s 20 and gets clean. she stays that way the rest of her life, but some days are easier than others. she still smokes though.

also post canon she burns herself with her cigarettes/does other sh. she attempts a few times but is found and given help. the fourth time sticks and she gradually stops.

she calls heathers ghost to bully her whenever she feels bad about herself to make it hurt worse. heather won’t so she moves onto the others. kurt and ram usually go for it. heather yells at them.

she bites her nails. she chews on her hair. she chews pens and pencils. she has cripplingly low self esteem. she’s constantly changing something about her hair.

the list goes on but these are the biggest i can think of

20 - scars tw for sh again

she’s constantly covered in bruises bc she’s clumsy as fuck

it’s not visible but she has one right on top of her head where her hair won’t grow because she concussed herself on a tire swing and split her head open. she had to get staples and it healed oddly

her septum is a little weird if you look close from a botched piercing

she’s missing most of her fingerprint on her left thumb bc of a particularly involved incident involving superglue

one near her left elbow because she was attacked by a dog as a child. also left marks near her eye (on her cheekbone) and bit one of her fingers so it bends just a little

sh scars :(

appendectomy surgery scar on her tummy

one on her hip because she walked directly into a countertop

scraped elbows and knees

and many many stubbed and probably broken toes from walking into things

43 - 3 comfort foods and 3 they despise

loves: (not counting spaghetti with lots of oregano)

slushees. duh.

homegirl loves a soup. her fav is a simple chicken noodle (bonus points if it’s got good veggies in there) but she’ll try anything. cheese and broccoli. tomato. french onion. matzo ball. her cabinet is like a soup museum.

and she loves animal crackers because they remind her of her childhood and simpler times. and she always sings the shirley temple song because she watched all the movies with her parents and secretly loves them.

hates:

grape soda because it doesnt taste like grape. she gives it a pass because it does taste like purple but she still refuses to drink it.

eggs because she can’t get over what they actually are

corn nuts bc they remind her of the bad times and are also just really gross to begin with

[shaftking]

The way some people talk about physical health in relation to mental health pisses me off bc your mental health is intrinsically tied to your physical health. Things like anxiety and depression can be signs of deeper physical health conditions, not taking care of your body can result in depression and anxiety, not taking care of your physical health can be both a sign of mental illness but also exacerbate existing mental illnesses. You can’t just claim to be taking care of your mental health and ignore your body’s needs and the signs it is sending you, and you can’t go through life submitting to every animal whim that makes you feel good in the short term. Or go through life continuously denying them. Sometimes maintaining your mental health and physical health is means momentary discomfort for long term benefits. Sometimes it means confronting your fear of needles to get a vaccine that inoculates you against shit like chicken pox that could stay in your body and later give you shingles. Sometimes it means putting together a lunch even when you’re not hungry, because eating consistently is good for you. Sometimes it means taking a walk or going to the gym when you don’t feel like it to keep up your strength and prevent problems with your joints and muscles in the future. Sometimes it means turning down another slice of cake and ice cream at the birthday party because even though you like it it was already the second sweet treat you had had that day. Sometimes it means integrating stretching into your daily routine, even when you would rather not do anything remotely physical in the hours following your shift. You cannot claim you are taking care of your mental health while actively neglecting your body, because your brain and your body function in tandem.