#i also like that they brought covid into it tbh

[very-lost-hobbit]

I have covid :(

[makedamnsvre]

you don't have to read this is for screaming in the void

[trippinsorrows]

10 things + r. reigns

authors note: so, a lot of this stems from convos with the lovely @fearlesschimera where one tree hill was brought up. and i loved me some nathan and haley. plus, i'm loving everything about this otc era and needed to write something about it now vs having to wait with my other stories cause we ain't there yet lmao

might be a part two. idk if this even makes sense tbh

words: 3.1k

warnings: none, really? some language? kayfabe story.

There are exactly two sides to Roman Reigns.

The good side and the bad side. 

And Nova Reigns has experienced them both with an unfortunate increase in the latter versus the former. 

She can pinpoint exactly when it started, too. 

When things started to get difficult again.

2020. COVID. While the world was an absolute mess, chaos and death occurring globally every day, her husband of over ten years wasn’t much better. He’d decided to stay home, not wanting to risk bringing home anything that could put her pregnancy with their first daughter, Arabella, Bella as they affectionately called her, at risk. 

It was also so he could figure out just what the hell he was doing with his career. Roman was frustrated. Tired of going along with what was always told of him instead of doing it his way. And it’s why when he returned back to work that summer, he came back a completely changed man. Bigger, stronger, meaner.

This was a different Roman Reigns. The likes of which the WWE had never seen.

And it’s been a ride ever since.

Up and downs along the way. 

A lot of ups up until WrestleMania 40 where after 1,316 days as the undisputed universal champion and unable to let go of a betrayal from so many years ago, Roman lost. He lost his title and something so much deeper that night.

His sense of self.

Nova did the best she could in the months he’d been off to keep his spirits lifted, to support him, often encouraging Bella to ask her dad to do stuff with her even when Nova technically could. Asked him to care for their two year old daughter, Camillia, Cami, as she worked from home, something she’s done for almost the entirety of her post college career. 

But most importantly, Nova worked to help Roman repair the relationship with their oldest son, Roman Jr., RJ, as they’ve called him since the day he was born.

To say the relationship is awful would be an exaggeration. No, it’s just…..fragile.

A fragility that Nova has tried so hard over the past couple of years to strengthen to no avail. A large part of the issue being the fact that her twenty year old son is just as stubborn as his father. Twins, she often calls them. Similar heights, build, personalities, etc. 

Great when they want to be. A pain in the ass when they don’t need to be.

A painful situation all around though, especially when she thinks back to how this all started, to how someone like Nova ended up with someone like Roman.

And it’s a simple answer, really.

He was an idiot.

Well, when it came to English, that was.

Once upon a time ago, Roman wasn’t the massive WWE superstar that he is now. He was just Roman Reigns. The typical, popular jock of their high school. A football player with the stereotypical ego to match. And she was just Nova, the geeky underclassmen who always had a secret crush on the boy she never thought in a million years would look her way.

And truth be told, if not for the fact his coach threatened to bench him if he didn’t raise his English grade, he probably never would have. Hell, she’s certain the only reason he knew she existed was because she was the best and smartest kid in class, so of course their teacher would recommend her for a tutor. 

The answer was initially no. Not necessarily because she was opposed, but more because her crush on him was too big to not get distracted. Even though his jerkish tendencies should have done just that. 

But Roman has always been charismatic and persistent, and before she knew it, she’d agreed. And that agreement changed everything because it showed her for the first time the nice side of Roman, the side that secretly loved music and was surprisingly good at math. The side that struggled with feeling like he’d never be good enough or live up to his family’s athletic reputation both in football and wrestling.

It made her realize and see that Roman was just as human as everyone else. 

It made her fall in love with him.

And that was rocky, too. Navigating his constant struggle of wanting to admit his feelings for her while also being embarrassed about her and wanting to hide their relationship. It created a fair set of conflict, and Nova shed her fair share of tears.

Especially as she sat on the floor of her bathroom, plush, purple rug cushioning her bottom but not the blow that was the two lines on the pregnancy test in her hands. But, seven months later, with her mom on one side and Roman on the other, she shed a different set of tears. Different kinds of tears.

Happiness.

Happiness at welcoming her first child into the world, Roman Reigns Jr. 

RJ

Being teen parents, especially at the tender ages of 16 and 18 was most definitely nothing like it was depicted on the reality shows. It was rough, especially as Roman started college, opting to stay local to help her raise their child as she finished her senior year. They fought, they argued, they disagreed, but at the end of the day, they still loved.

And it was that love that carried them through the rocky years of Roman trying to figure out just what he wanted to do with his life as Nova worked a job and raised their son while pursuing her degree in software engineering. She also stayed local to benefit from the help of her family while chasing her dream. It was rough, it was hard, but they did it.

Even with having to be on food stamps and financial assistance at times to take care of their child, Nova struggling to enter the male dominated workforce of tech and Roman not always having consistent income, they did it. 

And they were happy.

They still are. Just….not like it used to be. 

Nova still loves her husband with all of her heart and soul. They’ve been through too much together for her to ever really leave him, but she’d be lying if she said it didn’t cross her mind from time to time. Especially over the past four years, watching him almost revert back to that bully from high school as he manipulated and mentally abused his family, his cousins, his lifetime best friends so much so that the Bloodline he worked so hard to create crumbled right before him.

And it’s only deteriorated since he lost the title to Cody Rhodes. Solo had turned on Roman, brutally kicked Jimmy out of the Bloodline and invited in non-family. Week after week, taking shot after shot at her husband, his cousin, his flesh and blood. 

Going so far as to take the sacred ula fala and declare himself the tribal chief. An honor that was bestowed upon Roman by the elders of his family. It finally reached a point where Roman had enough, making his grand return at SummerSlam and preventing his once enforcer from taking the very title Roman still believes is rightfully is. 

He’s made intermittent returns since then, each one proving just why Roman Reigns is being considered one of the greatest of all time, even while still in the middle of his career. His aura is unmatched. The sales don’t lie. The numbers don’t lie. 

The OTC is WWE. 

But, Roman has been a bit on edge since he was unexpectedly jumped by his other cousin, Jacob, Solo’s latest dangerous addition to the Bloodline.

Nova especially knows he was even more pissed because she’d taken the girls to his show that night, at his request.

He hates looking ‘weak’ in front of him, despite the fact that both were too consumed in kids' devices to pay attention. But, she was. And if anything, it was hard for her to see him be attacked like that, all alone. 

No one in his corner.

Jey’s moved to Raw.

Jimmy is still trying to figure out if he even wants to come back.

Solo has lost his damn mind. 

Sami…..no comment.

And Paul is still recovering from his brutal assault by the new Bloodline. 

The island of relevancy has a population of one. And while that one is formidable as all outdoors, he’s still just a man.

Granted, as much as it pains her to see Roman go at this alone, it’s hard for her to feel all the way bad for him. He did this. His actions drove his family away. 

Well, not all of them.

“Game!” Bella’s soft voice pulls Nova from reflecting on memory lane as she redirects her attention to where her son sits on the sofa in Roman’s locker room, Cami on his lap, grabbing his phone.

RJ chuckles, unlocking the iPhone and asking, “what you wanna play?”

Cami gasps and claps her hands. “Cookie!”

“Cookie Kingdom?” RJ asks, clicking around on his phone and handing it to her. “There ya go, lil’ bit.”

Nova’s smile is warm as she reflects on what feels like so long ago. “I remember when you were that little.”

RJ looks up at her, and it never ceases to amaze her how much he looks like his father. Complexion a little deeper, melanin he inherited from her, but outside of that, Roman could never deny paternity. 

He sucks his teeth. “Mama, don’t start that.”

“What?” Nova pouts, leaning back into the sofa, Bella tuned out of the conversation as she watches Bluey on her tablet. It’s always a bit funny to her how uninterested these kids just are when it comes to seeing Roman at work.

At least, not until he’s actually in their line of vision.

“You’ll always be my baby.” Because he will. Twenty and over 6ft tall or not, he’s her baby boy. “And speaking of baby, what’s going on with you and that girl you been dating?”

RJ rolls his eyes and adjusts Cami on his lap. He’s so good with his little sisters. “Nothing.”

Nova smirks knowingly, picking up on the faint hit of redness on his cheeks. “Sure don’t seem like nothing.”

“Mama, she’s just a friend.”

“So ya’ll aren’t sexually active?”

RJ turns up his nose, clearly disgusted. “Ma, how you just gon’ ask me that?”

“Because I’m your mama and not ready to be a grandma, and your daddy would kill you if you were to get a girl pregnant halfway through college.”

It’s not missed upon Nova how the mention of Roman seems to completely dampen his mood. RJ rolls his eyes. “Like he cares at all.”

His comment hurts her. Deeply. “RJ….”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to upset you.”

She ignores that apology, wanting to focus on the initial comment that has her stomach knotting for all the wrong reasons. “Your dad loves you, Junior. You have to know that.”

There’s a slight delay in his answer, and that alone is enough to make Nova know she needs to talk to Roman again tonight about actually talking with his son. A below the surface level conversation. A heart to heart.

“I know that, mama. I do. It’s just….” RJ blows out a breath and shakes his head. “You know how he is.”

She does. Very well. “You can say it. He’s an ass sometimes.” She’s so grateful for the headphones on Bella’s ears and the deep infatuation Cami has with her brother’s phone.

“You said it. Not me.” Mother and son share a laugh, RJ admitting, “I know he means well.”

“He does,” she agrees. “But, that doesn’t mean he can’t do better. I’ll talk to him again.”

RJ immediately looks like he feels bad, which only makes Nova’s chest ache more. “You don’t have to—”

She lifts her finger to silence him. “You’re my son. He’s my husband. I love you both, and it kills me to see ya’ll like this. I’m gonna do what I can.” And that’s a vow. The three of them have been through too much shit over the years for her to just allow the relationship between the two most important men to fall apart. She won’t let that happen. 

She can’t.

And speaking of, the door to Roman’s locker room opens, her husband walking in looking every bit as strong, powerful, and determined as he looked when he interfered yet again with Solo’s match and especially as he closed the door of that cage and challenged Jacob. 

Nova shifts in her seat, the memory bringing up other kinds of feelings which are entirely inappropriate given the presence of her children.

Cami is the first girl to notice him, lifting up her little arms and reaching for him, nearly dropping RJ’s phone in the process if not for his quick reflexes.

He most definitely got that from Roman as well, because Nova has not an athletic bone in her body.

Roman walks over and takes her from RJ, kissing her cheek, gaze almost reluctantly falling on RJ. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

Nova starts to scold Roman for such a cold introduction to their son they haven’t seen since he left for his sophomore year of college over a month ago. “Mom asked me to.”

She’s good at reading between the lines, picking up on the fact that he’s essentially saying he’s only here because of Nova.

Not Roman.

Roman notices this, she’s sure. He’s a perceptive bastard. But, he says nothing. “How’s school?”

“Fine.” 

“RJ.” And her son can be a petty bastard. Like father, like son. She directs her statement to Roman, “I was thinking we could go to his game tomorrow—”

RJ, however, is quick to dismiss this. “You don’t have to.”

Nova’s gaze on Roman allows her to see the hurt that flashes in his eyes at the rejection. But as has been the case lately, he pushes it aside, replacing it with indifference. “You heard what he said. He doesn’t want us there, so we wo—”

“That’s not what I said.” RJ leans back against the chair and shrugs his shoulders, shaking his head, clearly frustrated. “You always do this. Always hear what you want to hear.” He scoffs, head turned, muttering, “I see why everybody left you.”

Nova gasps. “RJ!” She sees it, the hurt that’s just tripled and is about to be expressed in anger, leading to another big blowout between the two of them. Thankfully, this is the moment Bella finally becomes aware of Roman’s presence.

“Daddy!” She pulls off her headphones, climbs off the sofa and runs over to him, hugging his legs. 

Roman doesn’t hesitate to pick her up, both daughters in his arms as Nova leans over, running her hand through her fresh silk press. This. This is what she wanted to avoid. These are the kinds of situations that leave her in tears as she vents to her therapist about her ever growing stress levels, how torn she feels in what to do in moments like this. 

Roman is her husband, but RJ is her son. Neither is fully right, but neither is fully wrong either. How does one handle that?

Thankfully, it’s not long after that Roman is being called to prepare to get back out in the ring. This means a probably needed separation from the two titans in her life. Nova holds Cami this time, while Bella hangs onto RJ as they’re escorted ringside. 

It takes a bit of persuasion to get RJ to agree to come with her. She can see he’s ready to just leave.

But, reminding him of how big a help he is with the girls seems to win him over because while he’s certainly not in the best of places with his dad, RJ is a mama’s boy through and through. He loves him some Nova and would do anything to help her. 

Even if it means helping her with the two siblings that came as a complete shock to him.

It still makes Nova laugh a little as she recalls the horrified and almost disgusted expression on his face as she and Roman broke the pregnancy news to him.

“I didn’t even know ya’ll still did that.” And if his statement wasn’t bad enough, he just had to add insult to injury as the blunt almost 16 year-old he was at the time. “Ain’t ya’ll kinda old to still be freaking?”

No. 

Never that.

“Daddy!” This time it’s Cami who’s calling out to Roman, recognizing his new music before he even emerges from the back looking as badass as he always does. Nova is temporarily in a state of awe, overhearing Bella asking RJ to hold her so she can see better. 

Roman has come so far, done so well for himself, even with things with his family being a hot ass mess, there’s still no denying he is it. That he has it. It’s undeniable. She almost feels bad for Cody.

He’ll always be stuck in Roman’s shadow. 

The thought makes her suddenly curious about what could be one of the reasons behind the strife between her firstborn and husband. Nova tucks this in the back of her mind, planning to discuss it further in therapy.

As Roman moves into the ring, Nova stands on the sidelines, holding her baby girl on her hip, smiling back and forth between the two. She watches Roman move around the ring on their commercial break

And when his gaze falls on the set of them, her heart swells as he mouths ‘I love you’ before seamlessly transitioning back into that hardened, determined expression.

And this is why there’s two sides to Roman Reigns. The good side being the one that she sees in that brief, vulnerable exchange. The one that used to kiss her pregnant stomach as he confided in her his fears about not being a good dad, about feeling not ready, about worrying about failing in life. 

Failing her. 

Failing himself.

Failing their child.

The man who worked so hard and gave everything his all to prove he was someone, becoming that someone, yet somehow losing something in the process.

Nova knows it’s still in there though, knows that he is still the boy he fell in love with many moons ago. She knows that as frustrated as he makes her, as cold he can be, as disconnected he can seem, that love is still there and just as strong. 

And she’ll fight for it. 

For him. 

For their son.

For their family. 

She has to.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Did Rolin Jones really say/hint that TVL would only be one season? If so, then I think either s3 will be a longer season or theyll have to cut/delay some of the story. We all know that S1 & 2 were originally supposed to be one long season (I assume 15 eps) but were split up bc of covid and budget issues. Well if IWTV needed 15 episodes to be told (adding plots for Daniel and Armand), how the hell can TVL be told in only 8 episodes?? TVL is like 200 pages longer than ITWTV and s3 will not only be focused on the book, but will also have to add new plots for Louis, Armand, and Daniel. Even though Louis isn’t the main character of this season, I imagine he’ll still be in most episodes, like Lestat was. Armand too.

I don’t think breaking up TVL would be any more awkward than it was for IWTV. They’ll probably be moving stuff around anyway. I suppose they could push some of story into QOTD s4- but what parts? Lestat is specifically telling his story in the context of the doc - would the writers want to add more flashbacks while he’s away with Akasha?

The point is I’d love nothing more than for them to take their sweet, sweet time telling Lestat’s story. And I hope they get to do so. What do you think? 😁

I think Rolin is throwing round distractions, tbh. I think they don't want to tell yet how they do it, just like they didn't want to tell that they'd been greenlit for months already.

Since Rolin is on record saying that TVL is the reason why he wanted to do the show in the first place I think it is safe to assume he will do so properly.

I mean, look at what he has done with the first book.

He elevated the story, to art. Elevated the characters to a point where they will continue to be able to interesting, even if the focus shifts. Louis is so much more. Armand is so much more (already). Now Lestat will tell his own story and it is already clear how much conception and ideas have been brought in.

Like, whether one loves or hates the outfits, songs or makeup/looks of Lestat in that teaser and song - but there is a clear vision there, and they nailed that vision. A lot of work has gone into all that already.

They will take their time - they already took their time, too. :)

I really don't see a reason to worry tbh.

[inthedarknessofnight]

well, well, well… here we go again… didn’t think I’d manage to get through more than one fic last week because I was busy dying of the plague (aka covid), but I basically did nothing but read fics the whole weekend so here we are

KAYA’S STEDDIE-FIC WEEK PART 3 ✨

1. Skull Rock Era by @chattre-kisses

sue me but I’m actually a sucker for fics that have Eddie and Steve meet before the shitshow that is S4… this fic mingles the Steddie plot with the actual plot of the show so masterfully and so beautifully and I think every time that I get to experience Steve’s reaction to Eddie nearly dying in the Upside Down is a blessing from the ao3 gods… so many beautiful Steddie moments in this one and when I tell you, WHEN I FINALLY REALIZED WHAT THE TITLE OF THE FIC IS REFERRING TO… besties I started bawling

2. The Edification of Steve Harrington by ChronicRabbit

realized while reading this one that I’ve read a bunch of ‘Eddie takes care of Steve’ fics, but virtually no fics where it’s the other way around… after this one, you can rest assured I will be reading every single one out there because WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK 😭 also, anyone else out there weak for protective Steve? like, I want that mf to obliterate anyone who so much as looks at Eddie the wrong way… also Steve forgetting he’s got a date with a girl because he’s too distracted by Eddie might be my new favourite Steddie trope phaha… anyways, loved this

3. To Be Loved For No Reason At All by @beetlesandstarss

another ‘Steve takes care of Eddie’ fic… idk but there’s something so hauntingly sentimental about reading fics that were being written as S4 was still coming out… we were different humans back then fr… anyways, this fic… WOW… the song recs at the beginning of every chapter, *chef’s kiss* (tbh I’m sold anytime I see Sex by The 1975 phaha, easily convinced and all that)… also, I love me a slightly angsty Eddie, can you blame me… also, HE BROUGHT HIM FLOWERS, NO ONE SPEAK TO ME FOR A WEEK AHSGSFXAHSG… the smut in this is so gorgeously intimately written, the characterization is on point… and don’t even get me started on “CAN I KISS YOU?” “WILL YOU STILL WANT ME IN THE MORNING?”… yeah, I need to go touch some grass 🥲

all in all, another great week of Steddie fics, may have cried more during this one than any of the previous ones but like I’m on my period so don’t take me too seriously lol

[thatdeadaquarius]

sleepy-apparition Submitted:

I have to say it, I can not stay silent any longer! Shenhe is one of the best characters for neurodivergent creator.

Just hear me out! Not only is also plagued with feeling like she's stuck between two worlds(being a human that was forced out of society and now has to ingrain herself back into society after living away from it for so long), her way of thinking and speech are perfect for someone who's neurodivergent(she's probably neurodivergent herself). She's VERY direct. You always know what you're gonna get from her. I'd be refreshing, especially after that awkward 'just became friends' stage.

Also Shenhe's like. One of the best bodyguards you could have, in any context. She's SUPER strong and quick, and she, technically, can follow you anywhere. Unlike Ganyu and Cyno(Who have high maintenance jobs) or Xiao(Who has a certain duty stopping him from leaving), there isn't anything keeping her in Liyue. I guess there's the chance of her red ropes breaking...but that's something she's been working hard on since she met the traveler. It's something she can work on with you. Plus, traveling with a partner might be good, for both the you and Shenhe. You get a friend who can protect you, and she also gets afriend, and crowd exposure therapy. Win-win honestly.

I might have put to much effort into this, but I need to talk about Shenhe and your ask box was closed. Your work is amazing by the way! It never fails to make me laugh or smile, so keep it up! You're doing great!

GORGEOUS GORGEOUS WRITING ABOUT GORGEOUS GORGEOUS WOMEN ✨️💙

I love this, tho admittedly im head over heels for any neurodivergent content in sagau/genshin ever <33

THANKS FOR BLESSING MY EYES FIRST WITH THIS, it was an amazing read

You guys are always welcome to send in writing blurbs or any brainrot ur having, I love to hear it!! /gen :)

Btw, if ur wondering where ive been for the past week or so, ive been working on the one shot for Eldritch AU!

☆

⚠️WARNING talk of Covid/Sickness below!⚠️

...that and I got Covid 💀

My roommate brought it back with them when they came home,, last friday? I think

And i ended up getting a nasty fever on and off for 2 days straight

Im almost recovered now! Just a stuffy nose and no taste buds :'(

Which has been the most upsetting part i can BARELY taste anything

My sense of taste yesterday was the most there its been since i got knocked out last week, and even then it was at 1/4 rlly of the way there

Now im back to eating textures 😭

Been like this for 4 days now that im doing better/more cleared up its so unfair D;

Anyway, srry abt the complaining, just wanted to let u guys know whats up!!

Let me know if u got any getting taste back tricks 🥲

THANK U AGAIN FOR THIS.

Im serious this made my day to see <3333 😭

☆

Safe Travels Sleepy,

💀♒️

tbh i thought abt tagging beloveds so they could see this, but i didnt write it so i didnt wanna tag lmao

[lover-of-mine]

Tell me if I'm crazy. But as a Buddie forever girl. I warmed up to Taylor in the sense that after her actions with Bobby ext, there was an actual redemption era. We saw her back story. We saw her doing Covid. We saw her being Bucks friend. We saw her with Bobby. We saw her with the Diaz family. Would I have accepted her end game? Well fuck no. BUddie will be on my gravestone.

So why do BT shippers think I need to accept Tommy. TBH is earlier actions were, in fact, far worse than Taylors. He has been on screen maybe 5 times. I haven't seen him actually do anything to have a redemption arc. It seems Hen and Chim have to do the heavy lifting to make it seem like he wasn't a jerk. I mean I will forever be annoyed he left buck stranded. Tell me you wouldn't be annoyed if your BFF called you admitting someone left you behind any where because they were annoyed at you for any reason. But especially because you were still in the closet.

Like why should I give him more mercy than Taylor just because he has a dick.

*deep breath* oh wow I'm really about to publicly defend Taylor Kelly and the validity of bucktaylor? Dear God, how the times have changed *distressed chuckle*

Okay, the thing with Taylor is that they established a friendship before putting her with Buck romantically. We all knew it was gonna go there, and at the end of season 4, like it or not Taylor had a fighting chance. Because the thing is, they brought Taylor in s2, and she is supposed to be this distorted female Buck 1.0 to push Buck into action. She's unapologetic and she comes out as not caring for anything but herself, BUT her reintroduction to us, includes humanizing her. She has an extreme reaction because Buck was using her and she thought he cared and she has a deeply relatable reaction to the covid thing. This means that along with her still being sharp and unapologetic, we see her have a softer, dare I say even as caring as she can be, side before they get together. So Taylor could be a nice presence in Buck's life, she calls him out on his bullshit, she indulges him in his shenanigans, she freaks out because Buck might be hurt, and we establish that before they are officially romantically involved. So we witness Taylor open up to Buck during 4b, and that means that, if they wanted to, they could've kept that energy going and make her a decent match for Buck. A Taylor who cares about Buck as much as she cares about the truth, is a decent match for him (would that be better than buddie? No, but it wouldn't be a worst case scenario either). They could've been a nice golden retriever/black cat thing, and their friendship could've also been interesting if they had kept that evolving and didn't stumble them into a relationship. So when we contain bucktaylor to s2 and 4 and the 6 episodes Taylor's in, she was presented as someone who didn't care about a lot besides her own gain and evolved into someone who cared about Buck as much as she could. The key difference between bts here is the way they established a bond between Buck and Taylor before getting them together. Season 5 keeps throwing rocks at their relationship because they can't figure out how to love each other but they are trying. Even moments where Taylor comes out as dismissive, like her reaction to Buck being worried the team hates him for Chim leaving actually ends with her validating his feelings in the only way she can with the breakfast. They end up being terrible for each other because Buck cares too much and she can't match that. But it's not for lack of effort. We see the effort. In her own way, Taylor tries. Does she end up being the thing she tried to protect Buck from? Yes. But that conversation with Lucy during mayday shows a real understanding of Buck. She was trying. The fact that the way they love is incompatible doesn't negate that, it just shows that they are bad as a couple. Buck needs something she couldn't deliver. And Buck couldn't accept that. And they shouldn't, there's compromise and there's fundamentally changing who they are as a person, which in the end was what would be necessary for them to work as a couple.

Tommy, on the other hand, since the show wanted Buck being bi to be the 100 episode event, he didn't have time to establish himself in Buck's life before. And then there was no effort after. And we can scream reduced season all we want but if they did it with Taylor in 4 episodes, they could've done it with Tommy in 6. Season 4 was also reduced. And it had Jinx and Treasure Hunt. And let's face if they can write a reporter into the plot, why couldn't they write a firefighter? But ignoring that, we are being explicitly shown a lack of effort. The show decided that gay excuses complacency, which is their prerogative, but when applied to Buck they are making choices, the outfit thing is one thing, not being at the hospital is another. I will give Tommy a "pass" for walking out on Buck, Buck shoved him back in the closet, he had every right to be upset, BUT he also could've communicated that better without deciding Buck is not ready and only telling Buck he's leaving when he's already in the car. And the "I didn't want to pressure you" excuse you was bullshit. But again, lack of effort. Comparing to Taylor again, Taylor heard a firefighter had been injured and she raced to the hospital because she couldn't reach Buck. She's actually a steading person for Buck in that moment, she understands what Eddie being injured means for Buck, she talks to him, she offers to drive him (dear God I'm letting Taylor Kelly set the bar), so the contrast that actually exists here is in the level of effort in understanding Buck and trying to provide him with what he needs. The thing that bothers me most with bt is actually the lack of casual intimacy. I was talking to a friend yesterday about this and it all comes down to the way the show had moments where they could write that in and chose not to. Things like not warning Buck his face is dirty or even helping Buck clean it once the scene had served its purpose, not dressing up, not being at the hospital, not even offering Buck a comforting hand on top of his at the table during that dinner. It makes me not want to be invested in the relationship because it lacks effort. I'm not in the mood to lower my standards for him. Taylor wasn't perfect under any standards and with the way the relationship evolved I wanted her as far away from Buck as possible, but she always came back, that willingness to try and get things to work is a key difference. No matter what they do Buck is the main character, and like you said, it feels like having my best friend call me about someone who's a parade of red flags that he's too blind to see and I just have to smile and nod and secretly hate him because there's nothing to do until he snaps himself out of it. Buck is the one I love in this situation and I was not given enough to allow Tommy some grace. Even more when people keep yelling at me that I need to love him just because he's a man.

I need you to know this was painful to write. I was taking breaks and I took a lap around my house then I went on a walk looking at the sky asking how did I get here. I will never forgive this fandom for forcing me to defend Taylor Kelly. I think Taylor is an interesting character, awful match for Buck in the end, bad human all around, but I can't believe I keep being pushed into a position where I need to defend the validity of her presence because somehow people stopped seeing the actual problems that existed there and decided the only issue was that she's a woman.

[wildpeachfarm]

i think people are very quick to jump to one end of the extreme; either not calling ccs out or not letting them know something they are doing is harmful or brushing it off or going full attack mode and not giving them even a second to think or any space to grow.

caring about someones well being shouldn't be dependent on someones age, maturity, or whatever, you can see someone in distress or go through something stressful and feel compassion. i don't even have to like a person to feel compassion.

i care about other peoples well being and by extend i care about george. of course it's more specific because he's someone i also adore due to his content, but on the base level, it's because he's people and i care about people.

(Context for this was us talking about why people on Twitter get annoyed at people for caring about CCs wellbeing)

Yeah I have been hearing a lot about how Covid brought in the “normal popular kids” into fandom spaces during lockdown and now they are here and making fun of us for caring deeply about things. I’m sure some of those people are the same ones making fun of stans for being concerned about the health and safety of our content creators tbh

[fizzy-blood]

do you have any Nina hcs? I love her :3

AHHH NINA!! so real for liking her (I'm a sucker for the yandere trope and scene queens)

✮ Nina the Killer🔪💜headcanons ✮

[Sfw] these are general and platonic so if u want romantic or sexual (don't know if I have any for her tho) headcanons then feel free to ask!!

General!!

So, it's widely agreed throughout the fandom that she's a scene queen and honestly? You go girly!!

Definitely stands out a bit because of it but I doubt she cares

Apparently she was originally gonna be obsessed with EJ instead of Jeff (real tbh) but in my au she only considered that idea for a short amount of time, didn't really appeal to her enough to cause in obsession

Speaking of her obsession! Her infatuation w Jeff has died down a bit! Don't get me wrong, she still likes him and all but she's much more calm about it (she suspects he might be gay sooo)

On an unrelated note- she's probably one of the only creeps who actually takes any care of herself?

Like, a good chunk of the people in the mansion shower once a month (and sometimes that just means bathing in the nearby lake).

But no. She'll randomly break into people's houses or befriend random people she was going to kill so she can use their shower or bath!

Also, if she's out here befriending her victims then she's probably got much better social skills then most ppl in the mansion.

As a result of this, she's normally the first person people talk to when they join the group.

✧∘˙Room headcanons time!!˙∘✧ (I love wondering what she'd use to decorate so I had to add this).

90% sure that she'll just randomly loot her victims of any change or cash they had on them and put on a mask (like the ones from covid) and just walk into random shops she likes-

Idk why, just seems like smt she'd do?

Anywayssss

She's probably got a large collection of plushies and toys (she's got a hoard of Domo plushies and you can't tell me otherwise, also hello kitty)

Probably owns one or two of those super soft Invader Zim blankets you can get at Spencers

STRING LIGHTS STRING LIGHTS STRING LIGHTS STRING LI-

Back to general headcanons!!

She probably has a couple different weapons (including her og knife) that she'll rotate between. Also one time just brought back a whole ass chainsaw?

Like, came back with a chainsaw that was in a shed she was hiding in and put it in her room?

She's only used it once or twice but still has it just in case someone new enters the mansion and doesn't have a weapon (she just gives people random shit she has so I felt that would be fitting)

Platonic headcanons

As I said earlier, she's probably the first person you would have talked to once you got to the mansion so befriending her would be super easy compared to the others!

Would probably try to host a girls night with you and the others (if ur not a girl ur still getting invited. Dw, u probably wouldn't be the only guy)

Sleepovers too!

She's also probably the only person that you could go to for romantic advice (as mentioned in my EJ x Zombie!reader thing)

If you liked Jeff she might be a bit salty around you for a bit though- but if he doesn't like you back then you'd probably just talk about him w her

If he did like you back? Then you might wanna sleep w one eye open for the rest of your time at the mansion...

Anyways.. If it was someone else she'd probably try to talk w them more often to see if she could get you two together (also would stalk them for you if you wanted, would even give you tips for how to get away with that yourself)

The point is that shes the only one who won't judge you when you come for romantic advice.. Trust!

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑊𝐸𝑅𝐸 𝐷𝑂𝑁𝐸!! (𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤)!!˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

That was kind of a long one but I've got a lot of headcanons about her, I left out some of them cuz some of them are super common soooo yk-

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!! -Fizz

[souryogurt64]

hi! im the anon who sent the ask about moving to chicago a few weeks ago and i have a few more questions lol

my parents really want me to have a car in case of emergencies but i don't want one, what's it like not having a car

also do you think minimum wage is enough to live off of with a roommate? ive seen a lot of varying opinions on the chicago subreddit

It is very easy not having a car. Only 1 time in 3 years have I even wanted to borrow my parents' car and it was to go to a concert. Both my previous and current roommate brought their car and then ended up returning it to their parents' house after a few months because there is nowhere to park it. If I want to visit family I take the Metra and then they pick me up. Most people I know also Amtrak.

As for money, when I first moved to Chicago I worked in restaurants which pays quite a bit higher than minimum wage. Being a hostess is very easy and usually pays at least $20 an hour. I mostly worked about 4-6ish hour shifts 4-5x a week bussing tables and probably averaged like $1800 a month from that. However, depending on unpaid time off or doing things like bartending for 10 days straight during Christmas pay could be as low as $1,200 or as high as $3,000 a month.

I also was working part-time in marketing for $10 an hour and did freelance projects. This brought in another $550ish a month on average, give or take. This was also extremely variable and could be as low as $300 or as high as $1500 a month.

My budget before I got an adult job from 2021-early2023 basically looked like this:

Rent and utilities $900

Train passes $20 (I walked to work and the animal shelter, I did not need a monthly pass)

Nonessential purchases (including dining out): $350

Savings: $350

Groceries/toiletries/cosmetics $250 (I got a lot of free food and beer from my job)

Cat supplies $50

Subscriptions (Photoshop for work, spotify, etc) $30

Random extra expenses (Ubers, household supplies): $100

Then I was on my parents' health insurance.

This came out to $2,050 a month.

I track everything in Excel so this is real, this is not an estimate.

If it ever didn't work out I would've moved back in with my parents and if I like got hit by a car or whatever they would've helped me out. So I don't want to give the impression I was ever like struggling. However, I did not want to rely on my parents financially and I was determined to make it work, so I did a lot of things like cut my own hair. To be honest, this was a really happy and carefree time in my life for the MOST part.

I also lived as below my means as I could (tbh several hundred dollars), because there were months where stuff happened like during a Covid surge in 2021 restaurants closed down and I made almost no money that month and had to start dogwalking in January.... which I was terrible at.

My strong recommendation would be to work in a restaurant (bc tips and free food) and not bring a car, and also have a parent co-sign a lease. A lot of landlords won't rent to you unless you make 3x the rent, and I didn't. I also recommend breweries-- I mostly worked at Corridor/DryHop and it was awesome.

Also I don't think this lifestyle would've been sustainable forever so make sure you're working towards something. I didn't want to get stuck in Iowa forever in a low paying miserable office job I hated so I was determined to move to the big city and wait for the perfect opportunity. I was lucky enough that it happened, but I think if I hadn't been lucky or was more complacent it would've been easy to like end up as an unhappy adult yk

[howlingguardian]

RWBY Cast Spotlight: MCM Birmingham 2023

Notes from attending the panel at Comic Con featuring Barbara Dunkelman, Arryn Zech, Kara Eberle, and Lindsay Jones.

Barbara's engaged to her partner Trevor. Apparently she cannot stop staring at the ring at random moments.

The cast mentioned one previous con they remember was when someone brought up a jar of gold glitter and said 'It's Pyrrha'.

Everyone was nuts about the Bumbleby kiss. Barb apparently watched it 83 times.

Lindsay- "I do seek out media to destroy me". (Same tbh)

Lindsay was very glad to do Season 9 and the topics of Ruby's emotional repression and subsequent breakdown.

She loved the line 'What if I choose me?'

Therapy: The Season

Kara personally loved the rock throw moment for Weiss.

The actresses get no insight into future volumes until they've already been written. However, they did say that they hoped RWBY would get time for a vacation. Beach Episode!

They'd also like something where the Schnees make reparations to the White Fang.

Fan Questions

What Crossovers would they want to see with RWBY?

-Fortnite, Smash, Harry Potter, and The Simpsons. Also possibly a RWBY/RWBY Chibi crossover.

Advice for picking up girls?

-Barb- First lift weights, then you can lift girls. Beeeee yourself.

What Pokemon would your character be?

Barb: Charizard for Yang, but Snorlax for herself.

Arryn: Umbreon

Kara: Ninetales, preferably the Alolan ice version.

Lindsay: Scizor

If you could be a Faunus, what would you be?

Barb: A Dragon Faunus if possible

Arryn- A mermaid

Kara- A Puppy Faunus

Lindsay- A Cat Faunus, preferably a Tiger

Favourite side characters?

Barb- The Shopkeep

Arryn- Neptune

Kara- Jaune

Lindsay- Ciel

What do you wish you could go back and tweak in the series?

-Maybe tweak Season 1 and 2. Like a Disney Remastered edition.

Favourite lines?

Barb- I think I love you/ High five!

Arryn- I love you too/ I think we're already falling

Kara- Couldn't remember the exact line, something like 'Is a home a home if it doesn't exist' (If anyone knows, please tell me)

Lindsay- I'm just trying to save everybody

Interactions you'd want to see

Barb- Would like to see Yang and Sun meet up and bro out.

Arryn- Blake and Ren, probably sitting together in absolute silence.

Kara- Weiss and Nora getting along, now that Weiss can put up with shenanigans better.

Lindsay- Ruby encouraging Qrow to talk with Yang more

Would you do it all again for £1000000?

Relive the time from the beginning of the series until the present? Absolutely not, what with Covid and all.

Redo the entire series? Definitely.

[kitkatpancakestack]

Aw man now I'm on something. nobody asked and nobody cares but here it is anyway.

My personal ratings of each 9-1-1 season!! Because why not!!

Season 1: 7.5/10. Tonally different than the rest of the show (also visually different, yikes re that god awful saturation) but some memorable episodes, I really liked the edginess they played around with even if a couple of the plotlines weren't my favorite. Connie Britton was in it so obviously that's a plus. just a really solid foundation for the character journeys to come. Gets a 7.5 for episode 1x04 alone tbh.

Season 2: 10/10 flawless no skips legend you already know how I feel about this queen

Season 3: 6/10. ppl rate this season higher for nostalgia I think bc 1) many fans started watching this season and 2) the buddie of it all goes crazy. But tbh aside from the tsunami arc and the train derailment it's kind of mid. madney pregnancy reveal at the end bumps it to a 6 from a 5 bc I love them sm.

Season 4: 7/10. lackluster start but they gained mad momentum when Future Tense aired. some bumps probably due to shorter COVID season but this shit is a banger. Also the introduction of Ravi?? Best character add-on since Maddie and Eddie. And the Shooting Arc® speaks for itself.

Season 5: 8.5/10. I know I love to bitch and moan about 5a but personal feelings aside this is an objectively solid season. they toyed with darker themes similar to s1 vibes and it worked for the most part. Flawless execution? No, but we got Boston, we got Eddie breakdown, we got Mayday, we got another wave of fandom racism and Buck stan uwu-ism so u know it was doing something right the seamless and beautiful way the season circled around and brought everyone back together at the end. They almost hit that s2 magic but nobody can be s2 as we know.

Season 6: 4/10. wtf happened this season tbh. Buck got struck by lightning. Tomorrow was an amazing episode. I think I hallucinated Buck's sperm donor storyline. literally I'm asking genuinely what happened this season lol. end of FOX era good riddance goodbye.

Season 7: 7.5/10. Really it deserves an 8 but that finale was such a letdown I didn't see coming lmfao. Bathena cruise ship disaster amazing all the way around. Buck is a boy kisser speaks for itself. Other storylines I'm not so pumped about. It was a shorter season tho and other things are in flux, but I think it did a halfway decent job setting the groundwork for what could be a really good s8.

[mouchiiarts]

Okay this is kind of a vent but am I the only one who thought s4 of The Dragon Prince felt really,, off?

Like it was good and well executed and all of this could very well just be a consequence of COVID and Netflix messing with season four's production but something about this season felt really weird. And, truthfully, it's kind of the everything that feels off.

A lot of the characters felt very out of character. I'm sorry but Callum should've been rightfully VERY upset with Rayla. She abandons him on the day of his birthday after he nearly loses her to the moon lake, after she makes a promise to stay with him and get through all of their shit together, and she DOESN'T COME BACK FOR YEARS. And when she does come back, they're suddenly just really awkward but still in love??? HUH??? Did I miss something?? Why are they still in their "awkward, before they get together" phase??? Callum should rightfully be extremely upset with Rayla if not furious with her!! You could have kept them amicable when Rayla comes back! She could be a bit distant but still hopeful that Callum will forgive her easily but realizes Callum is angry and is trying to be kind to her even though he's clearly not happy! Let him tell her off! Why didn't he do that??? You could still have him be nice but there's a bittersweetness to it.

Speaking of Rayla, she felt off too. Idk she just,, wasn't distant enough. You'd think after being alone for years on end she'd be a bit less trusting of others, even the friends she knew. But people change! She shouldn't have been sure how much Callum would've changed. Also her lemur doesn't look right. She noticeably stands out amongst the other characters and creature designs. Bait, although he looks a bit like a plushy, works because he feels like a unique creature to this world. Rayla's lemur just straight up looks like a doll. She doesn't look right. Also she's just a lemur with extra limbs. That's it. And she's kind of purple. Why not get weirder with her and mash her up with another animal? Like a squirrel or maybe a hawk? Idk she just doesn't look right.

Claudia also feels,, very strange. Like yes she's funny and dorky but her antics felt really amped up this season. She feels dumber somehow. And Claudia isn't dumb. She's very smart actually but she can be oblivious sometimes. But I dunno she feels too comedic this season which creates such a whiplash for me. She's the villain and brought her father back from the dead. So why is she so,, dumbed down? Also her boyfriend,, he's fine I suppose? But why would Claudia be dating an elf? HE'S AN ELF. He also doesn't like dark magic?? Huh?? Wouldn't it be more of a novel concept for him to be an elf who also wants to do dark magic? Shouldn't he be in favor of that? Why was he against it? Terry never feels like a proper villain. And outside of dating Claudia, he has no motive to stay with her or her father! He doesn't like dark magic so why is he with Claudia? How did they meet? How did they become friends? What made her like him?? CAUSE HE SEEMS THOROUGHLY ALIGNED WITH THE ELVES in terms of worldviews on magic! Terry also feels out of place in terms of his comedy. The fart joke thing got old fairly quickly for me as well. I get it, it's a kid show, but I dunno it felt a little too much like writer's weird fetish in certain places.

Ezran feels fine though in terms of writing. He still feels in character and like he's evolved. He's wiser and has been ruling as king for a while now. And I like that they kept the friendship with him and Zym the same, that was nice! I just wish Zym could talk now that's he's older. Also, shouldn't he be a bit bigger? Tbh I always thought dragons grew super quickly as adolescents. Ah well, not issues with them. Also Soren. He is still the loml and I can't ever hate him. I do wish he could've bonded with and kept a wyvern though. That would've been cool as hell.

Now for the animation. It was too smooth for me. I love the choppy uneven Spiderverse inspired look of the second and third season so much! But in s4, I could barely find spots where the animation wasn't super smooth. The colors of this season are also way off. We spend a majority of the time in (what I am assuming is) Earthblood elf territory but the colors don't look right. They don't gel together very well. This is especially noticeable in the cave scene towards the end of the season. All of those crystals were so deeply saturated and NONE of those colors looked nice together. Especially on gray speckled rock. It was hard for me to see what I was supposed to be looking at! Emphasis and focus were two aspects which this show really seemed to struggle with this season in terms of visuals. The updated character designs look nice though, I don't have any qualms there (aside from the lemur).

Except for the Earthblood elves. WHY DID YOU TAKE AWAY THEIR COOL TREE BRANCH HORNS CONCEPT ART. They had moss and leaves on their shoulders and bodies. And cool swirly carvings. Why did they take that away :(

This season also feels like it's missing a LOT of setup for a LOT of lore and plot points. Especially the plot point with Callum being possessed by Aaravos. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?? HOW CAN AARAVOS DO THIS?? THIS BEGS THE QUESTION WHY AARAVOS DIDN'T FORCE VIREN SO CUT HIS HAND AND DO THE CATERPILLAR THING WILLINGLY. AARAVOS SHOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO AFFECT THE OUTSIDE WORLD RIGHT?? AM I GOING INSANE?? AND WHY DOES AARAVOS EVEN WANT TO POSSESS CALLUM?? BECAUSE HE CAN DO MAGIC?? HE ONLY KNOWS SKY MAGIC AS OF S4. I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING INSANE.

Idk maybe all of my issues with this season will be remedied by s5 which I still need to watch. Just needed to vent this out. I still like this show and I'll keep watching it but man, it's gained some problems for me I can't really seem to ignore. Especially since the first 3 seasons were so well paced.

[t-am-i-the-asshole]

AITA for calling my niece “my baby”?

I (23F) recently visited home for my niece’s 7th birthday party. I live about an hour away from my hometown for college and I’m currently pursuing my Masters before I go onto law school. This is all to say that I see my family maybe once or twice a year due to classes and me working two jobs.

My niece’s birthday was two weekends ago, and she and I are quite close. I spent a lot of time babysitting her when I was younger and still at home bc my brother and SIL both worked jobs. My classes were all online due to Covid, so it was natural for me to become the instinctive babysitter. I was happy to do so bc I love my niece and wanted to lighten the load of my brother/SIL’s emotional and physical loads.

My family (SIL and brother included) knew I would be attending my niece’s birthday party as a surprise. When she saw me, she ran up to me and shrieked happily. I wrapped her up in a big hug and said “hi, my baby!!” before giving her a smooch. I sent her off afterwards to mingle with her guests like a proper host lolol. I then sat with my own family and caught up with them. Later, my SIL seemed distant and annoyed with me. Before presents, she pulled me aside and asked me not to call my niece “my baby” again because she found it offensive. I profusely apologized as soon as she said so and promised I wouldn’t do so again. I spent the rest of the party calling her sweetie or just by her name.

I’m an extremely affectionate person. I call my niece and nephew an array of terms of endearment, both including “my baby.” I’ve called both of them this occasionally before around family and no one has said anything. Tbh sweetie/sweetheart is more common for me, but this isn’t the first time. I never say stuff like “you’re my baby, this is my baby, etc.”, I usually word it like “of course my baby, hi my baby, yes my baby, etc.”.

My SIL is still mad at me, and later called me a horrible aunt and person for calling my niece “my baby”. I tried explaining it was just a term of endearment and saying I meant no harm, but she seemingly does not care and keeps calling me horrible. It’s breaking my heart bc I’ve tried apologizing and making it up, but my SIL swear I’m out to get her. Idk why she thinks this, I’ve done nothing but look after her and my niece. I just wish she would listen to me instead of icing me out.

AITA for calling my niece “my baby” as a term of endearment?

EDIT: while I understand this might not be a common term for some families, I am not the only one who refers to my niece like this. This is the first time it’s been brought up (it was also only said to me not anyone else who calls my niece this on occasion) and I immediately adhered to my SIL’s requests, but she is still continuing to berate me and refuse my apologies. I’m really at a loss here with what to do going forward

[nonbinarydeity]

Your posts have been really helping me to stay sane and not overthink shit. Lol. Just to tell you my recent experience, I realized I wasn’t getting what I deserved. I felt like I was putting in my effort 100 percent into things like jobs and people while others were giving me just partial. I realized when you lock in your heart and soul and energy into something like law of assumption, magical stuff happens.

Just to give a example: I work at a call center sales job. For three years, it did decent. It pay the bills even in a Covid economy. But things changed. In the job, there’s a layered system that just kept breaking down and they only put in patch jobs to fix it. Soon enough, it broke and now we fending for ourselves. All of that, unrealistic expectations, and other things put my mental health at its worst. No wonder I wasn’t manifesting sales. I can’t be who i am not. I’m not a seller. Too damn introverted for that.

Once i put the motion in that I have a new job that pays higher and is more mentally healthy and is remote and all the good stuff I was looking for, holy shit. Things from the 4d are going into the 3d way faster than I thought. I have faith everything is working out and I’m already at my new job.

I found out too along with the fact I deserve better and making that assumption, old stories have been breaking. It brought new revelations and some new truths I wasn’t so happy about but I understood. I’m living the chapter in my life with the full assumption that I’m a wonderful person who deserves the best no matter what. I’m putting my heart and soul and energy into that mindset more from now on.

(On another note. Quinne, I’m sorry if I sent you any sad and triggering messages before. I was going through a hard time and my mental health took a hit. I went to my doctor for it and getting treated. I just felt like I needed comfort and I didn’t know what to do at the time. Thanks for not judging me.)

Hey, don't worry about it! I know how bad mental health can get, and ofc I'd never judge you for needing some reassurance. I'm sorry if I didn't answer any of them, sometimes I struggle too and I don't want anyone else to be triggered yk 😭💕

I'm really glad that you're moving forward in your journey and in life!!

These are the sorts of asks I live for tbh. As someone who has an understanding of how this works, but hasn't quite gotten to the point of it being easy (I'm working on that assumption rn 😭), knowing that things can change for the better is always so motivating!

I'm also really glad that you're doing better now, even if it's still a little shaky! Healing takes time, especially if you were in a really bad place before. Just take it easy and let yourself rest if needed, no shame in that 🪻💟

Also I just want to say, YES, you are a wonderful person who deserves the world 100% Never think any different, and that goes for EVERYBODY. Just being alive means you deserve the best ☺️💕

[cleoselene]

the local MS Center had this amazing program when I first got diagnosed where you could get 2 massages per month from massage therapists they partnered with to subsidize the massage and provide them to enrolled patients for a $10 copay. Like. Considering that a massage is like $100+ easily, this is fucking amazing. anyway, when covid struck they canceled the program indefinitely and MY MUSCLES HAVE ACHED.

anyway they recently sent me an email letting me know they received some new grants and NOW THE MASSAGE PROGRAM IS BACK. It's not two a month anymore, just one, but there's no copay at all this time. So. NICE.

Muscle tightness/spasms/pain is like a CONSTANT issue for me. I am always coated in a layer of Icy Hot Pro

this post brought to you by me shooting them an email just now because my neck hurts and i need to get the deets on the new massage therapists. I am not going back to the woman who used to give me massages. She was a friend of my mom's so I chose her and she gave good massages but since 2020 she became radicalized and turned into an absolute nutbar who is aggressively anti-vaxx and pro-Trump. My mom is like, "how this happens to a lesbian is beyond me" lol she's always so deeply disappointed at one of her own falling. But it happened and well, I guess I have no way of knowing if my next massage therapist is vaxxed, I can only hope, but I'm DEFINITELY not going to get a massage from someone who I KNOW is anti-vaxx

and also the experience and knowing how some of these ~naturopath~ types have always looked at vaccines has made me affirm that i will be absolutely masking up for any massage. It's an intimate experience and I have an immune system made out of rubber bands and hope. That's fine I can scent my mask with some lavender and make it part of the experience, which tbh, isn't a bad idea because as much as I love massages, I've had some massages from people with lunch breath because they just get up so close and it's no bueno. Now I have an excuse for not wanting to smell some stranger's breath, my fragile immune system!

Also I figure wearing a mask is a good litmus test for the therapist themselves. If they get all butthurt that you are trying to avoid getting sick you probably don't want a massage from them anyway