#coronavirus comfort

[spookysalem13]

My close long distance friend, calls me Panda 🐼, this completely looks like me in a GIF haha 😄!

This is my energy right now. I'm still stuck in bed with covid-19, being immune compromised, my body is having a rough time fighting off this virus.

My chronic migraines are really bad today. I'm laying in the dark with ice on my head 🫠.

I laid down today expecting to take a thirty minute nap. When I wound up sleeping 💤 for 4 hours 🙃!

Today is not my best day. But I'm going to make the best out of it.

I have my friend texting me, keeping me company. I have my kitty 😺 who has been very cuddly today. ☺️ However her screams are a bit much for my migraine today 😅. I don't know why she likes to scream bloody murder as she talks to you... I have a weird cat. She's very loud!

I have my electric heated blanket, I'm comfortable in bed. I have social media to keep me entertained. My friend may go on Tiktok live later tonight, so I'll be able to watch and talk to him there.

I have yummy soup, all I have to do is heat it up when I'm ready to eat.

My parents are being very kind and are coming in to regularly check on me. 🥰

It may be another uncomfortable day. But I'm not mad about it. My body is taking the time it needs to get over this virus 🦠. And I hope soon I will be back at work.

I hope to do more of these daily GIF life updates.

[bi-prinz3ssin]

i may have covid, but at least i didn’t get it before or during my holiday this summer

[hrina]

Tell me you never crossed a US border without telling me you never crossed a US border

right skdjsjdjs

[cesium-sheep]

now that I'm not quite as sick I've got the emotional fallout from the past couple months plus the emotional fallout from the past couple days and I'm just really fuckin sad :( arin was busy all day even though she got kicked out of work but she cuddled me for a little bit before bed.

[herlondonboy]

I Miss You, I’m Sorry

pairings: Taylor Swift x gn!reader (platonic)

Summary: in which you’ve been at everyone of Taylor’s opening shows in the pit since the Fearless tour, but you’re not at the opening of the eras tour

warnings: angst, unspecified chronic illness, reader death, this was supposed to be happy, spelling mistakes, sad Tay.

word count: 1.5k

You had been to everyone of Taylor Swift’s tours. It was a known fact between the Swifties. So much so that people went go up to you at the beginning of the Reputation Stadium Tour and asked for your autograph.

You and Taylor weren’t necessarily friends, but she was well acquainted with you and how your wear obscure outfits to each show. She often found herself scouring the front rows of each show for a familiar, comforting face.

Many videos had showed how Taylor’s eyes would light up when she saw you and vice versa. How she’d wave giddily, and hold back a laugh at your costume and how you’d bounce up and down, screaming the lyrics louder than anyone else.

You weren’t the first Swiftie, but you had been crowned the biggest Swiftie.

At the end of the Glendale show, you had stayed behind to take a mass amount of photos in your costume. That was the first time you were taken backstage. Part of you thought that you were being kidnapped (three men in all black, looking all emotionless and brooding leading you somewhere dark was suspicious to say the least), but then Taylor was stood in front of you with a wide smile.

Your eyes were wide and your mouth was agape, not to mention that you could hear your heart beating in your ears. “H-Hi?” You squeaked out, afraid that if you spoke too quickly you’d wake from this dream.

“Hi! Y/N, I’m-“

“Taylor-fucking-Swift,” you cut her off with a gasp.

Tears welled up in your eyes. You were supposed to meet her at the Reputation Secret Sessions in New York, but something had come up, so you didn’t get to. Part of you wished this had happened three years ago when you weren’t so weak, but it was happening nonetheless.

“Can i hug you?” Taylor asked.

You nodded rapidly and Taylor leaned forward to wrap her arms around you. You melted into the hug, sniffling softly, “I can die happily now.”

Taylor chuckled, “I missed you at the Secret Sessions,” there was a frown in her voice that made you feel guilty.

“I caught the flu,” You lied, “I didn’t want to make you or anyone else sick. I really wanted to go, though.”

The blonde smiled, still hugging you, “Well, when my next album comes out, I’ll have a super secret session just for you. Since you’re my biggest fan,” She said and there was some truth behind her words.

You had been invited to Taylor’s house to listen to the songs on Lover a few days before the first Lover Secret Session. To say you adored each song (Death By A Thousand Cuts being your favourite) was an understatement.

Taylor didn’t notice how jittery you got when Soon You’ll Get Better was playing. It seemed like you had related especially to that song, whether you were the best friend of the person in the hospital room or you were the person in the hospital room.

Your sister, who was also a big fan of Taylor and had been accompanying you to each tour, had always skipped that song whenever playing the Lover album in order, it hurt.

When Midnights came out, you were practically promised a world tour since the Lover Fest was cancelled due to the global pandemic. That was a hard time Your you and your older sister. As if you weren’t sick enough as it was, you had caught the coronavirus and had been forced into a hospital where your family couldn’t visit you for months.

But it got better. The rerelease of Fearless and the release of Folklore came and some people had spammed your instagram account with the news of finding out that you had helped Taylor write the bonus song. Then not long after, you had been allowed visitors and your sister never left your side again.

Though you were bedridden, you kept a smile on your face. Most people weren’t bothered by your sudden disappearance, it had happened a few times in the past whenever you had gotten sick, because you always came back with a brighter smile.

Then Midnights came out and Taylor announced her Eras tour and TikTok was going wild. Some fans were complaining about the price, some were wondering if you had gotten tickets. That led to people beginning to worry. You had never been gone for two years, and worse, your sister was gone, too.

So, when March 17th rolled up, and Taylor opened the tour with Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince, Taylor and her fans searched for you in the crowd. You weren’t there. And the second night in Glendale, you weren’t there either, but your sister was.

And that gave Taylor a little bit of hope. She waved at your sister, who waved back, fiddling with bottom of the top that you wore to the opening of the Fearless tour back in 2009.

At the end of the show, your sister had been led backstage where Taylor had changed and attacked her with a hug. The blonde broke away with a grin, “Hi! How are you? It’s been ages!”

“I’m good, yeah, it has.” Your sister responded, “Life’s been cruel, you know?”

The blonde nodded and looked down, “Where’s?-“

“Y/N told me to give you this,” Your sister held out a diary, making Taylor falter.

“What’s this?” She asked, frowning at the title of it.

Your sister sniffled, “They said- They said that they’re sorry that they couldn’t make it this year, that something came up. They really wanted to be here, Tay.”

The blonde felt her cheeks begin to dampen as your sister continued talking.

“They wrote this when they realised that they wouldn’t-“ A sob tried to claw its way out of your sister’s throat. “M-make it.”

The blonde shook her head.

Whilst the two of you weren’t necessarily friends, you knew each other well enough to know that you didn’t need to label whatever it was going on between the two of you. Your sister’s shoulder’s shook slightly as Taylor took the diary and hugged the woman.

“I’m so sorry,” She apologised profusely. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

A few days later, It was the Las Vegas shows. And, though Taylor hadn’t quite recovered from the news, she couldn’t just not go and perform. So, swallowing down her tears, she made her way onto the stage and sang like she wasn’t feeling all of these negative emotions.

And when it came to her surprise songs, she was sat at the piano, blinking away her tears. She cleared her throat and looked at her fans with a small smile, “So, uh, How is everybody?”

They began screaming on top of each other, making her chuckle slightly.

“Um, I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, but my good friend, Y/N Y/L/N past away last year. Their- their sister told me after the second show in Glendale and they wrote down a diary, wording every thought that had ever crossed their mind about me. They said- they said if they ever died and we became friends they wouldn’t want me to cry for them because they’re ’no one special,’ but they were probably one of the best people that I have ever met.

“Y/N drew a sketch of what their next outfit to one of my tours would be,” The image went up on the screen, before a series of photos of you at tours, smiling at Taylor and the camera. “I just- I wanted to say that even though we didn’t do labels, you were probably my best friend, Y/N,” She sniffled, “And I love you.”

The chords to your favourite song began and as Taylor tried to keep the lump in her throat down and her tears at bay, and a slideshow that your sister had composed began playing in the background.

Your life played out in front of everyone from beginning to finish, from 1994 to 2022. All twenty eight years. The people in the audience watched as you lost your parents and then yourself.

And then in the end, a photo of you grinning tiredly flashed onto the screen as the song faded out. And just as it ended, your voice sounded through the speakers.

Is this recording? Yeah? I’m going to assume it is. Okay, um, it’s February 21st— Happy Birthday, Joe. Uh, i don’t know what I want to say. I mean, thank you to everyone that has made my life worth living. I mean, at fifteen I wore a stupid outfit to a Taylor Swift concert and now I’m friends with her? It’s kind of sad knowing that I’ll never get to hear Speak Now Taylor’s Version, but oh well.

I’m going to be honest, I’m so scared to die. Every night for the past six months I’ve been scared to fall asleep, knowing that there will be a chance that I don’t wake up. I don’t want to die, I’m terrified. I don’t want to leave my sister alone and I know that she doesn’t want me to know, but she’s been crying herself to sleep since we got the news.

I just want to know if you’ll look after her for me? I’m all she’s got. Thank- thank you. I love you.

There was silence followed by Taylor’s small, ‘I love you, too.’ And then cheers from the crowd. Some people were announcing their admiration for you and some were crying.

“I miss you, Y/N.” Taylor whispered. “I’m sorry for not being there with you.”

—

What’s your favourite Taylor Swift song?

[fuckyeahfightlock]

New Fandom Classics -- Top Sherlock (TV) fics of 2020

The most popular Sherlock fics (by kudos) on the AO3, completed in 2020

What We Could Be by mottlemoth, (E, 34k) collected Mystrade ficlets

Lullaby by mottlemoth, (E, 21k) Mystrade soulmates AU

(and your very flesh shall be a great poem by CaitlinFairchild came up here but it must have been edited, or updated in 2020 because it is older)

Scars and All by mottlemoth, (E, 6k) Mystrade jealousy

I Thank My Lucky Stars (for Every Crack, Scratch, and Scar) by burnedplaylists (T, 3k) part 2 of a series, johnlock, worried!lestrade

It takes John Watson to save your life. by Sparkypip (T, 111k) part 2 of a series, hurt/comfort series of ficlets of John saving Sherlock's life

Quarantine by wendymarlowe (T, 54k) real-time day-by-day story of Sherlock and John in coronavirus quarantine

I Demand You Speak by Maejones (E, 97k) Sherlolly Abominable Bride AU

A Desperate Indulgence by LollipopCop (M, 35k) John wakes up with amnesia; Sherlock tells him they are married

A Duty of Care by mottlemoth (E, 85k) Greg and Helen Lestrade see sex therapist Mycroft Holmes to address their failing marriage.

All the Wild Summer by mottlemoth (E, 6k) Mystrade age gap AU

This is my Friend, John Watson by SeamsInLine (T, 4k) Sherlock and John are married; Lestrade doesn't notice

Sunday by mottlemoth (E, 19k) collected NSFW Mystrade ficlets

In His Care by BeautifulFiction (T, 21k) John has COVID-19 sick fic

Everything to Me by mottlemoth (T, 1k) Mystrade; kidnapped Greg

Negative Space by standbygo (M, 9k) John takes a drawing class; Sherlock is the model

Safe as Houses by meansgirl (E, 46k) Mystrade in quarantine

On the Fence by BeautifulFiction (T, 14k) casefic, Johnlock, fencing

Old Ghosts by mottlemoth (E, 2k) Mystrade emotional hurt/comfort

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 54k) post-S4 fix-it, johnlock undercover at an anti-gay conference

An Omega's Kingdom by FemaleINTJ (E, 9k) underage omegaverse

[thedreamgemini]

ASTROLOGY OBSERVATIONS AND NOTES PART 10 ✨🧚🏽‍♀️

The pictures above are not mine and I don’t know who made some of them! The woman on the top left was drawn by “jademaduike” on Instagram and “noluckycharmz” on Twitter! The woman with the green eyes was made by “wearycanary” on Instagram! The woman sitting in the grass was made by “The Art Babe🥀🦋” on Twitter! The woman on the top left was created by “lindaniellaart” on Instagram and Twitter!

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❤️ Having mars in the 12th house can represent having some type of bad relationship with drugs, jails, schools, and places of religion or spirituality. These places could’ve gave you a bad physical, mental, or emotional injury. This can also be an indicator of fighting really hard for or against those things or places. Having mars in the 12th house can also represent being a naturally aggressive as a young child.

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❤️ If you have libra in the 3rd house or a Leo rising then you might realize that more close relationships you have with people can make you more peaceful, more generous, more naive, and even more attractive.

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❤️ Having a mars in the 7th house can be an indicator of being a victim of domestic abuse.

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❤️ Having Pisces in your 6th house or having a Scorpio rising can represent having a what feels in a subconscious bond with animals. Like, you might feel like you get along better with animals than humans. You also might feel like you understand what animals are saying or thinking and that they understand you back. Your also probably very empathetic towards them and might see them through rose colored glasses. You also might have a problem with actually taking care of them and might even have a habit of neglecting them or their needs. You also might notice that the more your around animals your relationship with spirituality or religion might increase as well.

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❤️ I’ve noticed that a lot of people with Sagittarius in their big six don’t trust the coronavirus vaccine or they didn’t trust it at one point. I’ve noticed that they also don’t believe that the government actually cares about us.

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❤️ Having cancer in the 5th house or having a Scorpio rising can represent thinking of your father for comfort.

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❤️ Having Aries in the 2nd or Pisces rising house can make someone have very pure or childish like values or beliefs. Or these people’s beliefs and values are based off what they were taught as kids and they have a hard time believing anything different or anything that goes against the values and beliefs they were taught to have as kids.

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❤️ If Aquarius is the ruler/lord of your 6th house than you probably preferred the comfort of animals because you felt like and outcast at some point of your life.

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❤️ Having a Sagittarius Midheaven or Pisces rising can represent being known for moving around a lot, being very optimistic, and either over committing or not committing enough.

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❤️ Having Gemini in the 4th house or Pisces rising can represent having a family that gossips a lot.

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❤️ If you enjoyed my astrology observations and notes then don't don't forget to like, reblog, comment, and follow so you can see more of my content and I'll get more support.✨🧚🏽‍♀️✨🧚🏽‍♀️✨🧚🏽‍♀️✨💕💕💕

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[randomficrecss]

Klance Fic Rec

been so busy guys but trying to catch up i promise!!

I dreamed you were a cosmonaut (of the space between our chairs) by iybms

T | 11K | 1/1 | getting together, flirting, kissing, near death experiences, mutual pining, canon compliant

"You know, you can be a pretty hard guy to find," Lance says, and his steps end at Keith's side, overlooking Orla'an canyon.

"Funny you always say that," Keith remarks, "since you find me, regardless. And," he finally glances at Lance, "…always wearing something weird."

---

Lance comes to Keith when he needs someone to pry him open.

Nameless by AveryScribbles

E | 97.8K | 22/22 | AU college, vampires, soulmates, major character injury, angst with a happy ending, blood drinking, slowburn

Lance McClain was not pale. He enjoyed the sun as much as any other, and though he was often run down or fatigued, this was due to his amounting college work, not his need to sleep upside down. He was everything a vampire wasn't. Oh, except for his constant cravings for blood, and the name in cursive imprinted on his wrist.

Since the name had appeared on Lance's thirteenth birthday, he'd been desperately waiting for the day he'd finally meet his soulmate. And then it finally arrives, delivering a boy that causes everything Lance had fantasized to come crashing down around him. Not only is his mate a human, but he's the kind of human that despises vampires. A hunter named Keith.

But matters of the heart aren't the only thing standing in Lance's way, for a much greater enemy is on the horizon, posing a threat not only to Lance and his family, but to Keith, too. The nameless are coming for them, and soon.

just come to me once by laallomri (absolute fav fic ever)

T | 94.5K | 3/3 | fluff, angst, pining, canon typical violence, post season 6

Lance’s smile widens. He leans forward, and the prickling in Keith’s chest gives way to butterflies, fluttering wildly in his stomach, and oh wow has Lance always had this many freckles, has he always had eyelashes that long, has he—

Lance pokes his cheek, right over the Galra mark. Keith blinks.

“I can’t believe you and your mom have matching face tattoos now,” he says, and it’s so fucking dumb, but it’s exactly the kind of dumb thing Keith has longed to hear, and before he knows what he’s doing he’s surging forward, almost knocking Lance back against Red’s paw, and throwing his arms around him.

In which Keith lives on a space whale, goes on a road trip, and (eventually) gets a boyfriend.

Like the Night Falling by iybms

E | 51.9K | 1/1 | rivals to friends to lovers, slow burn, astrophysics, sexual content

Keith reluctantly takes a lead role in an outreach program that forces him outside his comfort zone of solitary work. It would be a lot easier if he and his partner in the endeavor had anything in common.

Catch Feels, Not Covid-19 by Jenanigans1207

G | 20.2K | 7/7 | quarantine AU, covid 19, falling in love, confessions, artist keith

“Well, there’s really only one option, then.” Lance says as he steps further into the room. At least he looks equally as uncomfortable as Keith feels. At least he seems to know he’s broken their boundaries.

“Really?” Keith grinds out, but his anger is deflating. The stress of the situation is starting to wear on him and he just wants it to be over. “Because as far as I can tell, there are no options.”

“You’ll just have to come home with me.” Lance says and Keith balks. He physically feels the color drain from his face as he whips his head around to meet Lance’s blue eyes. He doesn’t even get the incredulous question off of his tongue before Lance is rushing on to explain. “My family visits Cuba every year at this time and since they closed the borders, they’re stuck there until this is over. So my home is completely empty which means there will be tons of room for you, too! And it’s only a couple of hours away, so we won’t risk getting caught anywhere in the middle. And it’s free.”

-- Or:

The coronavirus shuts down Keith and Lance's college and Keith has no choice but to go into quarantine with Lance.

At the Bottom of the Ramp by iybms

T | 12.2K | 1/1 | aggressive rollerblading, strong language, minor violence, getting together, rivals to friends to lovers

Lance is usually the first person to befriend new rollerbladers at the skatepark; it's a small community, and he's a friendly guy.

But not this time. This new guy looks the epitome of edgy and unapproachable, and he's stealing all of Shiro's attention.

[magnetothemagnificent]

The little spiritual OCD pixie in my brain: "If you talk about your anxieties, they'll summon the Evil Eye and come true"

2019: *I finally get to a point of opening up to my therapist and talk about my anxieties. Tell her about how I read about a novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan that I'm anxious will develop into a global pandemic*

Now: *I finally get to a point of opening to my new therapist and talk about my anxieties after years of being afraid to because of the 2019 incident. Tell her about my debilitating phobia of driving and how I'm afraid I'll get into an accident. Gradually work on exposure therapy to get to a point of being comfortable behind the wheel*

Today: *Feels confident enough to drive alone for the first time in years........crashes car into fence.*

The little spiritual OCD pixie: "told you so."

[misforgotten2]

New release price reduction 629,000 yen/with spare tire and tools, cash list price Low, wide, beautiful…45 horsepower. 5 seater NEW Corona Time April 6th (Wednesday) 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Tokoro Chuo Line Sendagaya Station = Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Fubuki Koshiji, Tadao Takashima. Featuring Misao Nakahara and other famous orchestras Information about the presentation Toyota Motor Corporation/Toyota Motor Sales Tokyo Toyopet victory of design The mission of design is simply to create something beautiful. The role of design is to make the best use of manufacturing technology. Toyota's Technical Center has brilliantly solved this problem, and the answer is New Corona. With superior design and production equipment, monthly production per assembler has been increased. The number of high school students entering the university has increased to 20 due to the new coronavirus, and this cost reduction will also help. The result: From the body that has been lowered by 11.5 centimeters to the single push button, the New Corona was designed with completely new ideas.The New Corona is truly a brilliant fruit of design and technology.●Suspension mechanism… The front wheel uses a torsion bar and the rear wheel uses a combination of single-leaf springs and coil springs, a new mechanism that provides excellent high-speed driving performance and a comfortable ride. ●Handle and instruments…… The steering wheel is a morning glory type that is easy to drive and is safe.The gauges are a combination type, and the speedometer in particular is a slide type that is very easy to read. ●Bonnet and trunk… The front-opening bonnet that opens to 90 degrees makes inspection very easy, and the trunk is large enough to easily fit golf equipment, making it hard to believe it's a small car. ●The luxury of the door and interior…. The new idea of ​​tilting the center pillar of the door backwards provides a comfortable ride similar to that of a large car, while the interior is luxurious with two-tone color scheme and armrests.

Google Translate

1960 Annual of Advertising in Japan - 1960

[kairolee2004]

Hello, may I request from Demon Slayer? The Reader takes (separately) their beloved partner into sauna and teaches them how to hit each other with vihta, how to jump into a cold lake or snow in the middle of the sauna, and how to throw more löyly to make it hotter? You can also enjoy cold drinks while in sauna to ease up the heat. Could I request this with Giyu, Sanemi, Gyomei, Kyojuro, and perhaps Tengen? THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Another Demon slayer ask already? Omg fun!! :)

Thanks to ________ for the request!!! <333

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sauna with… Giyu

• 🌊 It was already difficult enough to get Giyu to come on this mission with you up to the frozen mountains.

• 🌊 Of course it was even more difficult to get him into the sauna!

•🌊 He kept saying that it was a waste of time to stop at the inn when you guys were miles away from the location.

•🌊 With a little convincing and promises of kisses and cuddles later throughout the night… HE ACCEPTED!

• 🌊 As ya’ll sat in the sauna relaxing, Giyu looked at you. He saw how relaxed you looked and kinda loved it.

“You know reader… seeing you like this. All warm and calm, it makes me so happy that I came on this mission with you. Not saying that it isn’t a pleasure being around you!”

• 🌊 You sure as hell were happy that you brought your lovely partner.

======================

Sauna with… Sanemi

•🍃 This man likes them- PLEASE DO FIGHT ME ON THIS!

•🍃 Feels like Sanemi dragged you to a sauna. Gave the excuse that he’s always ‘sore’ and that he needs to ‘relax’ a lot of the time.

•🍃 Gotta believe the man because he’s paying for most of the stuff.

•🍃 He likes it when the people put in lavender scents. It of course calms both of you down.

•🍃 Cuddles or holds you throughout the whole time y’all are there.

“What? Ok what if I want to hold you, it doesn’t mean anything. I just care about you idiot!”

======================

Sauna with… Gyomei

•📿 Goes to the sauna 2 times a week!!!

•📿 If he could, man could have a membership!!! Have all the sweet deals and high quality stuff.

•📿Takes you to places like that very often.

•📿 The owners love him and very much adore you!

•📿 Holds onto you the whole time.

•📿 While your talking and holding onto him, he has some… non-holy thoughts about you and he needs to pray STAT!

“My darling, you sound so happy and calm and it brings me so much happiness that you are comfortable around me. Thank you for your love.”

======================

Sauna with… Kyojuro

•🍱 This man definitely orders drinks in mountains!!

•🍱 He’s got 5 drinks down before you can finish your first.

•🍱 Begging the owners if he can order food or even bring food bit sadly know.

•🍱 I feel like you would sneak in some sweet potatoes for him. You love him that much <3

•🍱 Would definitely secretly run out the front door and jump in the snow. Then run his cold ass back in the hot room.

•🍱 Definitely falls asleep.

====================

Thanks for reading!!! Sorry I wont be doing Tengen, I had things to due and I officially didn’t have energy to write for him and plus~ Im sick with a virus- NOT CORONAVIRUS!!!

See ya soon!!! - Cookie

Requests are: Open

[ukrfeminism]

Women would need to work for an extra 19 years to retire with the same pension savings as men, according to data from the Pensions Policy Institute.

The research found women retiring at 67 – the new UK state pension age from 2026 – will have saved an average of £69,000, compared with £205,000 for men.

The data, published by the PPI and pensions provider Now: Pensions, suggests that under the current system, in order to close the “gender pension gap” a girl would need to start saving at three years old to retire with the same amount of money as working men.

Career gaps, caring responsibilities, childcare costs and lower earnings all contribute to the disparity.

As automatic enrolment into workplace pensions – where workers are put into a pension scheme into which they and their employer pay – starts at the age of 22, the 19-year gap meant that “by age three, girls are already falling behind boys in their provision for later life”, the researchers claimed.

However, women often live longer than men – on average by about seven years – meaning their retirement pots also need to last longer.

Now: Pensions is calling for the £10,000-a-year earnings threshold for people to be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension to be removed because it excludes many women who hold multiple jobs or work part-time or as freelancers.

The UK state pension age of 66 is set to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028. From 2044, it is expected to rise to 68. However, research issued earlier this week suggested it would have to rise to 71 for those born after April 1970.

Separate industry figures issued on Wednesday indicated that the estimated amount of money needed to enjoy a “moderate” standard of living in retirement had jumped by £8,000 – or 34% – in a year as a result of the cost of living crisis and changes in behaviour.

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has developed the “retirement living standards” to show what life in retirement looks like at three different levels – minimum, moderate and comfortable. Last year it said a single person needed about £12,800 a year to meet the minimum threshold but this year the figure has been put at £14,400.

The new threshold for a moderate standard of living in later life is £31,300 for a single person – up from £23,300 a year ago. To meet the comfortable threshold, the new figure is £43,100 a year for one person – up from £37,300.

The pension provider Scottish Widows said securing a guaranteed annual income of £23,300 for life would require a pension pot of about £500,000 – but securing an income of £31,300 would mean amassing a pension pot of more than £750,000.

The PLSA said its latest research “reflects the price rises that households have faced, particularly in food and energy use”, but also highlighted the increasing importance people placed on spending time with family and friends away from the home, as people’s priorities have changed after the coronavirus pandemic.

[once-upon-a-stolas]

Lots to talk about today, so let’s get right into it!

Today’s post actually spans two separate incidents. The first happens on July 7th, in which we see that Blitzo’s taken a nonlethal, but rather nasty shot to the abdomen. He brushes it off, comparing himself to Rain from his beloved Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, but Stolas is immediately beside himself with worry, asking if he’s alright and swearing he’d be by his side already if he weren’t in a meeting. Literally. He’s so worked up that he curses here, something we rarely see him do on the Instagrams, then or now. He promises he’ll be there as soon as said meeting is over; if this were a more serious incident, his behavior suggests he might have run right out of it on the spot.

But Blitzo insists he’s fine and Stolas, though still unhappy and clearly concerned, accepts that. This is a vastly, vastly different character than the one we met in Murder Family, happily coercing a monthly sexual bargain out of Blitzo as he cheerfully, coldly watched him dodge gunfire. 

Later on, we see that Stolas has taken sick. Commentors suggest that Blitzo might have poisoned his coffee or, less tastefully -- this was all happening during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic -- that he has coronavirus. But it’s just a simple flu. Blitzo is openly concerned, and promises that “we’ll send you something.” The “we’ll” in this case could refer to himself and Loona, but more likely refers to I.M.P. as a whole, which is a nice little touch. Before!Stolas’s relationship with Blitzo’s coworkers was always a beautiful thing to watch flourish, but as of this writing, it’s next to nonexistent in the show.

Either way, Blitzo won’t be coming over because he doesn’t want to get sick or “bird snot” on him. I like their little “No offense,” “None taken,” exchange here. It’s brief, it’s small, but it’s comfortable and familiar.

The next day, we get to see how Blitzo delivers the package. True to form, he hurls it through Stolas’s closed window, startling a Stolas who’s midway through a mouthful of soup. With the inconsistent way Stolas is written currently, it’s hard to say exactly how he would react to this, but this is Before!Stolas and he’s absolutely delighted. He thanks Blitzo warmly, and the next time we see him, he’s feeling much better, and he’s dropped by the I.M.P. office with iced coffee.

Now, this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, and it’s not the first time Blitzo has been less than impressed with Stolas intruding on his workplace. This is still Stolas being bad at boundaries, and if this characterization were the one we saw in the show, it would have to be dealt with at some point. Despite this, Blitzo’s not visibly fighting back disgust, he’s not tolerating Stolas’s presence because the grimoire’s on the line (it’s not here), and he’s not, as he does in the show, telling Stolas in no uncertain terms not to touch him. He’s not even as angry as he was the last time this happened. He just thanks him for the coffee and says he’s too busy to drop everything and entertain Stolas, to which Stolas replies with a line of sad emojis, but doesn’t otherwise argue. Blitzo then suggests Stolas call him later, which the latter cheerfully accepts. 

To me, this is lovely. These are two characters who care whether the other is happy, whether the other is healthy. They’re becoming more accustomed to each other’s quirks and they’re growing a little closer with every post. These are some of the posts that modern day Stolitz proponents tend to fall back on first when defending the ship, but this Stolas and Blitzo -- these two characters in the fumbling early stages of a gentle, awkward romance, sending each other care packages -- had about as much in common with present day Blitzo and Stolas as a Nerf gun has with an elephant rifle. They’re just very different characters that happen to have the same names and faces.

Can present day Stolas and Blitzo ever hope to reach this kind of dynamic? I don’t think so, I don’t think it will feel as organic, but that’s not really the point of this blog.

The point is that for a brief time several years ago, in a very different iteration of the characters, Blitzo and Stolas were kind to each other. They took care of each other.

And that’s how love should be.

[saintsenara]

I always love hearing about people’s fandom and reading/writer journeys especially since they usually involve some very cursed content and fun navigating ‘90’s and ‘00’s tech. Where did you start, what got you hooked, how have your tastes changed over the years, what made you decide to go from reader to writer? 💖

thank you for the ask, anon - and you’re correct that my experience was one of cursed 2000s technology, given that i started reading harry potter fanfiction via the twin madhouses of livejournal and fictionalley, nothing ever tagged beyond ‘lemon!!!’, on the family computer using dial-up internet [god bless the fact that the parents of my generation had no inclination to care about what we were consuming online - one of my brothers was a huge fan of rotten.com, and he's perfectly well-adjusted...]

my reading tastes were, initially, lord of the rings focused - i still think* about a particular elrohir/námo mandos fic which had me in chokehold when i was about fourteen - but i was as big a harry potter fan as anyone of my generation [shoutout in particular to one of my pals, who spent the entirety of a geography trip in 2006 speculating what the unknown horcruxes could be with me while we froze our bollocks off in some godforsaken bog in county antrim]. so it wasn’t a surprise, i suppose, that i was clicking on any fan-fiction links i could find for that series too…

[the fic which has stayed with me most profoundly from those days was called something along the lines of murder at malfoy manor which was on fictionalley and was this exceptional combination of the rules of cluedo and the ron-is-time-travelling dumbledore theory. it was incredible.]

but i wasn’t a writer. i was one of those science-y, not-like-other-girls teenagers who was performatively really cunty about other girls who liked to write little stories or draw little pictures, which i thought was fundamentally unserious. the fact that i was an avid consumer of these stories didn’t make me question what the fuck i was being such an arsehole about…

because i loved a bit of fan-fic, and not only did i love fan-fic but i demonstrably had a fandom presence and was clued up on fandom lore - i could quote my immortal, i knew what a snape-wife was, i was on a forum or two - although i went to great lengths to avoid anyone in my real life discovering that. and i do feel extremely proud of myself that i have a reputation among people i know for not having been particularly cringe as a teen [how little they know… i’ve just got a good poker face.]

i lost interest in harry potter when i went to university - i started uni in 2010, when it was still socially acceptable to be really into it, and i definitely went to my fair share of themed parties in the first couple of years, but by the time i graduated in 2016 (i did medicine, so it’s a six-year slog…) i’d not opened the books, watched the films, or thought about the fandom in years. i remember rolling my eyes at the number of people i know who went to see cursed child when it first opened. bit cringe to be in your twenties and into harry potter, isn’t it?

[lol. lmao.]

but a global crisis changes things, i suppose.

like so many people, i got back into fandom during the coronavirus pandemic - although, regrettably, not because i was stuck at home. i don’t think i’ll ever be able to accurately describe what it was like to work in a hospital in 2020, except to say that by the time i got home each day the only thing i could do other than stare blankly at a wall was lose myself in the comfort of media i knew well and its memories of a simpler time. and once i’d re-read the books a few times… well, it was only a matter of time before i was scrolling ao3 at 3am.

and, because my ego hasn’t changed even if my relationship with my own gender has, it did not take a lot to convince me that i could write stories which were just as good as the ones i was reading.

you can be the judge of whether i succeeded.

[*i’m being coy. i have it bookmarked on ao3]

[creature-wizard]

Is there anything spiritual that happened 2019 that affected the universe?

For the purpose of answering this question, I am going to interpret the word "universe" from an anthrocentric perspective; IE, the world as most of us people on Earth comprehend it, rather than the totality of the actual universe as science has mapped it. Because I strongly doubt that any spiritual event on Earth would affect the orbit of a meteorite in a distant galaxy.

Many people have their own explanations about why things happened the way they did in late 2019 and onward. But we have to keep in mind that that many of these are post-hoc explanations, effectively applying rationalizations after the fact. This is a common feature of conspiracy thinking; people interpret past events as being part of a grander design or narrative despite any real evidence to suggest this kind of intentionality behind them. And New Agers right now are coasting on the belief that everything happens is just how it's supposed to be and it's all part of the grand cosmic plan, despite their many, many channeled predictions about the near future failing on the regular.

Here's what we know happened in 2019: a coronavirus mutated, as viruses are wont to do. This was a particularly nasty mutation, and as it infected the human population, lockdowns were ordered in many parts of the world as a defense measure.

As a consequence, many people in 2020 were stuck at home, bored out of their minds with nothing to do. Meanwhile, New Agers were out there making and promoting content as always - and suddenly, they had a whole new audience of people who suddenly had nothing but time on their hands and were also looking for something to give them comfort and make sense of it all. For the average bored and anxious person with minimal knowledge in history, biology, and every other field of science New Agers butcher, it was extremely compelling and many slid right down the rabbit hole.

Like, we can't disprove that something spiritual happened, but there's no strong reason to think it did, either. And a lot of what happened afterward is pretty easy to explain when you consider how coronavirus affected people's lives at the time.