THIS IS AN AUTHOR'S NOTE, NOT PART OF THE STORY
Dear reader:
I really don't want to say this is a public service announcement, but this sort of might be a public service announcement. You can think of it the Green Day way, if it makes it any better.
I've been positively overwhelmed by the comments and support I've received ever since the publication of this self-indulgent story. It has been truly amazing to exchange messages with those of you who have been kind enough to drop comments, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude to those of you who have left kudos and subscribed to my story. I am also particularly thankful to those of you who have silently enjoyed reading this fic, so long as the daaam thing has brought you if only the slightest bit of entertainment (snorts being my absolute favorite), I'm overjoyed beyond words.
Having said that, I am posting this as an additional chapter in order to reach as many of you as possible, perhaps taking advantage of the platform and your attention a little bit.
To those who were expecting an extra chapter, I apologize in advance, and I promise to make it up to you some way or another. I'm 100% open to suggestions.
Today, I am reaching out to you guys for a personal reason. And don't worry, I'm not gonna be asking you for money, just perhaps a few minutes of your attention.
As some of you may know, if you read one of my footnotes, this story was originally inspired by one of my friends who went on a date only a few months ago, and, mask-clad as she was, the dude she was meeting practically ripped her mask off in order to kiss her.
That might have read as something romantic at some point, especially when put in the context of OUR favorite ship. The whole ordeal happened to inspire me, after all, to write this story for y'all.
At that time, like some of you, I was mostly trying to find some humor in the situation we all found ourselves in. This shit has been hard on everyone, this much is fact. But back to the point.
Months later her date, and in a totally unrelated episode (the romantic dude who ripped her mask off wasn't in the picture anymore), my bestest bestest bestest friend in the whole damn world, the very same person who inspired this story, has tested positive for Covid.
She lives in a country where vaccination is yet to be available for people under the age of 45. This has been devastating for her family and friends, myself included, but that only sheds light on the fact that there are still countries around the world where getting vaccinated in JULY 2021 is more of a luxury as a result of overwhelmed or incompetent governments, as opposed to a choice.
Dear reader, I wrote this story as a bit of a joke, but it's no longer a joke to me.
Because Covid is not a fucking joke, and just to make it clear, just in case it came off as a bit of a joke throughout the story, it's just not.
Here it comes then:
If it is within your reach and possibilities, go get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Take the appropriate precautions if you find yourself within a vulnerable group, but if you're in the age range and vaccines are available in your country, and you're still thinking about it, just do it already.
Think of what Will would say if you could, but didn't, just 'cause.
Will would be so pissed off he'd curse you with eternal couplets.
We are almost out of the woods here y'all.
Get vaccinated if you can, cause some people simply can't, and fucking Covid is still out there.
