I'm going to be stepping away from the Vox Machina fandom for a while, and I'm asking that people please don't contact me unless it's genuinely important.
For a long time I've asked, as politely as I could, for people not to spoil major moments for me. Even well-intentioned or unintentional messages hinting that I should prepare myself or brace for the finale changed the experience I had been trying so hard to preserve.
This isn't about whether I had guesses or expectations about the story. It's about wanting to experience that journey and those emotions for myself, without being given hints after I'd specifically asked not to receive them.
What hurts the most isn't even the hints themselves—it's that I'd clearly asked people not to do exactly that, and my request wasn't respected.
I've also been dealing with something deeply traumatic in my personal life. My husband was recently in a serious car accident and only escaped with his life because of a split-second decision before impact. While I'm incredibly grateful he's still here, the emotional aftermath has been overwhelming.
On top of that, I've been struggling with my depression and mental well-being. Right now I'm emotionally exhausted, and I simply don't have the resilience I normally would.
Many of you know how much these characters—and Vax in particular—have meant to me over the years. I've related to Vax deeply, and his story has helped me process parts of my own life through writing. Because of that, experiencing the ending of this story wasn't just watching a TV show for me. It was something deeply personal.
That's why this isn't simply about spoilers. It's about having an experience that meant a great deal to me taken away after I'd asked, repeatedly and respectfully, for people to let me experience it on my own. During one of the hardest periods of my life, that hurt far more than I can easily put into words.
This post isn't meant to make anyone feel guilty or to start an argument. I simply need people to understand that spoiler etiquette matters. Even indirect hints can change someone's experience, especially when they've explicitly asked you not to do it.
I've felt increasingly disconnected from this fandom for a while because consideration around spoilers often seems to be treated as optional. This experience has made me realize I need to step away for my own well-being.
So for now, I'm muting notifications, stepping away from fandom spaces, and asking that people please respect my need for space. Please don't message me about the finale, the show, or to check in about how I'm handling it. I know those messages came from a place of kindness, but right now I need quiet more than conversation.
I genuinely wish everyone the best, but I need time to heal, process everything that's happened, and focus on the people and things that matter most in my life. Thank you to those who respected my wishes. I hope this serves as a reminder that even small, well-meaning hints can have a much bigger impact than we realize
