Good Mythical Weekend. Today, one crew member will confront her greatest fear. Can her closest friends help her through it? Closest? Oh, yeah! Ha ha! I’m screwed. I’m screwed. No, you’re not. You got this. This is Now Fear This. Okay. Mikayla, what are you afraid of? Rats! That was easy. Why? Like, when did this happen? What’s up? It’s been a lifelong thing, like, it’s, I grew up in Chicago, which is a big city, but Chicago does not have rats. Yes, it does. Yeah, it does. I never encountered them. I think it’s actually number one. Is it really? Yeah. I never came in contact with them when I lived in Chicago, but then when I moved to the south, I’ll literally never forget, like, there was, we had this like big dark garage, and I went out there and I heard a squeak and like running, and I was like, nope, okay. How big? No, never again. How big? Um, I don’t know, I didn’t see I didn’t see it, but I heard it, and that was enough for me. Have you like, so, your experience of rats is limited to the idea of them? Yeah, and like, whenever they appear anywhere, like, I just saw Nosferatu and like when they were just like, running all over the city, it was just like, that was the scariest part. Nosferatu wasn’t even scary to me. Did you know there were going to be a lot of rats in the movie? I had no idea! I also didn’t know Willem Dafoe was going to be in it, and that brought me a lot of joy. That’s a plus. You got really psyched when you talked about Willem Dafoe. I do like Willem Dafoe. Oooh, also! Is that a rat? Wait, you like rat boys, though? That’s what I was going to say, you defined your type as rat boys. Okay here’s the thing, here’s the thing though. Not like, Spiderman. It’s like, you know, the rat face boys. We give white boys these weird names every year. So like this year, 2025, it may be like Dachshund face boys. Like we don’t know. So like before it was like sickly, sickly Victorian child. I think bird boy is coming. Bird boy is on his way. Like, we don’t know. It changes every year. So I’m also a little crazy. I can see these men as you’re describing them. Yeah. Aw. So. Like, if you encountered a rat in real life. What, what level of fear are we, are we talking, like, what will be your response? Um, well, just thinking about this as a whole, like, I am kind of like already shaking. I’ve been shaking for like the last, like, yeah. For like the last hour just thinking about it because it’s just, I don’t want it’s like, I don’t know if there’s one here, I don’t know if it’s gonna bite me. I don’t know if like, what’s gonna happen? There’s one could like fall out the rafters that like I will run, I will take off running, maybe cry and scream. Is that ultimately, are you ultimately afraid it’s gonna bite you? Yeah, and get a disease and I’ll die because of it. So it’s the, they’re not clean. Yeah, they’re very dirty, they’re very nasty. And I also don’t like the tails. Like that long stringy tail is just really gross to me. So if it didn’t have a tail, would that be interesting? Yeah, cause I had a pet hamster. Growing up. It’s the tail! They’re similar. Yeah, it’s the tail. This is very rodent specific. Yeah. I like guinea pigs. Hashtag not all rodents. Hashtag not all rodents. I like guinea pigs. I like hamsters, but rats and kind of mice too. Like they have those weird beady eyes. What about possums? Those tails. They have gross tails too and I don’t really, they are, they’re huge. And they have that gross tail too. I think possums are adorable. They’re fantastic. It’s 50/50 on those. I have faith in you. This is like, I know that you have progress in you. Yeah, this is what today is about. We’re going to be gradually bringing you through things to bring you closer to the rat. Okay. You know what I’m saying? Like, like, metaphorically. Not literally bringing you closer to a rat. Yeah… well.. I don’t believe you, but okay. Um, let’s, let’s visualize, um, you know, and, and here’s some imagery to help you visualize. I want you to tell me how these images make you feel. Oh. That’s the first one? Come on. Oh, that’s rough. That, like, is diseased rats. No, that’s gnarly. Yeah, that is a disease. There’s a lollipop stick in there. Well, you’re not really looking. Yeah, I saw what I needed to see. Okay, so we’re at, we’re at, can barely look. Okay. That’s gross! The next one should surely be more sympathetic to rats. Oh, what is going on? Is it dead? What is happening? Just look at it. You can do it. It’s a close up. It’s just a close up. I feel bad. The teeth too! It’s the teeth! Eww! Eww! That’s how they’re supposed to look. But like, hamster teeth are very similar. Crest mice strips. I didn’t look at Sandy’s teeth that much. That deeply. I just kinda held her. What was it’s name? Her name was Sandy. Aww. And I would walk up to her and say, Sandy! Like John Travolta. Sandy! Sandy! Because clearly that was a John Travolta impression. Yeah! Wait, she’s named Sandy from Grease? Wait, I wanna close my eyes. Do it again. Sandy! John? He’s in the room. Is he in the room? The hamster takes a little cigarette out and go, Tell me about it, stud. [Laughter]. Okay. Let’s see more. Let’s see another one. Oh, see, yeah. Okay. We’re into animated rats. Yeah, they’re okay. Okay. They can’t hurt you. Still has that tail. But I will say, I used to work at Disney World, and sometimes he would come out in the costume and I would be like, nope! Oof. But you said he can’t hurt you, but you thought when the guy came out in the costume that he could? Now he can. Because he’s real. I mean, I guess technically he could. The costume is huge, too. But that’s a man. It’s big. Oh. Is it R O U S? R O U S. Are you scared of costumes, too? Yes. That was another one that I actually submitted. Good. I didn’t know that. I don’t like costumed things. Costumes and rats. Um, okay. Why are we friends? Let’s see another one. That’s Emily’s thought. Alright. This is brilliant. This is brilliant. Now who are those fellas? Dude, they really are rodent boys. It’s so crazy. This is crazy. I don’t know. What? You want, you want that framed, I’m thinking. I know Michaela wants this framed. I need this printed out. The way he’s holding his little hands like this. He has a little, he has a little frumpy fist. So cute. Like you are enjoying this, and I. This is hilarious. Is there like a way that when you look at a rat, you can like picture the rat boys? Oh, that’s a good idea. Like you can think about. Really? Cuz they’re human boys. Well, this is therapy. Don’t say no. Yeah, let’s move into bestiality, like a little bit. That’s how we’re gonna solve this issue. She can be friends with one of these rat boys. She doesn’t have to always want the relations. Maybe, is it the pack of rats? Is it like, I don’t like packs. I really don’t like packs. So maybe one rat is something that you could possibly be into as opposed to. Nix the pack. Let’s not do the pack. Yeah, let’s not start with a pack. There’s a guy, there’s like a guy in a trench coat, but it’s really just a ton of rats on top of each other. So we’ll tell that guy to go away. That sounds so funny. Okay, what else, what else do we have in the image department? Gotta get better. Why did y’all do that? Why did you do that to me? Oh my god, it’s so cute. Oh, look, this is sabotage. That’s so evil. But look at how, look at how happy you are. Because I didn’t know! I didn’t know! Honestly, new profile pic. Hold up some stuff. Stand there with your hands up. But like, if you, if you were in your own mind, in that photo, of happiness. Like, you can get there and then see the rats are with you. So, like, make that mental connection. This reminds me of the lady from Home Alone 2. That Macaulay Culkin. Like, I could see many children running away from me. But she was a good lady. She was a good lady at the end of the day. Which I am as well. But that, I don’t like that. So, do you like this? Oh, oh, what, what? Stay still. It’s okay. What is happening? Wow. What is going on with the eyes? That is a real rat. So, what are you feeling now? Pay attention to the teeth and the tail. He looks like he’s going to attack you. He does! How does that make you feel? He’s trying to kill me! Look at his tail. Yeah, that’s just, oh! Oh, oh! Stop going so fast! Wow. Oh my god. There is a vibration to the nose that is disconcerting. That’s pretty unsettling. And I can hear whoever that is just, like, cackling. Just cackling. It’s better than that Cats movie mess that we saw. It is! Why are you moving like this? It’s not that scary. I like both of these equally. Me too. You know, it’s a rat in a costume. The teeth are prominent. You touched it! I touched it! You touched it! Did you just dab? You touched it! That rat is dabbing! I thought you were trying to prove that rats are nice. I was calling you a name, not giving you an order, but I appreciate that you did it anyway. Dab Rat. [Laughter]. That rat is giving. The dabs are very aggressive. They are. Okay. I’m feeling good about some process. Only because you did, you’re laughing and you touched the costume rat. Yeah. Okay. Are we, are we ready to go to the next step? Maybe. I think we have to let, let, let’s go to the next thing. Have a little kiss. No Okay. Lucas, if you could please. I found a rat. Okay, for now, for now, for now the rat is over here. It’s not close to you. It’s in an enclosure. It cannot get out of the enclosure. Do you, how do you feel, how do you feel about this? That enclosure looks, like, really secure. Okay. So I feel alright. Why don’t we get to know him from this distance a little bit. Um, is there. Do you want to ask him questions? Yeah, is there anything you want to say? Uh, hey. Heeeey. It’s more of a statement. Whatcha doin over there? Yeah, but he’s a rat so he can’t answer any questions. He’s like, I can’t tell if he’s like, looking at me, like giving me side eye right now. And that’s like changing, like, do I want to fight this rat? That’s not fair. I can’t tell if he’s looking at me though, he’s kind of like looking, are you looking at me right now? I think he, he knows where his camera is, I think he’s looking at you. Oh, he knows his angles. Maybe, maybe a name would, would familiarize you, you know? What name do you love? What name do I love? Yeah. Beyoncé. You should name your child. I would not name a rat, Beyoncé, as, as I love Beyoncé, a lot. Nodonce? Rodonce. Rodonce. Rodonce. You’re getting, you’re naturally getting closer. Radiance. Yeah, that’s true. Radiance. That’s cozy. You could go back down the Greek route. I like Radiance. Is it a boy or a girl? Do we know? Well, it’s okay. You can name it whatever you want. Oh, okay. It’s a boy, but. Radiance. Radiance. Radiance. Sir Radiance. Sir Radiance. Lovely to meet you. Why don’t we, Sir Radiance can just move like, eh, six inches. You know. Oh. Bye. Oh. We’re still here. That’s good. That is such a cute rat. There’s like barely any difference. It’s the cutest rat I’ve ever seen. It’s a really cute rat. How’s that possible? It’s like the same color as my chinchilla. Yeah. Your chinchilla was cute. Yes. Very cute. Yeah. There’s a difference between street rats and this magnificent creature. I mean, street rats are are, yeah, they’re gross and they have a little bit of like dirt on them and stuff. But yeah, not, not this one, not this one. Beautiful rat. You see this, I could see you changing. Your foot’s not tapping nearly as much as it was. It’s a little bit. Well, you see, what, what kind of fun things did you do with your hamster? I would put her in a ball and then I would put the ball on the ground and I’d go, go Sandy. And she would roll around. So how long did the, the hamster? Stay with you. How long was it long for? Three years. The, the hamster lifespan. Nice. Was it hard for you when your hamster passed? Yes. I was devastated actually. Do you think maybe that has something to do? Yeah. Contributed a little? Maybe you’re scared of getting hurt by loving another– And letting another rat into your, or– A rodent into your life. Oh, I love this idea. Thank you. Maybe that’s such a good idea. Maybe there’s a, there’s a slight possibility. I think we’re getting a good feeling. Of that. Like, you, you fed your hamster, presumably. So that it could live. Why don’t we, I feel like. You want me to feed it? Yeah, we need. Yep. But from afar, it’s okay. Let’s get, like, we have a little situation. Look how long this spoon is. See? Okay? Right. Okay. Right. Okay, so there’s some, some peanut butter, some, some little nuts. Don’t scream though, don’t scream. I won’t. Don’t scream. Just like, let’s see. Okay. No, no. Come on. Come on. Hey little Radianci. Hey. He can’t reach that high. I need some food. I, I. Alright. Come on, you can do it. Come on. Get it, get it in your hands. Just step by step. Step by step. There, or. Alright. Nudge by nudge. Hey. You’re doing great. I have some. There you go. I’m just scared he’s gonna like. Lunge. He’s just a chill, chill rat. Look at him. I feel like he needs to feel you out the same way you do. Come on, Ratiance. Okay, put it closer to the ground. Keep going. You can keep going down. Or lower. Yeah. I don’t want it to like, lunge. It’s not gonna. Give it some affirmation. If it does lunge though, that’s gonna be so funny. Hey, Rateyonce. Hey, baby. Look at those ears. So cute. Very challengers. Those ears are very challengers. It’s not moving, y’all. Okay, maybe he’s not hungry. It’s okay, I’m proud of you. You got close. And if he’s not coming to you, maybe I can bring him. You’re gonna pick. I will bring him to you. Stevie! You’re gonna pick up– Why don’t we. You’re gonna pick up, you’re gonna put the rat in your hands. I’m gonna pick up Rattiansi. Wouldn’t that be funny if this was just the end of the episode and we were like, we tried. This is the final step. She’s crying in the bathroom right now, so. Oh my god, he’s so cute. Wow. Very cute. Precious little angel. Oh my goodness. Oh, you’re touching it with your hands. Oh, wow. Hi. Wow. Let’s get this out of the way. Ooh. Wow. His hair. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Wow. How does that feel for you? I think he’s really cute. I love his tail. I can see it back here and it’s starting to make me feel warm and fuzzy. He’s got balls. He does? Yeah, I can see them. For sure, it a boy. They’re resting on Stevie’s fingers. Sorry. Are these the only balls you’ve ever touched? Oh, wow. I’m sorry. I was kind of curious. That’s the next, that’s the next episode of this series. Fix your fears. With Stevie’s next fears. Balls. What are we thinking? What if it’s just like, like, it’s so close. Stevie’s got a handle on it. Yeah, Stevie you look really comfortable with this rat. Let’s unpack this. And look at how the rat is so comfortable with Stevie. So comfortable. Not looking to, like, make any jumps or do anything else. He’s looking right at me. And his balls are huge. It’s trying to connect with you. Sorry, that’s just what I can see from here. Maybe it’s like, you know how cats, they usually want to be around the person who doesn’t want them around the most? I think that’s why he’s looking at you like that. Why don’t you put the spoon down nicely, and softly, and then come say hi. Okay. And he’s scared, like he’s just scared. He’s scared, he’s probably scared of me, cause I’m crazy. Good job, the spoon is in place. That was the, what was that? See, even you moving like freaked him out a little bit. We’re all freaked out by this rat in one way or another. So. Why don’t you? And his balls. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Bring that finger over here. Ah, wow. Okay. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Let’s say a mantra or something. Okay. All right. Take a deep breath. Maybe we all say this something together. I don’t know why I’m in charge of this. I’m a bad person for this. All right. Say, you can handle this. I can handle this. Yes, you can. And by this I mean a rat. It’s temporary. This isn’t forever. I forgot it was there and then I looked over and See, this is why it’s good. Just keep saying that stuff to yourself and put it in your head. I don’t want you to crawl up my body in a way. You’re so close. I don’t want to transfer my anxious energy to the rat. That’s not how rats work. That’s my fear now. That’s my worry now. He doesn’t bite, he doesn’t like, yeah. That sweater looks very soft. He’s getting more active, he’s excited. Oh, he did a little turn and I can see his balls. Wow, that tail. I think he really likes you, Stevie. Yeah. He’s finding a little comfort spot. Yeah, I think he just wants to not be here right now. Right. Oh. You got it. You’ve got this. It’s okay. Nobody move. Yeah, y’all keep talking. Be careful. Any kind of like sudden movement scares him, so. That was really good. You got really close. I did, didn’t I? Look at me. Touch its tail. No! You’re so close. I think you like him. Yeah. He might be growin on me a little bit. Yeah, come on. She can’t not like him. He’s so cute. I’m gonna try to touch the back. I don’t wanna touch face. I don’t wanna touch nose. I don’t wanna touch. Cute little pet. I did it! I did it! I’m emotionally clapping for you right now. Um, I’ll do it another way. Okay. You’re okay. You only have a little stroke? Just a little, see how soft it is. It’s so soft. He’s looking up at Stevie like, like she’s his mom. Mother. Okay, there we go. There you go. Aww. Look at this. I hope you’re getting a close up of this rat. Who’s getting a close up? This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Yeah, there we go. He’s got a thumbs up. I think we’re good. This is great. There’s one more thing we have to do. Lucas, will you grab, will you grab the little thing behind you? Gladly, I’ve been waiting for this moment. Is it that giant person in a costume again? No! Okay. No! We gotta pick out something for him to wear. For this next beat. So you have to pick out something for him to wear. What do you want him in? Okay, let’s see what we got going on. Four shirts and four hats. What is screaming Rattionce? Well, see, oh wow. I’m a lavender girl. Mm hmm. Okay. I’m not wearing any right now, but typically. So we get the little lavender shirt. And what hat goes with that? It’s okay. It’s like Gus Gus and stuff and Cinderella when she put the little hat. Oh, little Gus Gus. You’re Cinderella right now. That rat’s going to turn into a husband. Oh my God. Look, it’s a bunny rabbit hat. Is that, oh. I gotta go. Some of those movies. You got this. You’re doing so good. Perfect ending for Michaela. Do you see the bunny, the bunny rabbit hat? I do see the bunny rabbit hat. But he is a rat. I know, but if you put the bunny rabbit hat on, then is he? It may make it better. I think I’m gonna do this little flower then. That’s beautiful. Oh, that’s so cute. We can do a little flower. Like a Pikmin. Okay. Like a little Pikmin. I think we have the outfit picked then? Yes. Okay, let’s move on. Don’t tell me I have to put it on, because I. He’s asleep. Let’s move on to our next beat. Okay, Michaela, I think you’ve come a long way. I have. But it’s time to cement this newfound love. For rats in a family photo. Oh, how about a series of family photos? Okay, series. Okay, so it’ll just be you, me, and Rattayance. Oh, nice outfit. I honestly the the the outfit is like making it a little less scary. And a little, a little, Ah, hello! That was my boob. Oh! There’s a lot of weird accidental, a lot of weird touches. A lot of touching and bumping. I feel like maybe it should just be you and Rattayance. Oh, maybe. Wanna see it happen? Really? I think you got this. I think you got this. Just like Sandy with a tail. Rest in peace, Sandy. I love you, girl. You say recipe? What’d you do? Rest in peace. She got old and died. She’s doing it. Don’t. Don’t make her focus. She ate the hamster. Don’t. There you go. Oh, no. Hey. Hello. Hey. Bro, hey. Hi! Oh my god. I did it! You got both red. Oh my goodness. I told you so. Wow. I told you red, you gotta say hello. That’s good. Hi! Don’t make any noises about anything that’s going on around you. Look at the camera. We all love this. Oh, what’s that? It’s just rats. More rats. This is dream come true. Oh, look at it. Emily’s gonna cry. And you’re posing. It’s so good. Okay, I feel like, are you a little less afraid of rats at least? Yeaaah… Little less bad. Okay, they just have to all be wearing cute little crocheted hats. Just put in a little cute thing. I’m okay, I think. Well, thank you for going through this. It’s hard to face your fears. Thanks to Rattayance. Thank you to you guys for helping Mikayla through everything. Yes. Thank you to Sarah and Robert, our rat wranglers today, uh, for making Rattayance, uh, available. And if you want more fun times, might I recommend you head over to the Mythical Society for a Good Mythical Weekend more to see the crew identify each other based on their personal top fives, and we’ll see you back here next weekend. Dab for us. I Can’t. Oh just like a rat Bye! You said after your latest album Jesse volume 4 came out you can finally start your career, you didn’t say your career and what. I train you to be a chef you train me to be the world’s greatest violin. Oh, wow, oh gosh.