After their scene, Ari and Zelda discuss finding community within the adult industry, discovering your gender during quarantine, and enjoy some good ole’ post-coital coconut oil shit-shooting.

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Transcript

(Intro music)

Ari: How’d you enjoy the shoot today?

Zelda: I really enjoyed it. It was really fun.
Yeah! It was really good. I liked it!

Ari: That’s great.
Zelda: Yeah, it was hot.
Ari: It really was. We have a good time shooting together.
Zelda: We do.

Ari: Yeah, absolutely. No, it was fantastic. I really enjoyed this.
Zelda: You’re so cute.
Ari: Yeah, you’re so cute too!

Ari: You know, I’ve been wanting to work for CrashPad for a while
Zelda: They’re great.
Ari: Yeah. So this was a really awesome…
Zelda: Thanks for bringing me…
(laughs)

Ari: What do you think you found challenging about the shoot today?
Zelda: I actually was like really happy with it. I was like… I don’t know… It was warm. But that’s it.
Ari: Anything you didn’t expect?
Zelda: It went actually a lot more smooth than I expected. Thanks CrashPad.
Ari: Yeah, I actually really agree with that. I mean… Just the fact that San Francisco is unusually warm. But other than that it’s been perfect.

Zelda: It’s really hard not to star at that fat ass! That’s what’s really hard to do!
(Laughs)
Ari: I fucking love you. I can’t! (snorts)
Zelda: Thanks. Ditto. This was the most difficult part of the shoot.
Ari: Oh my god. Okay. (Laughs) Like, Okay!

Ari: Yeah, what are your safer sex practices?
Zelda: Constantly getting tested.
Ari: That’s probably the best.
Zelda: Because you never know. You really never know.
Ari: Yeah, I do love wearing the gloves every once and a while. Just because it’s really hot.
Zelda: The gloves are hot, yeah.
Ari: It’s like such an aesthetic move that I think is really hot and it’s great for safety which I think is wonderful. We love a one-stop shop. I mean I think I only, um… really use condoms when someone requests it. Otherwise I try and get tested just like you said pretty much constantly

Zelda: You got to bag it before you tag it babe.
(Laughing, both sing) Bag it before you tag it!
Ari: Oh my god I love you so much.
Zelda: I love you too.
Ari: Oh my Jesus. Of course this would be just as silly…
(Laughs)
Ari: Oh! And PrEP*. [*Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV prevention]
Zelda: Yeah. PrEP is important.
Ari: PrEP is very important. Definitely a lot of PrEP for the last like… I don’t know, I’ve been on PrEP for several years.
Zelda: If [unintelligible] PrEP gives you terrible G.I. problems
Ari: Well, technically speaking they’re all PrEP
Zelda: I guess so.
Ari: Truvada… Same, same but different.
Zelda: I didn’t go to school for chemistry…
Ari: Ditto. Ditto, girl. Tried. Couldn’t do it.

(Shine Louise Houston, off camera) The next question is… “If you’ve done porn before, why do you continue? If you haven’t done it before, why did you do it today?”

Ari: Yeah, do you want to ask that to me? And I’ll ask you the second part?
Zelda: Sure… Wait… “Why do you like porn?” Cause we all know you’ve done it. Like, it’s apparent.
Ari: Oh my goodness. No I think it’s, um.. Why do we continue?
Zelda: Why do you continue to do porn? Yeah. That’s better.
Ari: I wanted to do porn forever. In a weird way that always felt like so…
Zelda: Weird?
Ari: “Theoretical” Well, like. Who actually does porn? You know? Like when I was growing up, it was like, ‘well that’s something that SOME people do, but no way…’

Zelda: Those other people porn over there…

Ari: That’s like… how do you even get there? How do you start? You know, so I always was like ‘I want to do that’ but like, it’ll probably never happen. And now that I’m doing it, it’s like, I think I’ve been doing it this for at least three years now. I don’t know, it’s just awesome. Also, I mean god, like, aside from the fact that it’s extremely fun to work for yourself, be able to
meet all kinds of other new awesome, interesting queer people, bond with people, you know.
Zelda: That’s what I was going to say about why I like it too.
Ari: Like, it’s awesome. But also I can’t think of any other career where you have as much freedom. You know?
Zelda: At all.
Ari: You kind of pursue what you want and you do what you want. I mean, within reason and you know, obviously not everyone is as privileged to have that experience. But like, for me, it’s been you know, god. What else would I do?
Zelda: What else would you do?
Ari: Jesus, I couldn’t think of doing anything else. What about you?

Zelda: I like the people. I’m more like part-time than full-time like you. I’ve met so many cool people and I’ve met such nice friends, like you through it. And it’s just, I like meeting trans sex workers because I feel like there’s not that kind of hump to get over with everyone else because I feel like as soon as you say, 1, you’re trans and everyone’s like *Squawks!* and then you’re like “I’m a sex worker” and they’re like *Squawks!!* And it’s like a double-whammy.

So when you’re with other sex workers who are also trans, it’s just like, Oh, I can breathe!
It’s really nice.

Ari: I think the sexual openness and… not always…but I think the tendency for us to communicate more about what we want and what we’re comfortable with. You know, like safer sex and safer sex practices, all that stuff is very casual when you’re in this industry

Zelda: Oh, because you have to be! Because if you’re not professional about it then you’re gonna…
…give people STDs and no one wants that. Good bye.

Ari: No… Accidents happen.
Zelda: No but you know what I mean, it’s like people who actively go out of their way…

Ari: I think sex workers are probably the most intentional “intentional” I think is the word for it
We’re very intentional about being open and safe and making sure that we’re respectful.

Zelda: And everyone thinks that hooking up with a sex worker is like ‘I’m gonna get something”
Ari: – is dangerous

(both) but you’re probably hooking up with the safest person ever

Ari: We’re comfortable with that risk. We’re like “I recognize risk” and I’m gonna make sure that we’re good…

Zelda: Risk mitigation is kind of our job, too.

Ari: We’re prepared for that which I think is great.

Zelda: I love porn. It’s so fun!
Ari: I love porn too.

Ari: I love watching it, I love making it. Being on the other side…
Zelda: Watching it while making it!
Ari: Watching it while making it?! (Laughs) The whole nine yards. Pornception.

(Shine) Bonus question… “What has been the best thing about quarantine?”

Ari: Yeah, what has been the best part of quarantine for you? You’ve had some really eventful things happen during quarantine. To be fair, I mean you’ve had a lot of really exciting, wonderful things.

Zelda: That is true. I guess I did start doing porn during quarantine. Which is a nice thing. I don’t know, a lot of stuff has been going on. I can’t pick just one. Meeting you, has been my favorite.

Ari: Yeah, well we moved in together and we have a cute little… it’s been great
Zelda: It’s been lovely.
Ari: It’s been a very cute year.

Ari: I feel like I figured out a lot more about my gender, during quarantine. I started before quarantine doing an extremely like stealth
Zelda: You looked butch!
Ari: (Sighs) Yeah… Like I feel before quarantine I felt that was the way for me to be able to be in this industry and be successful and I feel like, you know, with so many other people this is not in any way special to me but we’ve all been re-evaluating our priorities and our needs and I feel like through quarantine it’s been one of those things were we’ve all been sitting with ourselves and I sat with myself and was like “Gee. I’m not a man. And that’s okay.”

Ari: I’ve spent ten years transitioning to be a binary, passing, like cis-passing man, and I’m like, that’s not actually really authentic to my experience and now I feel way more comfortable and happy in my skin…

Zelda: Your skin tastes nice too.

Ari: …and I’m exploring all sorts of interesting kinks and topping. Um, thank you, god! I’m being serious right now and you’re flirting with me!
Zelda: I know you are! I know. It’s so hard not to.
Ari: Yeah.. oh you’re so cute. Yeah, anything else that you want to say that you’ve really … pro’s?
Zelda: I think it’s learning what I don’t like and that’s… I feel like a lot more important than what you do like
Ari: Finding your boundaries in a different way.
Zelda: Boundaries have been found.
Ari: Boundaries have been found
Zelda: Boundaries abound!
Ari: Boundaries abound!? (Laughs) Oh my god!
Zelda: I can’t help it I’m so sorry.
Ari: I know you can’t help it. It’s okay! It’s okay. We all love it.
Zelda: It’s fine. I’m just covered in coconut oil. And having a nice time shooting the shit, covered in coconut oil. Thank you. Post-coital coconut shit shooting.

Ari: HA! Oh my god! Okay. I mean.
Zelda: That’s a wrap!
Ari: That’s it! “Post-coital coconut shit shooting?!”
Zelda: I could so go for like a chicken caesar wrap.
Ari: I will get you a chicken caesar wrap. We will make that happen.
Zelda: Thank you.

(Shine) Excellent, thank you!
(both) Thank you!
(Shine) That was the hardest part…