Author’s Note + Sequel
Hi everyone! It’s been a minute. I haven’t given up on the series (I want the boys to have their happy ending!) but 1) work got super hectic and 2) I realized that ao3 probably isn’t the best platform to host the next story in the series.
The next story gets very dark, and deals with a lot of potentially triggering topics including toxic thought cycles, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, etc. I 100% do not want to inadvertently traumatize anyone. At the same time, I recognize that the fandom tends to attract a number of younger readers, and I am extremely uncomfortable with the thought that someone this story was not intended for could accidentally stumble upon it.
Therefore, I’ve been searching for a different place with a more robust age verification system to host the story. I have never used Patreon before, but from what I’ve seen, there are more safeguards in place on that platform—enough that I’m not constantly distressed about readers potentially being negatively impacted by what I write. Crucially, it preserves everyone’s anonymity as well.
To clarify: this is not about money. I am going with the lowest amount that Patreon allows me to charge in order to host my work there. Patreon also takes a cut of that amount, so I see it as more of a service fee for using the platform to share my writing. I will do the additional work of changing character names so I can make this available as original fiction, since that is what Patreon permits and what I’ve seen fan writers in similar situations do. Fortunately, I think enough elements of this story are original that it can be posted on Patreon without crossing any legal boundaries. Who the characters are should be easy to figure out.
This solution addresses another concern I had, which is that I really, really do not want to deal with any more comments about the characters being ooc. What’s most important to me in the next story is the reactions of the characters to their circumstances. I don’t want my choices in characterization to detract from the story itself, or to distract readers. Feeling like I have to defend my artistic decisions is also kind of draining, and I just want to enjoy the writing process.
I am grateful for your patience and understanding as I navigate the ethical quandaries of responsibly creating content about highly sensitive issues. I want to finish this series—it means a lot to me, and I hope that it means something to you readers as well—but I want to do it in a way that does not compromise my personal values or contribute more pain to the world. I might make other stories in the series available on ao3 later on, although I’m not sure yet. Thanks so much for reading thus far, and I hope you enjoyed/continue to enjoy the journey.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/alpacasilk
