Oh, my goodness, bb, I've been so excited for you to read this chapter!!! I'm SO happy that you thought I did it at least a little bit of justice, so THANK YOU so much! (It was frustrating to write, a bit, because if I wanted I could write tens of thousands of words just about this, but it just wasn't going to fit into the narrative of this particular story. I kept second-guessing myself, though. Like, "oh, fuck, this isn't NEARLY enough recovery. ;_;" I wanted to touch on the recovery at least a little bit, and having it take place over a period of time worked well, I think!) I'm so glad you enjoyed this ending: because there are good things, even after something so awful, and even if you never really quite go back to the way you were before. Thank you. <3
Thank you so much about Karofsky! I knew from the beginning that he was going to get away and not ever be caught, so it was very interesting watching people really badly want him to get his comeuppance. Which I totally understand, I do, but... far too often, people who do bad things get away in the end. But of course, for Karofsky, it isn't all-scot free. He's going to have to live for the rest of his life knowing what he did, and being afraid of getting caught, and looking over his shoulder. In some ways, I think, it's a worse punishment than being caught: like you said, his self-destruction is drawn-out and long and never-really-ending. He just fades into nothing in a horrible way; and after a while, Kurt and Blaine just have to accept that they might never find out what happened. It'll be harder for Burt, I think, because he wasn't as directly involved. I don't know if he'll ever be okay with not punishing Dave.
I really wanted this story to have an at least-sort-of realistic ending despite its fairy-tale-influenced premise. To show some of the real world implications to a magical problem like that, and to really talk about the fact that, no, life isn't simple like that. Sometimes the bad guys get away and the good guys really never get better again, and that's just how it goes. I'm so, so pleased that you enjoyed that paragraph, because I've been dying to type it since chapter one. :D
We've talked about different reactions to have to sexual assault before, and I'm glad that you liked the continuation of Kurt's desire for platonic physical contact. I think that, to an extent, it's just a natural reaction for loved ones to edge on the side of caution with something like this: "I don't want you to get freaked out, so I'll just not", and I'm just so happy that Kurt finally took the initiative to tell the people in his life that he wants that physical closeness from them. Because otherwise, they just aren't going to know.
You really caught that I'm-not-sure-how-you-want-me-to-act, if-I-do-this-will-you break feeling that people have when someone they love goes through a deep trauma. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, my goodness, you have no idea how happy this comment is making me all over the place. SO many things I was hoping to convey that you're picking up on! There is always that discovery, when someone you love has gone through trauma, I find. "Can we talk about this? How about this? Can I touch you like this? Is this okay?" is completely normal, because most people have no fucking idea what to do and it's a trial-and-error situation. But they can both come through it, in the end. Some things might shake Kurt up, but if they keep communicating they're going to get through it in the end.
(OMG BROTHERS!FINN/KURT IS MY OTP TOO! As evidenced by the entirety of "For Which I Have to Howl", I think, which is basically a love letter to brotherly Finn/Kurt, haha!)
Thank you so much about Karofsky! I knew from the beginning that he was going to get away and not ever be caught, so it was very interesting watching people really badly want him to get his comeuppance. Which I totally understand, I do, but... far too often, people who do bad things get away in the end. But of course, for Karofsky, it isn't all-scot free. He's going to have to live for the rest of his life knowing what he did, and being afraid of getting caught, and looking over his shoulder. In some ways, I think, it's a worse punishment than being caught: like you said, his self-destruction is drawn-out and long and never-really-ending. He just fades into nothing in a horrible way; and after a while, Kurt and Blaine just have to accept that they might never find out what happened. It'll be harder for Burt, I think, because he wasn't as directly involved. I don't know if he'll ever be okay with not punishing Dave.
I really wanted this story to have an at least-sort-of realistic ending despite its fairy-tale-influenced premise. To show some of the real world implications to a magical problem like that, and to really talk about the fact that, no, life isn't simple like that. Sometimes the bad guys get away and the good guys really never get better again, and that's just how it goes. I'm so, so pleased that you enjoyed that paragraph, because I've been dying to type it since chapter one. :D
We've talked about different reactions to have to sexual assault before, and I'm glad that you liked the continuation of Kurt's desire for platonic physical contact. I think that, to an extent, it's just a natural reaction for loved ones to edge on the side of caution with something like this: "I don't want you to get freaked out, so I'll just not", and I'm just so happy that Kurt finally took the initiative to tell the people in his life that he wants that physical closeness from them. Because otherwise, they just aren't going to know.
You really caught that I'm-not-sure-how-you-want-me-to-act, if-I-do-this-will-you break feeling that people have when someone they love goes through a deep trauma. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh, my goodness, you have no idea how happy this comment is making me all over the place. SO many things I was hoping to convey that you're picking up on! There is always that discovery, when someone you love has gone through trauma, I find. "Can we talk about this? How about this? Can I touch you like this? Is this okay?" is completely normal, because most people have no fucking idea what to do and it's a trial-and-error situation. But they can both come through it, in the end. Some things might shake Kurt up, but if they keep communicating they're going to get through it in the end.
(OMG BROTHERS!FINN/KURT IS MY OTP TOO! As evidenced by the entirety of "For Which I Have to Howl", I think, which is basically a love letter to brotherly Finn/Kurt, haha!)
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