Comfort in Silence // dnf

Preface

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU CONTINUE

JUST A PSA: IF YOU DONT READ THIS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING DISUSSED, DONT BOTHER COMMENTING. I MAY MUTE YOU :)

- While you're reading, do not compare my work to other writers. That makes me feel like this work is unoriginal, so saying "This is like the other story I read." or "Sapnap is the wingman like every other story." is not funny. It makes me feel insecure at the originality of my work. It's the same as art. Do not hold me, or others, to the standards of people that have different works. You wouldn't look at someone's artwork and say they're trying to be like some big name MCYT artist, like SAD-ist and the whole animatic "wanna be" situation on YouTube/Twitter. Appreciating the work and not pointing out other people in the same interest, should 1000% be the same for creative writers.

- Don't make Heatwaves jokes, please. This story IS NOT Heatwaves. I made a single Heatwaves joke late within the story, but its minor, and this is a Reality AU so of course the story exists and they joke about it with each other. You may riff off of that line, but if you make a joke referring to the story in completely unrelated parts of the story its not funny, and frankly inappropriate. I don't find it funny and I will not hesitate to delete said comments. Also taking words and pushing them out of context is also, again, not appropriate. Turning words like "Melt" or "Heat" into references when they have absolutely NOTHING to do with the story is not funny.

(Comments from the past will not be deleted because I am a lazy college student with a lot on my hands. But I WILL delete any future ones.)

- DO NOT BABY DREAM. Just don't. I didn't think this would need to be said but I think that its necessary for people to know this because people who are selective should not be infantized, and even though this is PURE FICTION, you should treat Dream the same. So when you comment something like "Aww" or "That's a lot of progress!" its not cute and its not supportive. The length of his comments are made to represent his comfort level in those particular situations, and show how he's breaking past mental barriers. HE IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK. He can speak. So don't make a big deal out of it. There are many theoretical moments that aren't written into the story where he talks the same amount, if not more, so its not a big deal, and that's why Sapnap and George don't turn it into a big deal. (You shouldn't either.)

(And if I am stepping over the voices of people who are mute, and I am incorrect, please inform me and I will be sure to make sure you all are represented properly!)

(And again, past comments will not be deleted, but future ones will)

- Please don't spam comments. I love when people interact through voting and making comments on chapters. I try my best to reply to people with questions or when they say something amusing, but it makes it hard to rake through the already large amount of comments. I want to be able to interact with you guys, and I cant do that if people are commenting singular words 10 times in one chapter!

- Do Not Trauma Dump !!! This is not the time, nor the place, to talk about your abusive parents or toxic relationships you once had. This story deals with trauma yes, but I honestly feel uncomfortable hearing about it in my comments. I understand people have their own coping mechanisms, but even so save it for someone who has willingly offered to listen, like a friend or a therapist!
(there are some people who are willing to listen in the comments, but do try to seek out some form of professional help if its serious. take care of yourselves, physically and mentally)

- This is less of a request but I think its important. Just so you know, Sapnap and Dream have known each other since they were 9 and 11 respectively. So Sapnap KNOWS Dream, so he knows what his breaking points are. There are moments in this story where he gives Dream some tough love, he wouldn't say anything he knows would trigger Dream, so if he says something that seems inappropriate in the moment, just know Sapnap knows this AU's Dream better than you do :)

Sorry if this all seems stern, but I think its necessary moving forward to set boundaries for my audience. And I think that everyone reading this should take some of these words to heart when reading others stories (*cough* heatwaves jokes *cough*) Not everyone is the same and I think that's beautiful and I think we need to encourage originality everywhere, especially writing and artwork. Don't be afraid to express yourself!

Thank you for reading my rant, and I hope you enjoy what you are about to read!

-wowie