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HEY CHAT! So, I'm actually gonna write formally, kind of, nah, don't count on that, but I'll write somewhat decent for this thank you chapter cause y'all deserve it <3
So let me start with saying THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE MOTHER FUCKING SUPPORT! Ending this story now with nearly 300 kudos and over 6,000 hits I never expected this story to gather this much of a following as it did. Starting with just a small idea while watching the movie in cinema for the second time and also my profound love of found family (sue me I love angst and fluff all in one), I got the courage use my newly formed AO3 account and just post the first chapter. And, again, I didn't expect much (though I remember my first commenter, LOOKING AT YOU Deveil_Collector!!!) but after continuing kinda reluctantly and publishing the third chapter, aka, the charley horse chapter and seeing the kudos and comments shoot up I realised I have to complete the story. Or eles yall would drive a tank to my house, who knows :3
But following along with the movie again, getting to watch these incredible actors again on my screen deliver their lines with such conviction, pulling me into the scene and causing some sort of attachment to form is what inspired me. And creating moments with Curley and the other walkers, especially with Ray and Pete, that has been a blessing that I'd never thought I would've loved as much as I did. I've always written stories but this was the first i ever put out on the internet and the overwhelmingly positive reaction to my fic has just been amazing, so again THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It's hard for me to finish stories (I have about 10 incomplete) so really finishing one, without a proper plan to with how it was gonna go, yeah, that makes me very proud RAHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Now, SECOND THING IS... sorry about the ending :3 I KNOW, I KNOW, I'm a cruel human SIGHHH but it had to be done. Well, no, not really, but it was the saddest and most realistic save the face that Ray doesn't get slimed straight away. I think it was around Halloween time (forgot what chapter specifically) was where I clocked I don't actually have an ending for the story. It just started out as a save Curley type of fic without any direction. And I had two main endings, this one, of course, then the save Curley path and kill Ray (there was also the Ray wins but uses the wish to save Curley but that had been done to death with Ray and Pete and I'M NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS! (Never wanna type that again tbh...)). It actually took me a conversation with a friend to decide the canon ending for this fic would be better, both fitting the realism of the Walk and futility... also because it was sadder so I approved :3
The ending itself was cooking in my mind, I was trying to figure out how I would do it, and whenever I had comments telling me to let Curley live or let Ray, Pete, AND Curley live, I was like ahhhhh shit. I think I'm very much satisfied how it turned out what do y'all think :p
Really, the happier ending was honestly considered, and would've been the choice I would've gone for had I not properly thought about it. BUT you guys get this one so... surpriseeeee
Nah, but on a serious note, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU'RE SUPPORT! It means the world to me and the amount of commenters I've responded to, the amount of comments I've read and laughed to (GUYS I KNOW I'M NOT RESPONDING TO MOST UNLIKE HOW I DID AT THE BEGINNING BUT I THOUGHT IT LOOKED ODD IF THE COMMENTS WERE HIGHER THAN THE KUDO COUNT ;-;) it's all so much appreciated my lovelies! Seriously, some I'm just chatting to regularly and some I'm probably moots on TikTok I love you all so much I SWEARRRRR!!!
Another small add, I might, after focusing on Walker House a bit more, do a seperate story of maybe Curley's point of view (NO, NOT WRITING THE WHOLE WALK AGAIN, I'M NOT THAT INSANE OF A WRITER) with chapters focusing on moments we didn't get to see because Ray and Pete were too busy being gay if you guys want that and his relationship with the others, of course with Ray but also Pete and Stebbins and MORE! <3
Again, this is just a thank you chapter of course, but if you guys want, pop in the comments anything you're curious about about the story, any queries on like decisions i made writing it, maybe on Curley or ask questions about how the Shine plays its role here (which, I'll say this now, is a part of this story and I was debating whether it'd be canon or a head canon and it could just be interpretation but then I was like FUCK IT LETS JUST INCLUDE IT) ANYTHING AT ALL JUST ASK AWAY I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO RESPOND!!
And again, thank you so much for helping me bring this fic to life and I am so proud to call it my very first for both this fandom and AO3. Love to all of you, my lovelies!