“You're going to die,” he said. “Not yet,” Rider said, “not yet.” He bent forward and, taking Song's head in both his hands, kissed the child's face. “Not yet, child.” There was something in his voice that Song did not know what was. “Were you there?” Song asked, his voice exhausted and hardly more than a whisper. Rider shook his head slowly, his expression shadowed. “I don't know what you saw, but I can't tell you there isn't truth in it.” Song dropped his gaze. “Why? Why must you die?” “You know the answer,” Rider said very gently. Song looked at him. He didn't think to say he didn't, yet he feared it nonetheless. Why did love have to come at such a dreadful price? How was love even worth being if that was what it cost? Something whispered within him, as if to say that that was only half the answer, as if the answer was something so much deeper and so much farther from words that it could never be thought or known.

Saturday #Snippetshare

Option theme or word "shadow"

With #NamedByLove (a platonic found family love story, about a boy being rescued by a man & a feather-dragon) being in the Narratess Indie April Sale, I'm sharing its first instance of "shadow" which is amazingly far in.
books2read.com/b/3nqlOo

Saturday #snippetshare finally on time.

Optional word "hair"

Today I decided to share a short snip from #NamedByLove (my found family rescue story)
This might be one of the snippets that got me banned from discord, but I can't see how it could possibly be read wrong.

Rider stood. “I'll be back,” he said. Song's eyes followed him as he walked to Furgo's head. The hidden purpose, even the very power in Rider's every step made Song think now only of one thing. That purpose was the purpose in the steps of a man who knew he was going to die, who was more willing, more willing to die than Song could imagine being willing to suffer anything. More willing seemed almost wrong, not pure enough or strong enough, for it did not describe the perfect purity of the willingness that would make a man walk to his death of his very own free will. It was as though death was to Rider only a thing one must walk through for the cause of a purpose infinitely greater. Rider treated death as a thing so much smaller than Song had thought pain and fear to be, than Song had treated pain and fear as– and yet was death not infinitely more horrible, infinitely greater?

Been a while since I shared from #NamedByLove (My found family platonic love story.)

I think the 2nd half of this is too much tell, but what's done is done. (Besides that I like too much tell.)

Do themes like this make a story not MG?🤔

- memory of Furgo, (though the current Furgo is *much* larger)
In the beginning of #NamedByLove, the relationship is completely broken, Song believing Furgo is no more than a dream.
It's in incredibly poor attempt to cope with being separated from the only friend he ever had.💔
When he meets the -2/?

I haven't caught up on the WIPSnips posts I've saved, but I'm still posting Saturday #snippetshare
Optional theme: Somewhere you used telling to evoke emotion, or just the word "tell"

I went with the word bc I'll never understand this whole show tell thing🫣
From #NamedByLove (a platonic love story)

When he finally came in, so late in the evening that the back of the cave was nearly dark, he lowered a heavy bag onto the ground before shaking as much half-melted snow as he could out of his clothes and hair. He then carried the bag to where the roots they'd gathered were stored, and began to empty it of what was apparently more roots. When Song came over, he explained, “We won't be able to get to them when the snow gets thick, and we want as much as we can for the winter.” “We don't have any firewood,” Song said. “I'll get that tomorrow. We'll be hungry tonight, but I'd rather not go back down in the dark.” “I don't want you to.” “I know,” Rider said, standing. “My clothes are pretty wet and cold on the outside. Shall I leave them to dry on the wall and come lie down with you and Furgo.” “You're probably pretty cold. If you'll be warmer that way then do what you want,” Song said. “I was mostly concerned about getting the outsides of my wet clothes on you,” Rider said with the barest hint of a chuckle. “There's not much I can do about my hair.” “I don't really care. The ground makes my feet super cold.” “Then go back and get them warm. Hopefully I'll have shoes for you soon,” Rider said, taking off the harness he usually wore strapped around his torso.

On the note of "show" & "tell"

I wonder which this snippet would be considered?🤔

From #NamedByLove (a platonic found family rescue story)

#WritingInJanuary 27. Share a snippet you're proud of. I'm proud of many snippets, but here's 1 that will always stick with me from #NamedByLove (a platonic love story) Rider's eyes were too intense for Song, even in the shadowed light. He couldn't quite tell if there was pain in them, but there was something he couldn't handle. “I need it to be always,” he said into Rider's clothing. “You didn't even promise not to die.” “Perhaps we all need it to be always– but what if love is enough. What if my and Furgo's love being always, and your love also being always, is enough.” “But it's not, if you die, or if something happens to Furgo, or if I end up back in my father's palace.” “Never– May that never happen.” Rider's voice was a vow, protective and fierce, adding a touch of thickness to the softness with which he normally spoke. “Does that mean you promise not to get hurt?” Song tried to enjoy the cool smoothness of Rider's jacket against his cheek, as he half lay against Rider, tucking his legs up close so that his knees were almost on Rider's legs. He didn't really want to think about any of his questions. “It means I promise to love you as long as either us have existence, and I'll do everything I can to keep you away from your father. You will never, never be abandoned.” “Does that mean we will stop to exist?” Song let the question flow from his mouth without even thinking about whether it made sense. “What does it even mean to exist?” Rider said softly. “Our love exists as long as we do. Isn't that all that really matters in our existence?” “Maybe, but I'm scared of not existing.” “Even if I and Furgo are with you as long as you are?” “If you die, you won't be.” “I will be. I'll make sure of that.”

Rider's eyes were too intense for Song, even in the shadowed light. He couldn't quite tell if there was pain in them, but there was something he couldn't handle. “I need it to be always,” he said into Rider's clothing. “You didn't even promise not to die.” “Perhaps we all need it to be always– but what if love is enough. What if my and Furgo's love being always, and your love also being always, is enough.” “But it's not, if you die, or if something happens to Furgo, or if I end up back in my father's palace.” “Never– May that never happen.” Rider's voice was a vow, protective and fierce, adding a touch of thickness to the softness with which he normally spoke. “Does that mean you promise not to get hurt?” Song tried to enjoy the cool smoothness of Rider's jacket against his cheek, as he half lay against Rider, tucking his legs up close so that his knees were almost on Rider's legs. He didn't really want to think about any of his questions. “It means I promise to love you as long as either us have existence, and I'll do everything I can to keep you away from your father. You will never, never be abandoned.” “Does that mean we will stop to exist?” Song let the question flow from his mouth without even thinking about whether it made sense. “What does it even mean to exist?” Rider said softly. “Our love exists as long as we do. Isn't that all that really matters in our existence?” “Maybe, but I'm scared of not existing.” “Even if I and Furgo are with you as long as you are?” “If you die, you won't be.” “I will be. I'll make sure of that.”

#WritingInJanuary 27.
I'm proud of many snippets, but here's 1 that will always stick with me from #NamedByLove (a platonic love story)

“What does it even mean to exist?” Rider said softly. “Our love exists as long as we do. Isn't that all that really matters in our existence?”

- to answer.
(tagging this #NamedByLove because it gets into themes central in that story)
Furgo has never hurt either Song on Rider, though Rider hurts *himself* in a way he’ll never heal from, through the promise he makes to Furgo.
Song does hurt Rider, once, intentionally. He hits him, trying -

#SundaySnips Does this count as blustery winter weather?

From #NamedByLove my found family fantasy

The wind gusted, and with it came a sheet of pelting rain. For a moment it died down, but it soon returned pelting still harder, and Song just buried his face in Furgo's feathers and cried for . . .

“As to it hurting, certainly not much,” Rider said. “But I am little bothered by small amounts of pain.” Song looked up from his lap, turning his head to see if he could see Rider's face. “Does that make me a coward that I am?” “Never,” Rider said, pulling Song's attention to his face, to his eyes, as he turned so that they were looking at each other. He lifted his left hand, his scarred hand, to the side of Song's face. “Not at all child. “The fact that I don't care doesn't even make me better. It just means that certain things that are hard for others are not for me– It would make me worse if I still didn't do them . . . But I can't help but hope that you won't ever have to face those things.” Love flickered softly in Rider's eyes, emphasized in a blink that didn't seem to take their gaze from Song for even a moment. “I don't know how much I care, if you have to face them,” Song said dropping his eyes, wondering how true what he said was, if it was true at all. “Then I guess I had better not have to face them,” Rider said, as Song moved closer to him and they enfolded each other in their arms. “Maybe we shouldn't be talking about these things at all,” Rider said as their hug loosened. “I want you to be happy, I want to make you happy.” “And I want you to be,” Song responded with childish affection. “I know. I love you,” Rider said, and kissed his hair. When they separated, Song found his eyes drawn to the half healed scab on Rider's forehead. He reached out his fingers to feel Rider's face.

Sharing this snippet again with the hashtag I made, because I'm sick of quoting to fix mistakes #NamedByLove

I'm sharing this partially *because* I'm afraid to.
I'm going to stand for my belief that platonic commitment & affection are very important, no matter how I'm accused.

I hope I can be forgiven for tagging all this stuff #NamedByLove even though Rider doesn't have POV in Named By Love

A lot that's untrue has been said/implied about Rider & Song's bond.
I want anyone who's interested to be able to search the hashtag & see my take on Rider's platonic commitment.

Tagging this #NamedByLove because though it's not a snippet it explains something people seem to misunderstand.

#WritingCommunity Being up so late it's early has 1 upside.😅
No matter what happens today I didn't forget to post a Saturday #snippetshare
Optional theme “danger”

🚫Please follow the rules in the quoted post

Mine is from #NamedByLove (a found family, platonic love story)

The word {It is one thing to die, it is another to not even know who you are} on a dark reddish background

#Writingcommunity I'm planning to enter #NamedByLove into a book draw.

How is this for a 1 sentence hook?

"It is one thing to die, it is another to not even know who you are"

It's not from page 1, but it is from chapter 1. (it's also only part of the sentence in the dialogue it's from)

Realized I forgot to tag this #NamedByLove & I don't think I've shared this snippet under the tag yet.

It's one of my favorite moments, tbh. I'm very drawn to the "love is real enough to make existence worth it"
(Not a direct quote)

#NamedByLove (a platonic found family love story about finding freedom & safety in friendship)
Rider never meant for Song to feel abandoned.🥺

Rider caught him, and he flung his arms around the man.
“Why did you leave me?”
“I'm sorry,” Rider said. “I didn't know you would wake. I wouldn't–” . . .

Tagging this #NamedByLove even though it's not a snippet from the story.

Named By Love doesn't have POV from Rider, which might be part of why I wrote this.

Saturday #snippetshare

Optional theme “song/music”

🚫Please use the blur function, &/or a warning if your snippet isn’t tame/child safe (occasional swear words are okay)

I thought counting the MC’s name would be cheating,😂 so I searched “sing” in #NamedByLove (my found-family platonic love story)

#NamedByLove (a platonic/found family love story)

Anyone who likes can judge how many "love you"s I fit into 1 paragraph.🥺

“I– I love you, Song. I loved you when– when I saw you– and knew you loved me. But it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. I don't love you because you loved me. . .”

#NamedByLove
Sharing this half out of spite.😂

I just can't believe anyone honestly thinks this relationship is abusive.😭

“We should be sharing everything,” Song said, hating
himself for how thin and weary Rider's face looked in the glow of the fire.
. . .

Song was again high in the cold night air, his upper body leaned close against Furgo's body, his arms completely buried in feathers. He felt strangely safe. He couldn't remember ever having felt so whatever was the opposite of lonely. He certainly wasn't very cold, buried deep within Furgo's feathers, even as the chill air rushed passed him. Soon afterward, he was nestled beneath Furgo's wing, tucked warm against the dragon's feathery side. He didn't think he had ever felt so safe and happy.

I've decided to make a hashtag for #NamedByLove
that way anyone can search snippets.

I finally updated my paperbacks, so I'm rewarding myself by sharing a sweet moment of Song feeling safe flying in the night with Furgo.🥰🐲
(alt text included)