Applejack thrives on being busy. People need her, and she cannot afford to fall apart. Her feelings are not the priority—she doesn't want them to be.
But when an old love comes calling, Applejack finds herself on the precipice of finally saying what she's always wanted to say...
And hearing what she never wanted to hear.
A single day in AJ's life, and a one-shot spin-off of What They Expect to Give, my mature AU EqG romance drama. Takes place a few months before. You don't need to read the other story to read this, but it does make the context clearer.
Featured on Equestria Daily 1/18/2020
Check out these reviews by PaulAsaran, Scampy, and Cyonix!
Editing provided by Typogliphic.
Art by Lola Dotz. Follow her on FimFiction and DeviantArt.
Contains some self-harm.
This is one of those rare stories that I can truly consider to be perfect. Interwoven flashbacks and evocative language serve as a roadmap for AJ's emotions while still being very easy to follow. The depiction of self-harm--and more importantly the thoughts that occured as it happened--was, uhm... accurate. I know all too well how hard it can be to put those feelings into words. Whether through experience or empathy, you did so beautifully here.
Every line of this story is laced with care and insight, and while it doesn't end with the catharsis AJ wants, it does end with the one she needs.
Thank you for writing it.
9989459
Thank you for reading! Your kind feedback really made my morning.
A lot of this story is drawn from personal experience. I was trying to rid myself of painful longing. The fact that you understood and appreciated this work makes this effort feel worth it.
9989485
It was definitely worth it. Writing about The Urges™ can be a good catharsis, or if nothing else a great way to vent.
>> looks at her own page
>> 7 suicide/self-harm stories
>> oof
But yeah, I hope writing this story helped you
To anyone reading this who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know that you can be helped. Your life matters, and the world will be emptier and darker if you are gone. Even if by some twist of fate no one noticed (and it's almost certain someone would know and care), there would still be a phantom pain - an absence that no one would know the source of, but would be felt all the same. We would be diminished by the loss of you. If that wasn't true, then why is it that people willingly choose to spend their days professionally helping complete strangers to realize their own self worth? You matter. Please talk to someone who can remind you of that.
Suicide Hotline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
List of International Suicide Hotlines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
Honestly I can't wait to see this new story running along side WTEtG. I've been following this story for years now and I really want to know if Applejack finds some happiness, even if its from another person.
9991836
You don't know how much I've been dying to give her that happiness.
I really look forward to finally getting there!
Oh... ouch. Poor Applejack...
I really enjoyed this - or, at least, as much as one can enjoy Applejack in such a state.
If I may, I'd suggest easing into the idea more, just for future stories. Right away, in the first two-thousand words or so, I could tell what Applejack was struggling with, which is something you, well, again, want to ease into.
Overall, this was well-told, and... I definitely felt for Applejack. Poor kiddo. Nicely done!
9996394
Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to keep that in mind for the future.
And thank you for reading!
Can I please get a link?
9997305
Hmmm... Site rules say I can't link it, but if you have mature stories visible, you should be able to see this embed:
[Adult story embed hidden]
Hoo boy. This hits HARD. You've got AJ's voice down, and... gosh, I can't put into words how much I loved every aspect of this. I teared up a little at the end. The emotions here were just spot on. I strive to be able to put emotions into words in a way that's as impactful as this. I absolutely love your writing style, so I guess I'll be checking out more of your work. Gosh this comment is all over the place, so apologies for that. Amazing work.
10001667
Thanks! Hopefully, the read was cathartic for you.
Have a review!
You can has review!
10563925
Thank you very much! I'll add it to the review links. <3