em writing queer myth ⛲️<p>(A fairly spoilery moment in Milo's character development, but I feel like sharing it anyway. He's an Episcopal priest and a living saint according to all who know him, who falls in love with and tries to heal a traumatized, rough-around-the-edges ghost-whisperer, and accidentally uncovers his own trauma in the process. Here he's having a sort of flashback review of childhood family dinners growing up in a traditionalist Catholic household. It's worth noting that, to this day, Milo talks to God and hears God talk back. [This excerpt, I think, kind of works as a response to <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/PennedPossibilities" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PennedPossibilities</span></a> 27—how does your MC self-soothe?])</p><p>They are screaming at each other again. I wish I could make them stop.</p><p>At least they are not screaming at me.</p><p>They hardly ever look at me at all.</p><p>Divine Mercy. The Lord looks at me always, from the painting on the kitchen wall, with his big, beautiful eyes. He is so quiet and kind. He listens. He never, ever screams.</p><p>Stay quiet. Don't draw their attention out of turn.</p><p>Stay kind, so they can’t bring themselves to hurt you.</p><p>When they speak to you, listen attentively. Eyes on them. Nod so they know you are a good boy and you are listening.</p><p>Eyes on them. Learn to notice the signs they are going to erupt. Submit. Appease. Make a joke. Disarm. Head off danger at the pass.</p><p>Getting tall…don’t stand too tall. Don’t give them a reason to fear you.</p><p>Stay their small, sweet, godly boy so they’ll never be angry at you.</p><p>Something wrong? Fix it. Hurry. Before they notice. You are smart and resourceful and can fix it before they notice.</p><p>You are getting older, wiser. Sometimes they listen now. Mediate. Support. Harmonize. Hold the moral high ground.</p><p>Keep the peace. Keep the peace. Keep the peace.</p><p>…And maybe, just maybe, if you are good enough and patient enough for long enough, and never ever ask anything for yourself, they will repent and heal and turn toward you and you will finally have a family.</p><p>You are strong. You can bear this burden.</p><p>...Too deprived. Too disappointed. Too little. Too much.</p><p>Surrender your desires to the Lord.</p><p>You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. Your reward is in heaven and not of this world.</p><p>God is with me. Nothing hurts me anymore.</p><p>I can take on the pain of the world. I was born for it.</p><p>Milo wants nothing.</p><p>Milo needs nothing.</p><p>Milo is but a vessel of Divine Mercy.</p><p>Milo doesn’t exist.</p><p><a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/TakeOnMe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TakeOnMe</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>writing</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/WritingCommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WritingCommunity</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/GayRomance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GayRomance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/MMRomance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MMRomance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/mm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mm</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/mmr" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mmr</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/nonbinary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>nonbinary</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/NonbinaryWriters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NonbinaryWriters</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/NonbinaryRomance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NonbinaryRomance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/QueerRomance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>QueerRomance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/LGBTQromance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQromance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/LGBTQbooks" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQbooks</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/LGBTQwriters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQwriters</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/LGBTQ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQ</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/LGBTQIA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>LGBTQIA</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/UrbanFantasy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UrbanFantasy</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/AmWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmWriting</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/cozy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>cozy</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/plural" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>plural</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/infj" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>infj</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/hsp" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hsp</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/ND" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ND</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/CPTSD" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CPTSD</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/ReligiousTrauma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ReligiousTrauma</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/queer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>queer</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/WIP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WIP</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/romance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>romance</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/QueerJoy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>QueerJoy</span></a> <a href="https://writeout.ink/tags/mlm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mlm</span></a></p>