Yes, it was a conscious choice that I made all the way back in April of 2015 that I wanted to make this fic dark and intense. True, I didn’t really know much about writing at that time, and next to nothing about fan service to an established fandom, so perhaps I went too far.
But there actually was a good justification for something extreme to happen to Dipper at that point in the story: I wanted the parents to know that *something* had happened between the twins, but for there to be a logical reason for them to not press the kids for details. A traumatic event such as a major injury serviced this nicely.
I have never had an issue with substance abuse and addiction, but I did enough research to hope that what I was writing was relatable. I’m glad some of it found its way through.
E-o-F