OMG Check, Please!
So, right. Eric Bittle, erstwhile ice-skater, compulsive baker (pies just appear) and vlogger from Madison, Georgia, gets into Samwell University, Samwell, Massachusetts, on a hockey scholarship. It’s, uh, not the best of fits, let’s say. Bitty is terrified of physical violence, and Samwell plays NCAA Hockey, which involves checking. He faints a lot, and his captain–vaguely confused by his presence on the team–keeps making him eat protein and do checking drills at dawn. He gets pretty instantly adopted by several of the sophomores and a particularly empathetic junior who goes by Shitty, and just. Settles in, asserts ownership of the kitchen, copes with the horrifying cold. Comes out, first to Shitty and then to the rest of the team. Adopts a few freshmen of his own the next year, figures out what to major in. Falls in love. Keeps it quiet and then doesn’t. All those fabulous college things and four years of this lovely sensitive, lonely boy growing up into a confident, empathetic man who’s at ease with himself, his place in the world, his abilities, and all that love he’s got to give and receive.
I started reading Check, Please! off a reclist for queer webcomics, I think. A couple years or so ago, and caught up right as the fandom exploded. The first two (three?) years are out in hard-copy now, with lots of extras, so you should definitely get hold of those if you can afford it. The whole sunny, buttery, amazing thing is online, and you can read it in its entirety for free. It wrapped up just a while back, so it’s definitely absolutely worth the couple days you’ll need to inhale it. I know I spent way more time on the site today than I actually had to spare, but I can’t bring myself to regret a minute of it. I hadn’t forgotten how much I love the Samwell Crew and the Falconers and Jack and Bitty’s parents (and also Kent Parson) but it’s good to be reminded all the same.