update 45.

WHAT I DID.

hey, so. i've been a bit quiet on here and i apologize. last week was one of the busiest of my life and i had no time to do anything but study and write my exams (all 5 of them, mind you). but as of five minutes ago, i am finally done and ready to get back to writing for leisure, rather than for school. 

first on the agenda, the upcoming special. i don't have an estimate for how long it'll be, but i have the entire thing plotted out in my mind. i have a couple of days left before i go home for the holidays, so hopefully i'll be able to bust out the entire thing before then. my plan is to have it posted here in december and release it publicly in january. no confirmation on whether i'll sneak a kiss into the special or not but even without it, i think it'll be fun to play. the short is fluffy and involves the gang fooling around as usual and allows you to have one on one time with an ro of your choice at a stage where your romance (if there is any) has developed a little beyond pining from afar. those who are on Blane's and K's routes will finally get some food, whereas those on A's, N's and Rylan's routes can enjoy a sneak peek of the content that will be showcased more in book two and beyond.

speaking of books, i haven't touched chapter nine in a hot minute. not because i don't want to but because i couldn't. my priority is first and foremost the special, since it revolves around new years and would be extremely awkward to release in like, march. but i think the forced break has been good to me. i love my world and my characters but the act of constantly writing really wears you down. i don't listen when my asks tell me to take a break or when comments tell me that it's okay to not always be writing. to put it bluntly, i feel guilty. that being said, the time away from the main story has made me realize i shouldn't. i've always known that and i can't say that feeling will ever go away, but as of right now, i feel okay. better. when i finally get back to chapter nine, it'll be with a fresh perspective and a brand new set of eyes that will hopefully make the story so much better than it already is. if all of you have stuck by my side for this long, i want to make it worth your while. thank you, thank you (and a special thank you for listening to me talk about this in practically every update there is. you're sick of me, i'm sure).

STATS (HOLIDAY SPECIAL).

2159 words (+1690)

SNEAK PEEK.

"Water, water. Order up," Rylan sings. Their voice comes somewhere on my left.