RISE (A Highschool DxD Fanfic)

Real Talk

Hey everyone, it's me.

The most inconsistent author the world has ever witnessed (I'm sorry).

First thing I want to get through: I am NOT dropping this story (NOT!!!) I am fully committed to finishing RISE. It was my first ever story, and I don't want it stuck in some forgotten corner in my drafts folder.

Here's the problem: how am I gonna end it? Where do I want to end it? 

Regarding the second, I had always planned on following the main DXD plot until about the end of Season 3 (Volume 6) and then diverging onto some original stuff. Looking at that, I've decided that I still want to go down that route, so sorry, no Season 4 or 5 (if that's ever going to happen) content. But I promise I'm going to my best to make it exciting. If anything, I'm going to make it much more focused on Y/n and also include much more action once I diverge from the main plot. In fact, I already have a general idea of the end; I just don't have any idea how I'm going to get there, yet.

Now regarding the first. I expect to write another 15, maybe 20 more chapters until the end, maybe more if I need it. The first 8 or so, you can expect to revolve around Season 3, and then the split from the main plot will happen afterward. From this point onward, I want to take a step back from developing more romance than I already have in the story. I'm trying to figure out a way to incorporate Kuroka in there somewhere, but I've come to terms with the fact that trying to squeeze in Serafall will be too hard, if not impossible, with what I have planned for the last bit of the story.

Sorry Serafall fans.

Again with the stepping back from romance, I want to make the story much more action-focused, since that was what I intended from the get-go. The pairings were just done on a whim, and honestly, I'm surprised I got this far with how haphazardly I wrote it.

So I'm going to cut out romance completely, and after the big split, I'm not gonna cut out any major characters from the plot (looking at you Issei; what you do really tempts me at times), but just know that everything is going to get much more original after the Season 3 content. 

It may please some, others not so much. But you know, writing fanfiction has been like a springboard for me, offering me some ground to stand on before I take the big leap into creating original content.

I'm barely 400 words into this and it's already feeling kind of long-winded. 

But just know, after the big hurdle that is Season 3, I'm hoping that I'll be able to write much faster since I won't be bound by the plot.

So what I'm saying is, keep expecting it to be slow, but have faith that it's going to pick up eventually.

Thank you all for sticking with this story for so long. I really wish I could get out chapters faster, and you all really don't deserve to suffer a long wait because of an inconsistent writer like me.

But you do. And, I'm grateful.

I know I didn't do anything to celebrate the big 1K milestone, and I truthfully didn't have anything planned at all.

Thank you. I can't say it enough; thank you.

In about half a year, it'll be four years since I started writing RISE. I hope I'll be at the big plot divergence at that point. It'd be even better if I can finish RISE before I go off to college. I'd like to make it my gift to you all if I can.

I can't think of anything else to say except 'thank you.' But, again, thank you. For everything.

And before I go, I'd like to leave you my senior quote (hopefully they put it in the yearbook). It's not hopeful. It's not inspiring. Hell, I can barely call it 'positive.' But after everything that's happened, pandemic and all, it's something I needed to hear.

And yes, it's from the game that's drawn so much of my attention away from writing.

"Yet we must try—must forge ahead into the night and welcome the suffering to come with open minds and open arms. . . 'Look to your suffering and know that is a gift, for only those who strive truly suffer. All else are simply made to.'"

- "For Every Rose, A Thorn"; Destiny 2