Hello readers, whether you've been waiting for a long time or have just picked up my works recently, I thank you for checking them out. First, above everything else, I must sincerely apologize for my long absence and that I haven't left any updates since I last posted. I'll admit that one thing led to another, and that while I could have left something of a short excerpt during my brief moments of calmness, with how long it had been since I posted anything (March 27, 2023), I was anxious of showing myself again under the circumstances at the time. I'd like to take this chance to explain the main points of what's been happening since I last posted anything and where I now currently stand, but if you want the short version of this announcement, you may scroll down to the TL;DR on the last page.
My Life So Far
So starting with what happened after I last posted, I fractured my ankle after falling off my bed one morning. I was in a bit of a writer's rut at the time, but that injury really affected my daily life for a while, even after getting out of the medical boot and going through physical therapy for recovery. At any rate, I was too preoccupied with that among other things to worry about my main projects, so I put those on hold and just wrote whatever I liked during my free time.
Things were starting to pick up a little bit until I was terminated from my last job as an accounting assistant from August, about four months after my ankle incident. This was the result of breaking too many company policies in my company that have stacked up slowly over time, even after having received warnings of them, and I admit I'm still embarrassed of falling to such a low, having it been the first job I was ever let go from instead of me leaving it for another job. The only bright side was that I was given a generous severance pay that would last me for a while if I was prudent with my spending, even after setting enough aside for taxes.
Despite that, though, I had to find a new job, and my writing certainly won't earn me enough to live off from, so I had to put most of my time and energy into job hunting while receiving unemployment benefits. What made this most difficult was the increasing credit card and loan debt that had me going to my parents for financial assistance, which certainly helped me greatly and are still helping me to this day, yet I'm still ashamed to rely on them as old as I am now, living single and alone. And of course, I'll inevitably have to pay them back once most of my debts have been paid off, so that's something worth looking forward to.
Finally, after eight months since that termination, about one year since my ankle incident, through trials and tribulations, as well as poor money-handling decisions, plus a short contractual job at a warehouse for a few weeks, I finally got a long-term, part-time job at Walmart (mainly out of desperation as my unemployment benefits ran out shortly before that). It wasn't until six months after hiring that I was able to relocate to another location that's better for me transportation-wise. I was still in a rough spot, money-wise, and I'm back in a position that I dreaded before I moved to become an accounting assistant, but it seemed like I was finally in a position where things would start to improve some for me. It seemed like things would start to look brighter beginning next year.
That was until fairly recently. I'll admit that I've lost quite a lot of money out of my lack of judgment in the people I meet and associate with, including scams, and that goes for what I've been through the past year. I've already taken measures in filing for fraud against the latest one that I fell for, and unfortunately, they've denied my claim after a few weeks of investigation. I'm now down a couple hundred dollars without any hope of getting it back. The difference between those other times and now is that back then I had a fair cushion of money set aside for emergencies, and I was still living with my family. Now, however, I'm quite in a bind, and I've barely been living from paycheck to paycheck. I'm honestly anxious whether I'll have enough to pay rent and other bills the following month, and I'm currently minimizing what I can spend on food.
Which brings us to why I'm here to see you all now. Turns out there are a select number of you who have still supported me in one way or another. For those, I thank you, and if you've left a message or comment anywhere asking where I've been, I'm sorry again for keeping quiet until now. As rough as I'm in right now, I'm still very much alive, and I still write whenever I'm able and motivated, most of which have been edited, cleaned up somewhat, and compiled within the last year and a half or so. To thank those who have patiently waited and for those who are waiting to see something new, I'll put not only all the chapters from my main projects free for the public to see, but also the works I've done on the side as I try to get back to posting regularly, once a month at minimum, but for this month of February, I'll try to get most of my main projects out there on the public platforms. As for where things currently stand with those main projects, I'll list them down here.
Story Updates
OP Brawler: I'm sorry to say that I've hardly touched this project, nor even thought much about it over the past year and a half. I've reached a point where I've grown tired of writing my first story that had set me up to regular posting as a writer, and comparing the quality of my work from when I started to now is staggering. I don't even have the heart to go back to the beginning and clean it up to match the quality of my current works. Aside from trying to finish the last chapter I was working on, once that's been posted, I'll have to officially drop this series so I can move on. As cringeworthy as this story was after looking back on it, I don't regret posting it, as I wouldn't have gotten my start as a writer without it, but it is regrettable that I don't have the heart to give it a satisfying conclusion now.
Xeno King: This is in a similar spot to OP Brawler in terms of writing and progress, but since this is higher in quality than my first story, I don't think I want to give this up yet. With how painstakingly-slow this is becoming in pacing and how it veered off from my main objective to this series, though, I'm tempted to give this a reboot. I'd like to hear your guys' thoughts on its current standing after posting everything to where I stopped right now. For the time being, though, this will remain on hiatus.
Great Sage: This one has been on-and-off for me, mainly because it has become more of a collaborative project with my proofreader/editor, Tnega Terces. Previously, it had gone through rewrites, retcons, and reboots, probably the most out of all I've posted publicly so far, and the latest version we're working on now is certainly far different than what it was before. It has currently become more of a work of guilty pleasure, raunchy to epic proportions, to where the 'story's' pacing, development, and world-building would only make sense in a cheesy, physics-defying hentai/porno. It's become more of a story where you can just turn your brain off and just enjoy the smut it brings. Once Terces and I get it cleaned up and organized, I'll post all that we have so far, but updates will be agonizingly slow if I'm being honest.
As for the other stories I've posted on SubscribeStar (including Bad Paladin, Piggy Hero, Side Character, Black Gardener, and the like), I'll post all the chapters I have written for those, as well, and then some, including one new story that I've put most of my time and effort into writing as of late that has turned into a new main project of mine. I'll likely put that up on ScribbleHub and my other platforms some time in the future, but do let me know which of the other stories you'd like to see more of, or if you want any of them seen on ScribbleHub, as well.
In short, all the chapters posted on SubscribeStar will be viewable for free, no tier subscriptions to limit you from what you can see. You're welcome to change or delete your subscription there, if you'd like, and I've even set up a new Ko-Fi account (Will post link in comments) if you only wish to leave a one-time tip. This is just my way of saying thanks for the support you've given me despite my absence, and if you can help me during my admittedly stupid yet harsh time, I'll be forever grateful, but please don't force yourself if you're having your own financial difficulties. A word of thanks and moral support can be just as plenty for me to keep moving forward.
For now, once I put up everything I can this month, I'll keep writing what I like as I have been and will try to post semi-regularly this year. It's been mostly as a means of escapism at this point, but seeing how you guys enjoy it helps make the work I've put in all worthwhile.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this life update, and though things are rough for me right now, I'll keep trudging forward and writing for you guys, even after things get better. Please wish me luck in surviving this year and beyond, and until next time,
This is Orange Rain, signing off.
TL;DR
Shit has hit my fan repeatedly over the past year and a half and I'm in a very harsh, very dumb time in my life, having lost a lot of money to scammers, but I'm still living, and I thank you all for sticking by me so far. As my way of saying thanks, the chapters from my main projects as well as my other stories will now be viewable on SubscribeStar for free. I'll post all that I can in the month of February, but after that I'll try to post chapters once a month, at minimum.
Things to note about my main projects and their current status:
OP Brawler: Dropped once all chapters are posted due to lack of motivation to continue.
Xeno King: Hiatus until I decide whether to continue or give it a reboot, leave your thoughts in the comments about what I should do.
Great Sage: Still in process of preparing with my proofreader/editor/collaborator, Tnega Terces, but be prepared for a lot of smut compared to the previous versions.
Other stories in SubscribeStar with their chapters will be put up in due time and will have their statuses be posted when we reach the end of their piles, but I have one I'm consistently working on that has become a new main project that I'll post in ScribbleHub in the near future. Do let me know if you want my other stories to be posted on ScribbleHub, as well as which of them you want to see more of.
Once again, all chapters and stories posted on SubscribeStar are now free to view in the public. You are more than welcome to change or delete your monthly subscription there, and I've set up a Ko-Fi account (Will post link in comments) if you'd like to make a one-time tip. For how tough things are for me financially, anything helps, but please don't force yourself if you're having difficult times, too.
For now, once I put up everything I can this month, I'll keep writing what I like as I have been and will try to post semi-regularly starting next year. It's been mostly as a means of escapism at this point, but seeing how you guys enjoy it helps make the work I've put in all worthwhile.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this life update, and though things are rough for me right now, I'll keep trudging forward and writing for you guys, even after things get better. Please wish me luck in surviving this year and beyond, and until next time,
This is Orange Rain, signing off.