Okay so about Sora

I am going to rant

because I am pissed

(please pardon my language, I blame tumblr)
(Also forgive my rudeness, but I'm a bit frustrated and I'm explaining this to you flatly because doing it politely clearly didn't work)

I am getting really frikken tired of having people complain about not seeing a lot of Sora recently in the fic. I get that it's been ages since you've last seen him, but I warned you up front that the Heckuvalong Raid sequence was going to be 13 chapters. Count. We have one chapter left.
Well, okay, two chapters. There's a 14th chapter that is a bit of winding down after all that, but after that chapter, you will see some of Sora.

I'll be honest with you though, and tell you that it's only a chapter with Sora. Half a chapter, really.

I'm sorry. Actually. No I'm not.

We've hit the point

With Dead Inside being 153 chapters posted and 163 written

being 625 pages

being nearly 300,000 words. Yes. 300,000.

With Dead Inside being this long, I am doing everything I can to finish it, and not take another year doing so. (I've already been writing it for nearly two years, now.)

I get that Sora and Riku's stories used to be balanced at the beginning, and that you've gotten used to seeing him, and the fact that you're seeing less and less of him is getting kind of frustrating.

But I just want to finish Dead Inside, and not spend three months stressing over how to properly write a ten chapter sequence with Sora when I can barely squeeze out three chapters.
Actually
I can barely squeeze out one chapter with Sora in it anymore.
(And yes it would take three months. This 13 chapter sequence of Riku's took two months. Think about it.)

Would you rather more Sora, or me finishing this before I'm 30? I'll admit, 30 is an exaggeration, but 20 sure isn't

Actually, I'm the author, and I'd much rather finish this before I'm 20--I want to finish it this year!--so, yeah, less Sora. Forgive me.

Listen, I know that this 13 chapter sequence with Riku wasn't necessary. I could've just left it at nine chapters, or, even better, given you that half-assed attempt at a first draft of this. (Just kidding, that first attempt was awful).

But I had that chapter title trend going and it only worked if I could do 13 chapters. So I wrote 13 chapters. And, to be honest, I think they're fairly well written, and maybe only that scene with Namine (ch151) was filler. The rest is either plot important, or really cracks down on development on Riku's character.

And, yeah, I get that I didn't even have to bring Roxas back at all, but I really loved the idea, and it did fix that major problem of "what the f*ck has the Organization been doing? Have they really just been sitting around and doing nothing all this time?"

Besides, it's a bit too late now, seeing as I have 12 out of 13 chapters of the sequence posted.

And as for Sora, yes, you will see some of him in the future. It won't be hefty 10-chapter sequences like you get with Riku, but it will be some of him. Just wait two chapters. Then you'll see him. I know it'll only be half a chapter and it's not much and I get that you want more but I can't give you more right now

I wish I could, but I had a scene--I scene that I really love and can't wait to write and yes involves Sora--that I had to push back because the timing was all off if I did it after this sequence. I wanted to. I wanted to have a sort of long sequence (at least three chapters, which is long knowing my standards for Sora lately are about one chapter if you're lucky) with Sora after the Heckuvalong Raid sequence. I wanted to have a Sora sequence between the Heckuvalong Raid sequence and the next Riku sequence more than anything, because the next Riku sequence will be at least ten chapters.

But, again, the timing didn't work and I had to move it back.

So, yeah, you will get two nearly-15-chapter sequences with Riku right next to each other with hardly a break in between. I am sorry about that, but I can't put off this next sequence with Riku any longer. It has to go now. And, yeah, it is a very major plot point. The last major plot point (on Riku's end) before THAT. If I didn't give it 10 or 15 chapters, I wouldn't cover everything I needed to cover, and then THAT wouldn't work.

On the bright side, you will get two sequences with Sora--one of them being a large plot point--right next to each other with hardly a break in between.
However, with how hard it is to write for Sora lately, no promises on the sequences being anywhere over five chapters.

(Also, I may consider staggering Sora's next sequence with Riku's sequence, but I have to really think about how it'll work and all that other stuff. I could maybe do it, but... again I'll have to think about it.)

Anyway, that's sort of it. I was much more polite here than on tumblr

But, I'm going to ask you not-so-politely to stop complaining about not seeing Sora. I know that there's been less of him lately. Don't think I haven't noticed, because I have. Hearing one--or three--of you complain about it once a week gets on my nerves, and I have enough stress going on in my life right now. I don't need this on top of it.
HOWEVER! By all means, ask about Sora if you have a serious question about him. Just don't complain that you haven't seen him in ages because I explained exactly why you haven't above and if you still have a problem then I can't help you.
(And if you really want to discuss my reasons for not writing for Sora frequently, please keep it to the comments of this blog, and don't bring it up in a review. The comments work last I checked.)