6/13 OOC Update - Regarding Current Events

In an effort to distance myself from the cold, corporate "brand stands in solidarity" type posts regarding the protests across the country right now, I'm going to simply lay out how this will impact the story going forward without getting too political. 

I came to the very difficult decision to postpone updates for these two weeks, at the risk of losing the great momentum we built up these past few months, and to resume the story on June 21st. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make but I feel it is ultimately the right one with sensitivity to the protests. Without going into too many spoilers, Jadus' timeline is meant to be just as much of a warning as it is an entertaining story. It is a tumultuous time for our country - I never anticipated that it would come as quick as it did - but it is here now and we have to adapt accordingly.  

Given that Jadus' world is a timeline in which America collapses due largely in part to manipulated media radicalizing and encouraging destabilization, I feel as though it would be hypocritical of me to update this storyline when widespread rioting is happening across the country. Even though this story was planned out months ago - the lines between reality and fiction are getting a little blurred -  and I don't want this next update to be misconstrued as being opportunistic. As I said last week, I believe it would be pouring gas on the fires going on right now - especially since this next update was set to center around elaborating more on Jadus' story as well as the origins of BEN. Granted, even though my audience is no where near the size of something like CNN, I feel in this current political climate we need people - now more than ever - to stand by their ideals and tell uncomfortable truths, even at the risk of being impacted financially.

I want you to know that while your support is incredibly appreciated and it is so humbling to receive - I am not entitled to it and I am fine with anyone to looking at the content output this month and opting to adjust their pledge accordingly. Again, the Patreon serves as a great tip jar and has some special things at the end for those who donate, but it is not required to see the story through - I don't want anyone to feel like it's an obligation. I'm just sincerely grateful for all of the support, the response to this has been a huge surprise and has helped me improve the quality of a few aspects of this story. I've received questions on if I will re-evaluate the story or rewrite some of it in light of current events and the answer is no. I've made the decision to stay true to my original vision, the story I want to tell, and the message I want to send out - even if it might be a little uncomfortable or controversial to hear. Looking ahead to next week, waiting until June 21st gives enough space for other voices to be heard, and I would urge you to wait until then before evaluating your pledge as we'll be combining two updates worth of content into that Sunday to make up for lost time.

We do have somewhat of a schedule to keep, after all.  

Thank you, and stay safe out there.