AN: Hey, guys. Don't worry. This isn't a notice of discontinuation or redoing the story a second time. I have more than a few people who'd have words with me if I pulled either of those stunts on this story. However, I will be taking a bit of a break from writing A Blacksmith's Tale. Maximum time is gonna be a month, so you guys will hear from me then.
Writer's block comes in a lot of forms, but this particular block is a bit… different. It comes down to something I've been doing with Dillon that a good portion of you guys disagree with me doing: making his life a living hell. Ever since Chapter 18, he's never been able to catch a break, something that has been pointed out repeatedly in-universe and out. However, I think it's time I fully explain why I've made the decisions I did that has brought me to this point, why his angst never seems to truly leave.
I don't think I need to bring up how having the Female Titan as his girlfriend would cause issues, so I'll leave that alone. His powers are a good starting point. Believe it or not, the reason I had the idea in the first place was so that Dillon could communicate with Annie while she was a Titan. That's how it all started. Of course, figuring out how to make it work was gonna be tough. Thankfully, the existence of Marley provided the solution. It gave me ideas for a backstory concerning his parents, lore I could create. I don't regret that for a minute. I know I haven't given you guys rules on how this whole thing works. I've always operated under the fact that Dillon has no idea what he's doing. Could I have done better with that? Absolutely, but what's done is done.
Now, we get to his parents starting with Matthew. Any veterans from the old version of this story know how tacked on I made him, how was practically useless. One of my former co-writers gave me that hard pill to swallow. Not to mention how terribly I handled Elise. The only way to resolve those issues was to make Elise more sympathetic and Matthew more broken. It made the two interesting and complex, giving Dillon adversaries he didn't see coming.
Carolyn… hoo boy. It took me a long time to figure her out. There were things from the old version I carried to this story: good life in Wall Sina, Carolyn being a kickass lawyer that couldn't be broken, etc,. There was a problem that I didn't address back then. How was this possible considering that the MPs/government eliminates any sort of "threat" to the country? It didn't make sense, so I just said that the Amsdales were under Zackley's protection. But again, why would he protect them? What would he gain? Originally, I wanted to pretend the evil side of Zackley didn't exist, that he was a good man. It took me a long time to realize that not only was my initial decision the wrong move, the canon version of Zackley provided the perfect solution. He was getting something in return: a promise of revolution. It fit his character, and it fit Carolyn's dangerous mindset of doing what she thinks is right at the cost of innocent lives. It was from a logical point of view.
You've probably noticed my less-than-pleasant view of the Scouting Regiment. At first, I thought the Stohess Operation was the only time they crossed the line, but looking deeper, I was wrong. They are all messed up, desperate people who will compromise so much for the sole sake of surviving. That's who Erwin is. That's who Hanji is. That's how Levi is. I've grown tired of the whole "to rise above monsters, you have to abandon your humanity" shtick. It's a tactic that has major consequences in the long run, things I feel the manga and anime pretend don't exist, especially the psychological issues that would pop up.
All this affects Dillon badly. I don't think anyone can blame him for that. However, the fact that this keeps happening over and over again has probably made a lot of you annoyed. I don't blame you for that. It has grown weary on me, too. Writing other characters has become more fun than writing my own OC. That's not a good sign. I want to bring him back to the surface so he can stop drowning, but these issues, logically, end up bringing him back down. I want to give you guys a good story, entertain you guys, but I feel held back by what I had to do. There's no time to heal yet, so these things have to happen. Doesn't mean I have to like it.
Here's the good news, and I'm going to spoil a little bit so you guys have some form of relief. These next two chapters are gonna be the last psychological hurdle/angst mountain he has to climb for a while. Sure, there will be a couple of aftershocks, but that's normal. Things are going to get better. But I have to navigate through this swamp to get there. It's been disheartening for me because I have to do this again. I just want to give you guys an enjoyable story. You guys have stuck around for this long and the list keeps growing, so I know I'm doing something right.
Thank you all so much for your patience. It's been a long road, but it isn't over. However, since I'll be gone for a bit, I think it's only fair I give you something to look forward to. One final spoiler:
Levi and Mikasa vs. Kenny the Ripper.
It's gonna happen, and it's gonna be good. I'll see you in the next chapter. Take care. :)
