I guess the good news is: I'm still alive, I've just been in Skyrim for the last month and a half.
The bad news is: Without the Foe is over.
I lost that energy, that constant want to focus on and refine the story, that energy about the Mass Effect world, the energy that drove this story. I've been sitting on 70% finished chapter 12 almost the whole time since I stopped posting.
The only way I can see me getting back that excitement is if bioware releases the next ME game and it's kickass, and gets good enough reaction to get me to buy it in the first place, but on the off chance I get that drive again to write Without the Foe, I'll re-post the whole thing I guess, but It's, for all intents and purposes, over.
I spent the last month building up the courage just to say it's over. I'm sad about the conclusion, but it's how my life played out. I won't begrudge anyone who hates me for it.
I think I'm going to try and make another story, I'm on a Skyrim kick right now, so I guess I'll try, but It's not going up until I've written at least the first story. Might get to other ideas later, but two months ago I'd have said without hesitation that I'd finish Without the Foe, and look where that's got me.
I'm going to make one last post after this: the spoilers and summary page, me trying to at least explain what I was trying to do with the story. Read it if you like, if you want to hold out hope, then I'm not going to deny you that.
Genuinely apologetic,
Parker James Dixon-Word, AKA Toastasaurus Rex.