Don't worry — new chapters are probably still releasing on schedule. Chapter 39 should release on Tuesday the 13th of May 2025.

  Hello everyone,

  I figured I owe you a proper update about how we're doing, as well as an update on what's going on with my cat and what it means for releases.

  How are we doing now?

  As I mentioned before, Royal Road has somewhere in the region of 50,000 fictions. Ranking is determined by only three things: star ratings (minor bump to ranking), short reviews (moderate bump to ranking), and full reviews (big bump to ranking). On Friday the 4th of April we had reached 2,324th of all fictions on Royal Road.

  As of Friday the 9th of May we've reached 1,273rd of all fictions on Royal Road.

  The increase in quality in the upper ranks means higher we climb, the slower the climb becomes. Right now, each star rating is worth around 30–50 ranks, short reviews probably about 60-100 ranks, and my guess is long reviews are probably worth around 250–300 ranks. If you were thinking about dropping a rating, or upgrading your rating into a review, now is a good time to do it.

  Once again: thank you to everyone who has rated or reviewed TEWWBAD. You're making a huge difference to my life. As I said previously, once TEWWBAD is done I'm going to write a short story and upload it only on Royal Road — and to show my thanks, I'll dedicate it by name to everyone who posts a fair review before the story is complete. I'd happily include everyone who gives a rating as well, but unfortunately I can't see your names.

  What's up with my cat?

  My cat has Stage IV Kidney disease: "A majority of clinical signs are noted and cats are in crisis." Let me share the science.

  Cats are prone to kidney problems due to an aberration of their genetics. The most recent research says that there's a protein in our bodies called apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) that helps the kidneys flush out toxins that accumulate from dead cells. Most of the time, AIM is bound to our immunoglobin, and unbinds in the presence of toxins – by which I mean literal waste like cellular debris, damaged proteins, or inflammatory molecules – to trigger an antibody response that breaks them down and purges them.

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  The problem for cats? A genetic quirk means their AIM doesn't unbind from immunoglobin as easily, which causes toxins to build up in their blood and inflame their kidneys, straining them over prolonged periods of time. This overload wears out the kidneys, halving their potential lifespans.

  Unfortunately, this can't be fixed by just adding more AIM, since it's the unbinding of the AIM from the immunoglobin that triggers the immune response. There's actually an immunologist in Japan developing a medication that facilitates the unbinding, and it's currently in late clinical trials. The results so far strongly indicate that taking it preventatively it could as much as double the lifespan of domestic cats, from 15 to 30 years, while taking it once kidney disease has began can greatly prolong life by allowing kidneys opportunity to heal.

  It's expected to release commercially later this year, or in 2026. Tough luck for my poor girl.

  I first found out she had Stage II kidney disease over six months ago. I immediately switched her to special cat food, low in phosphorous to reduce strain on the kidneys. About a month ago I found out the food comes in "early care" and "advanced care" versions. The advanced care has much, much less protein, which is easier on the kidneys but not good for retaining muscle. I thought she was getting thin, and as far as I knew she was only in Stage II, so I switched her to the early care version.

  She perked up, put weight back on, and became much more bright-eyed and glossy in her coat. Over time, however, her scent changed, becoming more chemical-like in nature. Then, last Friday, she was suddenly very unwell. I took her to the vet, and blood test results on Saturday made him say she had less than two weeks to live.

  I didn't take it very well.

  I immediately switched her back to the advanced care food and hoped. The first few days were rough, but... slowly, the chemical scent on her skin diminished, and she's back to her usual fussy and friendly self. I'm pretty sure the scent was uremic chemicals (unpurged waste from digestion) building up in her blood and being excreted through the skin. She still faintly smells of it, but less so, and the more she eats and drinks the less noticeable it becomes.

  All of this means she's basically in palliative care, and could take a sharp downturn at any moment. I actually have family coming to visit on Monday, just to see her again before she goes... which probably tells you an awful lot about how I am as a person.

  So, how am I doing?

  I'm pretty fucked, to be honest. I found it impossible to do any creative work while she was on death's doorstep, and while I'm doing better, I'm very much aware that this is a temporary reprieve from the reaper.

  My intention is to make good use of the time we have left, and to try to stockpile as many final-draft chapters as I can before she gets worse. For all I know, the vet could have been very accurate in his prediction... or the change in diet might have bought her another six months. I'm taking it one day at a time while we see.

  I'm trying not to think about the financial costs of all of this, either, but I'm increasingly facing the prospect that TEWWBAD might be the last thing I publish, since I can't make it work economically, and my disabilities mean that I can only do one meaningful thing a day. Oh well.

  Thanks for reading,

  LJ

  P.S. As before, this is a temporary message. It was too long for an author's note in a chapter, so I'll delete it next week.