WAHHGGFhgdghdfsghjdfs thank you so much Snek, really appreciate getting this sort of analysis. >.<
Wahh I'm super glad the action/supernatural stuff worked. It was my first time writing anything close to that and I've really been wanting to for a while. I'm a big fan of stories that mix that kind of thing with the everyday happenings of characters in the world. It's very Dorohedoro / HxH inspired in that way (also the power stuff is directly from Malcatras Maiden after talking with Nadia about it heheheheheee).
I see what you mean about the episodic nature of it. I think one thing I was definitely going for here was a feeling of life going by; important or unimportant, intense or mundane. I guess that's part of why it might feel episodic. It was challenging to write that way for something I just didn't have the scope to make very long really. I can see it making things abrupt. I wanna get better at writing sort of... slice of life type stories with some grit to them I guess. This is also why a lot of characters show up and don't reappear, it's very much intentional. Wanted to convey things continuing to happen in the world regardless of what's going on with Aliska and Sasha. Though I'm not sure if I need to work this in better in future. There was also a few things I wanted to write but didn't have time for.
Also happy the loaded gun that is Sasha and everything going on with that thing landed for you hehehhehee. It's fun to make a hyper-competent killing machine like Aliska and have a weak little thing that presses at all her vulnerabilities hehhheheheee.
Thank you again for your kind words.