#awe alan my beloved

[ilkkawhat]

[uncleardyn]

man i love that character. you know, the deeply paranoid author who made a pact with a dark entity that ultimately ended with him stranded in another dimension separated from his loved ones for years at a time? takes place in the pacific northwest? has twin imagery associated with him and a reoccurring specific piece of symbology related to the unfortunate situation they're in? doesn't ever explain the reasoning behind his actions and instead just kinda goes "bro trust me"? yeah he also wears an outer layer of clothing with elbow pads on it, that one.

[velvetjune]

Spoilers for Alan Wake/Control games and DLCs: one of the things I really like in Alan Wake 2 is the confirmation that, no, Alan can’t create something out of nothing. There were implications in-story that supported that, but it was good to have that be a big part in the sequel. The AWE control dlc easily made it seem like Alan himself had a role in the events of the game and the formation of the FBC, and, personally, seeing it through that lens cheapened a lot of the game and Jesse’s story. Instead, having his writing influence the Hiss and try to manipulate (even out of desperation) Jesse/the FBC to end Hartman and get help, fit right into plot and conflicts of Alan Wake 2, with Alan being sympathetic, but also an asshole for trying to change and control people’s lives in his writing.

[deltastorm101]

i don't care what anyone says, this song is a piece of alan wake history

[fras-redacted-shapes]

Alright let's go - Ramblings regarding Saga, in comparison to Jesse and "The World"

if anyone feels like expanding on any point please do, I'm gonna leave this text as it is because otherwise it's gonna torment me for weeks

I don't recall in which interview, a couple writers said Casey was developed because Saga needed someone to bounce ideas off of and/or because she needed something to externalize her personality without relying on awkward exposition (or something along those lines).

And that's kind of noticeable if you compare Saga's and Jesse's treatment from a writing/presentation stand point:

Jesse as a character is far more obscure and details about her inner life are limited, while Saga is established and very detailed without relying on exposition.

Jesse, from a technical standpoint, suffers the "new character introducing an audience to a new IP" syndrome if you will.

Jesse's past is presented in vague details and a general sense of direction: finding Dylan who is a stranger to the audience. Her inner monologue is to Polaris and it works as exposition but by Polaris' nature there's no back and forth.

When Jesse talks to a character it is always a one-to-one conversation, and an important portion those are about the history of the FBC, asking questions that require exposition. Not to mention there's no interaction between the main cast other than with Jesse.

Some information can be inferred from Jesse's "epilogue" lines after the end of the game. But that's about it regarding the main text.

And that goes in line with the thematic difference I feel between Control and Alan Wake games - the former (heh) is about The World, the later, about the people in it.

Overall it can feel quite isolated and lonely, or well, mechanical. You have to fill in a lot of info yourself. And I believe the writers identified this and tried to change where they could with Foundation and AWE - with the way Jesse and Emily are far more comfortable with each other as they joke and tease during their dialogue, and getting a deeper look into my beloved Langston's personality (which is quite self-aware because lmao, finally it's Jesse who's at the end of a one-way "conversation").

But Saga's has an already established and rich life before the story and details bleed all through the text.

A partner and friend she's known for years and their history is spoken and written, there's no need to infer and fill in details yourself that much.

Their relationship is detailed enough in "side tidbits" (all of her Mind Place stuffs) and in actual conversations, which often enough involve a third party.

Casey works as exposition for Saga's character but, by virtue of Casey being character apart from Saga, the information is introduced far more organically (and arguably, in a more detailed way).

Remedy also gave Saga a huge advantage Jesse didn't have: The Collectible and Missions menus are hers.

So not only we get to hear Saga's thoughts on the current situation, we also get a sneak peek into her mind and inner life.

Some people in Saga's life also have a detailed enough history that they stand on their own rather than solely working as Saga's motivation because the story requires them to be at stakes.

Dylan is, technically, a stranger to Jesse, she's clinging to the past idea of him: we are motivated to find Dylan because we're told to care about him. While Logan and Casey are present in Saga's life and we get more details upfront to care for them.

Saga got curious, shit started to go down and we want them to be safe because otherwise it'd be painful for Saga.

Unlike the ghosts that Trench and Darling were to Jesse, Saga gets to actually talk to Tor and Odin. And well, the entire plot of the game is her undoing and confronting Alan's work on her life, rather than cleaning the mess done by the previous administration that are now gone and cannot be held accountable for.

And I suppose that's another improvement in the writing: the Hiss as the antagonist force is basic (and if you've played Mass Effect they're nothing new, and to me they're the least interesting part of the wolrdbuilding). There's not much room to maneuver, so Jesse's got one way to fight them (so far).

Saga could've gone several ways in dealing with Wake, and we see her struggle when she's about to give the Clicker to Alan/Scratch, she didn't mince her words in that confrontation and she had all the right to go even further. And yet she kept it together, unwilling to fully give herself to despair.

AND!

She chose compassion in the end!

And, honestly? Their final conversation is such a good and rich detail.

Saga's motherhood could've remained as basic reminders to the player that she has a daughter who's the victim and that's your motivation girl! As well as her silly jokes because parents do that sometimes teehee.

Saga's compassion is informed by her motherhood but not limited to it. As a mother she knows that everyone needs someone who believes in them unconditionally, as a daughter she knows how good a reminder of your good qualities can be, and as a detective she knows how to gather, read and act on information.

So when she reminds Alan that he had defeated the Dark Presence before and that he can do it again, she's not saying it because she's desperate, and she's not being patronizing due to Alan's loneliness and isolation.

She's saying because it's true.

And she doesn't rub his missteps and mistakes on his face. She knows how to get the point across without being mean.

She needed very little guidance: information to fill in the blanks of her life from Tor and Odin, short and vague phone calls from Alice, and a portal to the Writer's Room from Ahti. (Rose's lunchboxes were technically not necessary but she gets a honorable mention.) I don't know if there's enough information to conclude whether the reminders that helped her find a way out of the Mind Place were sent by someone else or came solely from her own resilience, and either would be neat, but I would like to think there's someone who's been looking out for her the same way she's been looking out for other characters.

And she's not flawless, but in working her flaws I believe the writers treated her with well deserved respect. She's not a caricature and the story has enough characters being tortured, any more and it'd feel cruel and it'd be permission granted by the horror genre anyways (although, to be honest, I believe Cynthia's treatment was a tiny bit too cruel and that's mostly due the last stage of her boss fight).

I love her first conversation with Norman because she's being a bit patronizing (I believe that's the correct word?), but he's like, nope! No dementia here! Not cool you brought it up :]

Her Nightmare Mind Place is as explicit as it gets. And the few times she loses it are not unearned. I love it when she gets frustrated with Rose and her "Oh fuck this", as well as her pained "My daughter is dead because of you. What is wrong with you?" to Alan in the holding cells.

Her biggest flaw is being a fed.

She's an extremely well put together person and integral, rich character. Her pain and suffering are palpable and the developers did an excellent job in showing it without being cruel (or well, knowing where to place the cruelty *cough* the white man *cough*).

And that's, in general, where I'd call attention to the leaps in improvement to Remedy's writing, right alongside the development and treatment Alice got, and the departure that is from Marshall in Control (the one character of color of any sort of relevance to the story, who got the least dialogue or details about her life and involvement despite being part of the old guard, and that gets killed in the end).

-

I have the same criticism (affectionate) with Control and Quantum Break: the world, its history and other characters are more interesting (to me) than their protagonists.

I wanted to get far deeper into the inner lives of Beth Wilder, Paul Serene, William Joyce and Martin Hatch than Jack's. William's and Beth's specifically, the one who ruined everything and the one who's struggling with the fact it can't be fixed, respectively. Sure I got my fix from the novel, but that is not part of the main text, so my comment still stands.

Ahti and Polaris/Hedron's goals, The Oldest House and all the places and events and phenomenon it connects to is what makes my mind wander. Jesse's involvement with all of them and her relationships with other characters remain only as possibilities at the end of the game.

I would feel far less affection or attachment to either Jesse and Jack if it weren't because of the sibling element. That's my huge bias/weakness there I'll admit.

But with Saga, I do care about her entire world, everything and everyone that surround her. She likes weird, morbid stuffs and romance stories, she's extremely curious which got her in trouble but was responsible enough to go deal with it.

As a new protagonist character that stands right next to a well established one as Alan Wake, I think there's very little Remedy could've done to make her better.

She's just amazing, Remedy and Melanie Liburd deserve so much praise for her.

-

The only gripe I have about her treatment is extremely petty and it's the same I've had in previous games, which is technical - she could've had more animations that showed her body language given she didn't have as many live action scenes (and also watching some of previous Melanie's work, she's got an incredible voice range for certain emotions that weren't explored in the game). But that's a matter of presentation and technical development.

AND

Remedy flexed the leaps in improvement they've gone through already! I mean, Saga's animation of picking up things anyone???.

So here's hoping they got more plans for her and they include more live action.

[idontknowreallywhy]

Resurface 30 - Reposition

Story so far

I was going to post a WIP but realised that the next chapter had got so long I may as well cut it and post in two or three parts, the first of which is here. Do they actually get to the point yet? No. No they do not. But they are thinking about it.

Also - please do not treat my all-advised and much-mangled metaphor as legitimate advice on how to save someone from a rip. I’m a seaside girl so feel compelled to say - DO NOT DIVE INTO RIP CURRENTS PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

There were a lot of hugs over the next couple of days. Pretty much wherever Virgil chose to sit he’d find himself sharing the chair, or at least the elbow room, with at least one family member. Usually more. During waking hours they moved around the villa like iron filings trailing a magnet.

The filings weren’t generic in their behaviour of course. Alan favoured a hand hold and a continual commentary on whatever happened to be crossing his mind - Virgil encouraged this, still not entirely persuaded by his baby brother’s assurances that he now accepted nothing had been his fault. There was perhaps more of the eldest in the youngest than in any of the rest of them, yet Virgil didn’t have the same instinctive read on the younger man’s expression. He was more than content to keep him close until he could be sure.

John, by contrast was quiet, watchful and specialised in the almost undetectable shoulder nudge. His presence was most striking for its tangibility and yet again Virgil found himself wishing it didn’t always take something awful happening before he could enjoy it.

Gordon, unfussy, tended to cling to whatever part of Virgil was available and on one occasion had abandoned all pretence of cool and leapt on to his back to be transported around, limpet-like, until Virgil threatened him with Four’s sonic hull-scraper.

Kayo had become surprisingly obsessed with ruffling his excessively curly, unstyled hair at every opportunity. Except today she was pouting because in celebration of waking up with the last traces of meds almost entirely expunged from his system, Virgil had reached for his beloved pomade (the recipe for which he’d only slightly tweaked from the version his father had used) and finally tamed the floof so he could look as well as feel more like himself again.

Even Brains had been unusually present recently, having just transferred his hours of poring over technical specs on his tablet up a few thousand stairs. Which meant Virgil got to join in and they’d exchanged some useful ideas for modifications with Alan chipping in not unintelligently. Until the engineer started to ask Virgil’s thoughts on some upgrades to Shadow at which point a series of crashing noises from the kitchen area had spooked him and he’d darted for the stairs muttering something about time-sensitive testing. Gordon had snorted about how at least Scott might reduce the washing up carnage he always produced while on meal-prep if he smashed it all as he went along. Virgil chuckled but it felt a little hollow and his throat was dry.

Scott… well… Scott had taken on the brunt of the food prep duty and had thrown himself into it with his usual energy. It had not gone unnoticed that every single one of Virgil’s childhood favourites had appeared on the table at some point over the last week. A steady stream of cookies and pastries had also been emerging because “Virgil needed fuel for his recovery”. Given his freakish lack of activity Virgil wasn’t convinced he needed quite so much extra fuel but had had more than a little assistance in consuming them. Alan had enthusiastically proposed shutting down Tracy Industries altogether as they could make just as much profit with a bakery if only Scott would get his priorities right more often. The chef had been toasted heartily for the good fortune of avoiding Grandma’s genes.

John and Virgil had exchanged a glance, both remembering what the younger two did not - that on the occasions where the messages from the moon base, or from the Mars mission had dried up - their Mom had channelled her anxiety and helplessness into frantic baking sprees. The community cake sales were never so well stocked when Jeff was safely planetside.

When not engaged in destroying the kitchen, Scott had hovered as expected but he hovered at the edges of the pack. Encouraging smiles, chuckles in all the right places as affectionate banter flowed. He teased a little, he ticked the tinies off for their excesses and he argued with John about a mathematical theorem Virgil knew his normally fastidious brother had deliberately misquoted to get a rise out of the older man.

Unlike with Alan, Virgil was entirely immune to this particular facade - a lot was not right with his best friend. His voice was wrong, too steady, unnaturally even. He was constantly just out of reach which was utterly wrong for Scott who was the most tactile human he knew. The man even looked wrong for some reason Virgil couldn’t put his finger on.

Grandma had been keeping a weather eye from a distance, albeit usually in the same room, or perhaps one away. Virgil glanced up and caught her eye as she leaned on the balcony of the mezzanine. She’d smiled, initially, and then frowned a little, raised her eyebrows and looked deliberately towards Scott, who was currently entirely unnecessarily explaining to Alan why he needed to finish high school. The woman had never been one for the subtle hint.

His brother was lost at sea, caught in a rip tide and drifting from the safety of the beach and Virgil had the only life preserver. It was inevitable that the circumstances of his illness would have knocked his eldest brother off course and Virgil still didn’t know exactly what had happened. All the possible implications rushed and sucked menacingly just below the surface and he knew the only way to reach Scott in time would be to face his terror and dive into the current to find out for himself what it carried.

Yet he never seemed to be in quite the right position at quite the right moment to make the leap…

💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚

Sometimes the boys just needed dragging into the right places.

“I’ve taken the liberty of informing Casey that International Rescue is on hiatus for at least another seven days.”

Sally released Scott’s arm and insinuated herself between Virgil and the coffee machine - the one piece of kitchen equipment with which she held no beef.

“The GDF will cover what needs to be covered. EOS is monitoring and will let us know if that appears to be falling apart.”

Her eldest grandchild rolled his eyes and somehow his entire body followed.

“Give them a chance, Scott, they may surprise us yet. Tracy Industries is in the perfectly competent hands of your COO and all the regular SMT meetings are postponed for a month due to your sabbatical…”

“My… my what?”

“You heard.”

Scott stood, hands on hips and gaped like a fish while Virgil tried to surreptitiously cover his grin by resting an arm on the kitchen island and leaning on his hand. Sally struggled to keep a straight face as he misjudged and his elbow slipped off the edge.

“The regular maintenance schedule has been paused - Brains has pulled the guts out of Thunderbird One and spread them all over the hangar and Two is both wing- and engine-less so neither is going anywhere fast. I believe Shadow is next on his list…”

Sally found herself wishing she had a camera to catch the identikit expressions of horror on both the boys’ faces - the same one they thought she never saw when she announced she’d been baking.

“Gordon has taken John, Kayo and Alan diving off the new reef. There is nothing left you boys need to do other than have that conversation you’ve been avoiding.”

She placed two steaming mugs of coffee on the countertop, reached up her hands to effect simultaneous destruction on both immaculate hairstyles and left them to it.

💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙💚💙

Scott ran an anxious hand through his hair, trying but not quite succeeding to recover the precisely gelled arrangement and Virgil suddenly realised what had been bothering him about Scott’s appearance. Something HAD changed.

He peered at his brother’s hairline.

“You’ve dyed it!”

[taranida]

Tom the Poet or Tom the Filmmaker

I would like all my theories to have evidence that back them up. I’ve come from fandoms where things said are a cute thing, worth considering, but solid theorising comes with quotes, screenshots, counting toes and following the writer’s pattern of three hint and foreshadowings before the big reveal. Therefore, I’m going through the first game yet again to collect all this information and put it in something coherent, something I will be happy with. I hope that the waves of my research will carry me to the proper essay with all the proofs necessary on every statement I’ve made in my first pinned post.

But there are still questions that have no answers as far as I know. One of them: why Tom Zane was made into a filmmaker and by whom?

In Control’s AWE the cutscene where Tom and Alan meet is a toned-down version of their encounter in Room 665. Alan asks if Tom is the Tom, the poet and the diver and Tom replies that it was just a beloved character in his old film. They have the same conversation at the start of Room 665 in Alan Wake II.

Alan seemed always forget that he (or someone else) changed Tom’s identity to filmmaker, still convinced that Thomas Zane he encountered at the start of his journey was a poet and a diver. First, when Tom-the-filmmaker was introduced, I thought that Alan forgot who Zane was and what he learned about him (I wouldn’t put it past Alan: he forgot many things he wrote, even his birthdate somewhat slipped his mind — in 2010 or in the Dark Place; the guide for the first game states that he’s 31, when the statue near the Parliament Tower claims he was born in 1977), but in both cases he kept insisting that Tom was a poet. So, the opposite is true: Alan forgot that Tom now is a filmmaker.

But why is Tom made to be a filmmaker? Even the second game insists that the Tom was a poet: Cynthia notes this in her journal, marvelling at why everyone thinks that he was a filmmaker; even the boys of Old Gods of Asgard say “you need him [Tom] to write the ending,” “art, like Tom’s writing” and “it’s Tom’s story we are dealing with, he’s gotta be the one to rewrite it”. And they are the only three people who knew the real Tom Zane and have some credibility in what he really was: a poet or a filmmaker.

The boys, of course, are a discussion on their own; Tom and Alan are interchangeable in their heads, they might talk about Alan the writer, hence “write, writing, story, rewrite”, but Cynthia has no such issues. She never mistook Alan for Tom, she loved Tom her whole life, devoted to his wishes and for sure wouldn’t mess such a big part of his identity in her head.

Then we have This House of Dreams, where we can read poems, some of them are by Thomas Zane and the Bright Presence shows Samantha that he was indeed a poet. Let’s add Jesse Faden into the mix, who as well, remembers Thomas Zane being a poet and even recites one of his poems in Control’s recordings. She still believes he was a poet somewhere around 2019, judging by her words about her needing to be in New York soon. Only in AWE DLC when she hears Tom claiming he’s a filmmaker, she changes her mind. But at this time, she’s already in yet another Alan’s story, her beliefs shaped by his writing (or by the words of her therapist and this vision of Tom and Alan; take your pick).

So, the question remains: why was Tom made a filmmaker?

My belief here is that Alan (or Scratch — do not confuse with Mr. Scratch) had no need of a poet. In This House of Dreams we see two sets of poems: one is by Thomas Zane and another is by Alan himself, in Control’s AWE Alan also claims that he wrote poems, and what value can Tom-the-poet add to Alan’s attempts to escape? A filmmaker on the other hand, as Tom says in AWII, can make a companion piece for his manuscript. Hence the filmmaker, the auteur.

As a side note. I do believe that the real Thomas Zane never makes his appearance in any games, first we see the Bright Presence possessing the body of Tom, then we see yet another Alan’s face in the Dark Place, that takes shape of what he believes Tom Zane was, and this part of Alan becomes a filmmaker at some point in his journey. After all, as the real Tom once wrote:

When you’re lost You’re lost in your own company

[frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers]

Jennifer Lee and Marc Smith revealed as director and writer for Frozen 3 and 4 + Lee no longer WDAS's CCO | News

The source comes from the Hollywood Reporter:

Frozen Fan's wish comes true... Sort of. Jennifer Lee has been replaced as Walt Disney Animation Studio's Chris Creative Officer by Jared Bush. Those of you wanted Jennifer Lee to step down from her role as CCO of WDAS have won but she is confirmed directing and writing Frozen 3 and 4. But not for the reason you wanted, but for a better reason actually. We knew she was involved with the film's making but didn't know that she would write it and direct it with Marc Smith, who some of us speculated as director.

For those who don't know who Jared Bush is, he's the co-director and co-writer of Zootopia, director of Encanto and producer of Raya and the trj Last Dragon. Both him and Lee are currently executive producers on Moana 2.

Disney Co-Chairman, Alan Burgerman has said the following, “Jared Bush is an incredible filmmaker and a talented executive who’s been a prominent creative force at Disney Animation for the past decade, and I am thrilled that he’ll be taking the reins of this storied studio. [...] I also want to thank Jennifer Lee for her passionate leadership of the studio over the past several years — she’s made an indelible mark on both Disney Animation and the industry. I know she has so many more stories to tell, and there is truly no one better suited to oversee the continuation of the beloved story of Frozen.”

Bush has said, “I am so deeply grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their faith in me, and thankful to Jennifer for her leadership and for her generous support as she embarks on the next chapters of Frozen. Disney Animation is home to some of the greatest stories and characters of the past century, and I’m so excited to work with all of our filmmakers, artists, and Disney Animation team members as we shape the future of this legendary studio together.”

But here's the most revealing part. In a note Lee sent to the staff of WDAS, reads:

Morning All,

For so many of us here, our dreams came true when we joined Walt Disney Animation Studios. I pinch myself every day that I get to be a part of the Disney magic with all of you, as our stories bring genuine hope, wonder, possibility, entertainment and joy to the world through the beautiful craft of animation. It has been my great honor to be CCO these past six years. I’m so proud of all we’ve built together, weathered together, and discovered together. The love, dedication, talent, and passion you all show every day is not just an inspiration to me, it’s an inspiration to the world.

As you know from Alan’s email, I will be returning to filmmaking full time writing and directing with Marc Smith on FROZEN 3 and FROZEN 4. I admit, I was hooked from the moment Marc first pitched this new adventure for our gang, and I am in awe of the incredible work he has done since then developing this powerful story. As a studio, we are fairly new to musical sequels, and this will be our first story told over two films at once. I’m excited for the challenge and so grateful for this opportunity to return to filmmaking, and can think of no better way to do so than with our FROZEN family.

One of the things that makes Disney so special is our commitment to having filmmakers as our studio leaders. This morning, Alan also announced that Jared Bush has agreed to be our new Chief Creative Officer. Jared’s talents as an animation writer and director stretch far beyond the ZOOTOPIAs, the MOANAs, and ENCANTO. He is committed to this studio and its future, and I truly believe that his passion, his tireless work ethic, and his pursuit of excellence will only make us stronger.

I am so grateful to Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their incredible support and guidance over all these years. Every moment I’ve gotten to work with them has been a master class in creativity, business, community, and integrity. I want to thank them for supporting my decision to return to filmmaking at this studio that I love so much.

I also want to thank Clark Spencer, the greatest partner anyone could ever have. He is brilliant, patient, and, like Kristoff from FROZEN, he’s the honest goods. He is our rock and will continue to be. And I could not have made it through the hours without Eileen Aguirre. Her care for this studio, her knowledge, and her considerate spirit remains a beacon to all of us.

I can’t wait to get back in the rooms with you! Thank you again for everything; you’re all worth melting for.

Sincerely,

Jenn

So from these statements, especially Jennifer Lee's note, it is confirmed that she has stepped down from the role of CCO because she decided to be a full-time writer and director on Frozen 3 and 4 with Marc Smith., who was the storyboard director for the previous films but now is co-writer and co-director. Those who speculated Marc from the moment Jennifer Lee gave the hint in previous interviews, we're spot on! I didn't believe it at first but obviously should have since he gave the initial idea.

I know Jennifer Lee has gotten a lot of hate since Frozen 2 and we're glad to hear that she isn't writing or directing Frozen 3 and 4 (until now) but it's not bad news because I'm sure she's learned her lesson, main one being to give the story a good amount of time to develop before rushing into things that haven't been fully thought out yet, hence Frozen 3 a release date being delayed to Nov 2027 from the expected Nov 2025! Plus Marc Smith is helping her so it will definitely be different than the previous two with a new co-director/ writer and a fully developed story.

The concept art definitely looks promising though it's far from final. So yes I have full trust in the movies but also a little cautiously as one should be.

[pruneunfair]

I was really holding on TRE to get good for a long time. My hopes were the highest when Navier just arrived to the Western Kingdom (forgot how it was called) and met Krista.

Oh, so now you are in Rashta's place. You are the outsider in the way of the beloved queen out to take her place. You don't have the local nobles' trust nor a family to back you. The perfect queen's ladies are against you. What will you do?

I expected them to lean more on the parallels between what Navier had just gone through and her current situation. Maybe now that the tables were turned would Navier sympathize with Rashta and realize what an awful situation she was in. Plus, now that Navier was out of the picture, maybe Rashta would realize how the former Empress didn't really play a part in her suffering, but the men around her (Sovieshu/Ergi/Alan) who kept manipulating her. I was almost wishing for Rashta to steal a bunch of money/jewels and leave with Glorym, further punishing Sovieshu by showing all he did was for nothing, since he has nothing left.

But no. Krista was punished for being in Navier's way, Rashta was punished for wanting to be Navier, and Navier never got character development.

Oh god the potential that was wasted!!

Morally grey characters, different perspectives, and character development. We could have had that if the story just dropped it's pride for 5 minutes.

Thankfully this is what rewrites are for, thanks God for Ao3

[neuroticbookworm]

Thai QL Favorites Tag Game

Tagged by @telomeke, thanks friend! ^^

Credit: this game was created by @thatgirl4815 as Thai BL Favorites Tag Game.

Favorite Thai QL: Bad Buddy, my beloved. I've watched very few QLs, and Bad Buddy is the one that I often go back to when I need a pick-me-up. It may not be perfect (Wai, my beloathed) but the show never fails to make me feel deeply whenever I revisit it.

Favorite Pairing: I share @lurkingshan's opinions on branded pairs, so I'm gonna answer with a pair that I think is well-matched in terms of on-screen talent, and therefore, my favorite: FirstKhao. GMMTV took two bad bitches and said "We're gonna pit them against each other and they're gonna love it" and boy, so do we.

Most underrated actor: I saw Sing Harit almost drown Gun Atthaphan in Not Me and I've been in love ever since. I have no reasonable metrics to know if he's actually underrated, other than the fact that he doesn't show up on my dash as much as I would like. I want to see more of him, and I can't wait to get to The Warp Effect, where he wears.. *checks notes* a puppy mask? Ummmmmmmm

Favorite Character: Time to get controversial, baby!

(tagging my ToL gang @waitmyturtles, @lurkingshan, @manogirl. Keep the getaway car running, frens. We might need to make a quick exit)

*clears throat* Khai from Theory of Love.

Wait.

WAIT.

WAIT. HERE ME OUT.

I absolutely love the fact that Khai is so well-written that half the audience can't stand to watch him and the ones who make it through either viciously hate him or absolutely love him. I love that he was unabashedly awful in the first half, and I love that his redemption arc was gradual. Was he still a dipshit in some moments in the second half? Yes. Was it realistic and in-character? Also yes. I love a character who can fully acknowledge his mistakes and wholeheartedly apologize and strive to do better in the future. So, to sum up, *hugs him close to my chest like a stuffie* KHAI, MY UTTERLY BELOVED!

Favorite Side Character: Hoon from I Told Sunset About You. The fact that called Teh a crybaby when he was having a complete breakdown in Hoon's arms cemented his place in my heart.

Favorite scene in a QL: The AlanWen conversation scene at the outdoor diner in Moonlight Chicken, episode 5. Yes, I'm a masochist, thank you for asking. I'm also a staunch Alan apologist, and will defend my poor little meow meow to the ends of the Earth. (ha, me clever)

Favorite line in a QL: "Why is your wall so high?" -- Wen to Uncle Jim, Moonlight Chicken, episode 6.

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Only Friends -- doy.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: My Sunshine babies, Mork and Tawan from My Ride. They were so good to each other and they got to know each other as friends before moving into a romantic relationship, and the transition felt as natural as possible. The drama was minimal and there were no stupid misunderstandings for the sake of moving the plot along.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: VegasPete in KinnPorsche. I also co-sign @lurkingshan's pick, ToyBoss from My Ride. If anyone messes with my bookshelves the way Toy does at Boss' apartment, they will get thrown off the balcony.

Guilty pleasure series: I don't have one, fam. I'm very new to the QL town and the ones I feel guilty for watching were not pleasurable in any way.

Most underrated series: La Pluie, the love of my life. I've gushed all over my blog about this show, week after week. I don't think I can say anything more that hasn't already been said, so I'm just gonna link the La Pluie meta round up, and invite you to ponder truly how amazing a show must be to inspire these many incredible metas.

I am a full three weeks late to this game, so I'm pretty sure everyone has already done it. So if you made it this far, and still haven't participated, consider yourself tagged, my friend! Toodles!

[fahye]

(1/?) Freya!!!!! I apologise in advance, this ask is going to be all over the place. Since I discovered your ao3 profile many, many years ago, you've been one of those auto-read authors for me, the kind you follow blindly and faithfully into fandoms you've never heard of, and crucially, the kind who always, always deliver. I must have read your capri ficS fifty times EACH, i revisit them like every six months, they're so good (ALSO!! Those fic are the reason I discovered the capri trilogy, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!) ANYWAY!! That is to say, when you announced that you were publishing your first original novel, I was SO excited. And AML did not disappoint, it had everything that made me fall in love with your writing in the first place, fascinating world building, and characters i want to kiss on the forehead and tuck into my pockets (AND MAGICAL HOUSES!!!! Bestest of tropes). I read it around the time it came out and I couldn't wait for the sequel. And then I learned what the sequel was actually going to be about and ART immediately became my most anticipated book of the year. Every tidbit you divulged made me go to goodreads and stare at the publication date for full minutes like sheer longing was going to magically make it sooner.

(2/3 now I think) Magical murder mystery! Sapphics!!! ON BOATS!!! It sounded like it was going to be the book of dreams. AND IT WAS!!!!!! It was sooooo gooood. I loved everything about it: the plot (delightful, delightful, and delightful. A VALISE FULL OF PORNOGRAPHY!!! WILD ANIMALS RUNNING AMOK!! A FAKE REAL SEANCE!!! God, just thinking about it makes me so happy), the characters (i loved everyone so dearly!!! Even the background characters were painted so vividly and charmingly, and of course the orgy quartet HAS MY WHOLE HEART!!! Both individually and together. Special mentions go to Lord Hawthorn, the aristocratic asshole of my heart, AND MAUDIE!!!! She was so complex and wonderul, and I just saw you one post where you described her as a lesbian miles vorkosigan, which????!?!?!?! I'D NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT LIKE THAT BUT YES ABSOLUTELY, my most beloved brilliant disaster generals… AND OH, SHE'S EVEN ON A BOAT, SO "ADMIRAL" IS FITTING), and of course the prose… genuinely so astonishingly, consistently beautiful. I can't think of any other books where sentences regularly make me stop to marvel at how gorgeously crafted and evocative they are, at the cleverness of the pictures they paint, without taking me out of the story. And the consistent music imagery throughout the book, a connecting thread in both povs!!! I hope we get to see the girls at Spinet House in book three. And the sex scenes of course… you are a master!!!! So sexy and lush, and such excellent character studies at the same time, I am in awe. Also, so happy to see excellent, explicit wlw smut!!!! Not enough of it out there!!! Which of course brings me to the relationships…. AHHHHH SO GOOD. SO GOOD!! The joy and discovery and tension and building trust of Maud and Violet, the excellent dynamics of the quartet, but also Maud and Hawthorn, UNEXPECTEDLY MAYBE MY FAVORITE DUO, and omg, the way you depict even "off page" relationships, ie maud and edwin, maud and robin, robin and edwin… so much feeling and tenderness and care!!!! You don't need to be told that they love each other, it comes across so, so clearly. ALSO (last one I promise) FORSYTHIA CLUB BACKSTORY!!! Flora and Beth crushed my heart underfoot) 

(3/3) ANYWAY ALL OF THIS TO SAY…. ART was so much FUN!!!!! A treat from beginning to end, one of my fave reads this year. AND A POWER UNBOUND IS ALREADY MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF NEXT YEAR, which… is going to be thought, given that it's a whole 12 months away, womp womp. I can't wait to get more of lord hawthorn (who i hoped would be a future book protag on very first appearance in aml!!!), i want to pry him open like a clam and peer into his brain, and of alan ross, and of their DELICIOUS dynamic… also looking forward to learning more about elsie alston and to see the whole gang interact, magical houses included!!! Anyway, that is all, I apologise for the insane amount of capslock and exclamation points, I just wanted to make sure my appreciation got across, I LOVE THE LAST BINDING THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS WONDERFUL SERIES, I WISH YOU MUCH JOY IN WRITING AND I CAN'T WAIT RO SEE WHAT YOU DO NEXT!!

anon I am so sorry I had to Read More your message because in the depths of my soul I want to frame it, decoupage it, enclose it in enamel with little flecks of gold leaf, shove it in the face of everyone who visits my house, etc. 

this is like when you open a ‘someone left a comment’ email from ao3 and your face does a weird :DDDDDDDD thing with each subsequent scroll-down you have to do to read the whole thing. thank you?? you’re so lovely and this message filled me with joy.

and I can say with full confidence that the theme of music continues in book 3, and that I have shoved my knife RIGHT into the clam-shell hinges of lord hawthorn for you all.

thank you again! I hope 2023 brings you many enjoyable things, and that my book is one of them.

[akkrosu]

Thai BL Favorites List

Thank you for tagging me, @ellaspore! It has taken me a while to finish this, but if you’re making me choose this harshly between my favorite shows and characters, my choices have to be well thought-through. Which doesn’t mean I’m capable of narrowing down pretty much anything to just one per category, so expect me to cheat a lot here.

Favorite Thai BL: I have too many Thai BLs I love, and I don’t really have one favorite that tops them all, so let me use this chance instead to rectify the fact that I forgot about one important show when I was asked about my nine favorite shows last time: KinnPorsche. My beloved.

Current Obsession: I’ll go with Be My Favorite here. But I have to say, Laws of Attraction is climbing the ranks fast and, after only two episodes, I have just about reached the same level of obsession I have for Be My Favorite. I’m still on the fence about Hidden Agenda, but this could easily become a favorite too.

Favorite Pairing: Oh no. Don’t make me choose. This might honestly be the hardest question on this list. One of the first couples I thought of was Akk and Ayan from The Eclipse, but my heart is also screaming at me to say Kluen and Daonuea from Star in my Mind, or Tinn and Gun from My School President. I can’t possibly narrow this down even more, three is already too few. Can I skip this question? 👀

Most Underrated Actor: I don’t know if he’s underrated in general or I just personally underestimated him for the longest time, but Gawin is doing really, really well in Be My Favorite (I also substantially underestimated his singing abilities). Other than that, I’m really impressed by how phenomenally Film is portraying Charn in Laws of Attraction.

Favorite Character: No. I refuse to answer this. You can’t make me. Everything in me is hurting at the idea of choosing one. Let me just dodge this question by listing like the first dozen people that come to mind (my brain works in mysterious and non-comprehensible ways, just don’t question it): Gun (My School President), Akk (The Eclipse), Kluen (Star in my Mind), Jeng (Step by Step), Yai (Big Dragon), Mark (Love Mechanics), literally everyone from Moonlight Chicken, but especially Alan (he is the most understandable and human and complex antagonist I’ve ever seen, and it makes me insane). I said what I said.

Favorite Side Character: Honestly, right now I’ll give this to Tien from La Pluie. There are so many other incredible side characters that deserve to be here, but I’m particularly in love with him right now.

Favorite Scene in a BL: I have a particular obsession with this one scene in ep 10 of Never Let Me Go where Palm returns to Nueng and they reunite in that abandoned building and promise each other eternal love and support. It’s the look on Nueng’s face when he sees Palm that gets me—all that longing and hope and unadulterated happiness and relief of getting to see him again. Then there’s also this one scene in ep 8 of The Eclipse where Ayan is the most patient and loving person ever in trying to coax out Akk’s feelings, which leads to one of the softest kisses in BL history (in my personal opinion). Oh, and I also frequently rewatch the one in Not Me where White runs away from Sean after Sean finds out about the twin thing, and Sean says all hurt and in love and confused, “I don’t even know what your name is”, and White tells him, and Sean immediately repeats it and hugs him like he finally has the right to his real identity, to the real him, and he’s in awe. And the soundtrack, ugh, it’s so good.

Favorite Line in a BL: Cake saying “Nobody’s hurt just because we love each other” to See-Eiw in My Only 12%. That line struck me so hard. Oh, and Akk and Ayan telling each other they are allowed to be weak with each other in The Eclipse. The way they promised each other weakness wasn’t something to be ashamed of, ugh. And then there’s the end credits of 180° Longitude Passes Through Us saying (amongst other emotionally devastating things), “To you who call yourself a parent: you can only give birth to them, but you don’t own them.” The way I wept when I read that. This show tried to destroy me, and it succeeded.

Most Anticipated BL (& Why): Only Friends, which will come as no surprise to anyone who has talked to me about it. I trust P’Jojo with all my heart and I trust these actors to create the queerest, messiest story in GMMTV history or even Thai BL history.

Healthiest relationship in a BL: Oh, I’m also really tempted to say Tinn and Gun from My School President. And for a bit of an underrated relationship—Fuse and Ana from Future.

Most Toxic Relationship in a BL: Korn and Knock in Together With Me. Mostly because of how Knock treated Korn like he was disposable and only for him to play with.

Guilty Pleasure Series: I will not answer with Star in my Mind like you did, @ellaspore, simply because I do not feel even remotely guilty for the love I have for this series. I’ll go with Big Dragon, instead.

So that was a wild ride full of conflicting feelings. Thanks for inviting me to try this! Not really sure who to tag here, but I’ll just go ahead and invite @recentadultburnout or anyone else who feels like it! And just for funsies, let me also ask @respectthepetty since I want to know if my theory on what they would pick for some of these, like favorite side character, are correct.

[chiropteracupola]

B, E, H, for whichever guy(s) from your brain you most want to talk about!

okay it is JAMES TIME now time to talk about JAMES!

B. What inspired you to create them?

so! the thing about James is that he wasn’t originally meant to get his own story at all — I’d been pondering the shapes of some backstory stuff for Alan Breck Stewart of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, a guy about which we don’t know an awful lot when it comes to what’s happened to him before he shows up in the book. so what I had in my head was something that’d happen during Alan’s initial army years, but Alan’s not the sort of guy that really works well on his own. in my estimation of him, he needs someone else to bounce off of to really shine, which is what RLS does so well in the book proper!

so I set about inventing up someone who Alan might want to talk to, and someone who might feel at home in a RLS story! and somewhere along the line, about two or three drawings in, there just sort of started being a guy that pulled up a chair inside my head and made herself at home. she’s changed a good deal since then, but she’s not left since!

as for the broader story of haunted by your hand, that comes from my favorite Vincent Price audiobook, ‘A Graveyard of Ghost Tales’, specifically the sections on hands of glory [27:13-50:48] one thing I’ve always wondered about with that line of lore is regarding the actual procurement of the hand itself — would you want to steal a stranger’s hand, or someone you’d known, and what might that feel like to keep holding in your own as it mummified and turned from a relic of a beloved person into a tool for thievery? and what if that person’s spirit stuck with that hand, what would that be like?

and so you see! there’s James!

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

James is almost infuriatingly easy-going, but very good at smoothing out conflict with strangers and acquaintances to the point of often being difficult to communicate with. if he doesn’t want to talk about something, you will not be talking about anything at all. for my part, a lot of how I get to know a person is joking and goofing and conversational exchange, and James, at this point in her life, is not interested in that kind of give-and-take in discussion at all. she’s got enough friends — she doesn’t feel that she needs to open up to anyone else. thus, we would probably tolerate each other in short interactions, but I doubt we’d ever be friends.

H. What trait do you admire most?

she’s decisive and secure! she knows precisely what she wants, and more often than not, how to go about getting it. if something needs to get done, James is the one to do it, and she will do it, without hesitation. …this is not always a good thing, as it happens. uh oh.

[planetflanagan]

Warning - spoilers for Oculus below

The mysterious mirror which was found in the hold of the Bay Breeze when it docked 6 weeks ago is now thought to have connections to the Gunning family. The history of the mirror known as “The Lasser Glass” has been uncovered by our very own local historian Dr Sarah Gunning – and with it, a shocking Gunning family tragedy.

Dr Gunning's aunt, Eliza Russell, left Crockett Island with her 4 year old son in 1968 after her husband Peter died in a boating accident. It is thought she argued with Sarah's mother Mildred before she left, and the sisters never spoke to each other again. In the months before her departure Eliza also refused to set foot in St Patrick’s Church, where she had previously attended regular Mass.

Dr Gunning says that she has never understood what caused the rift between the two sisters, and that sadly she is now unlikely to learn, as her mother is in the grip of dementia.

"I researched the mirror, it's so unusual it was fairly simple. And it turns out I have a personal connection," Dr Gunning told us exclusively, "I'm wondering if my mother must have made arrangements for it to be sent to us before her illness, or if someone sent it to provide her with a keepsake of the family she lost."

Dr Sarah Gunning at her home yesterday

The "loss" she refers to is the tragic story of her estranged cousin, Alan. In 2003, just weeks after purchasing the mirror at auction, Alan and Marie Russell were shot dead by their 10 year son, Tim. Tim was sent to an institution, but upon his release in 2014 he brutally murdered his older sister Kaylie using an elaborate mechanical device. Heartbroken twice over, Eliza died in 2015.

Kaylie and Tim Russell being interviewed by police in 2003

After being found in the hold of the Bay Breeze in June, the mirror was taken by local teacher Ms Beverly Keane to be used as "the perfect prop" for the Crock Pot's own theater group, The Crockett Island Players. Their next production, The Haunting of Hill House, will take place in October in the new Pruitt Community Centre. Proceeds from ticket sales will be put towards the fund to send beloved Monsignor John Pruitt to the Holy Land.

Ms Keane says "I'm delighted that, given its unsavoury, truly awful history, Dr Gunning has decided to leave the mirror with us at the presbytery until the community centre is complete. While she's not a regular figure at church like her dear mother was, she will be contributing to the Monsignor's journey to the Holy Land by helping with our wonderful play. Our very own Dolly Scarborough will be portraying Eleanor, and I just couldn't be more excited to watch her go mad - especially with this mirror as part of the scenery!"

[successloops]

The Verdict: I sentence you to prism.

Living in the Rainbow Nation. The July Muse

Well I’m not going to stick my head in the sand and pretend that it’s all peaches and cream here in South Africa. We know it’s not, but I think a lot of us get stuck in the quicksand of polarized perspectives.

Yes, there is a ton of corruption as well as mismanagement and misinformation. We have pot holes that could be tourist attractions. Our electricity supply is hysterical. State Owned Enterprises are excruciatingly neglected and our water supply, you could say it just isn’t fluid. Unemployment is sky high. A point that is very sensitive but must be observed is that unfortunately an undertow of cultural mistrust and resentment regrettably still resides here. We did enjoy a brief honeymoon of unity and connection shortly after our first free democratic elections, however we all do have this capacity to default to our perceived separation and this causes us to segregate us back into our colours again. This perception of separation is not exclusive to South Africa, it’s inclusive to everyone in the world. The key point that author Alan Paton made in his bestselling book “Cry the Beloved Country” was the sentence that one of characters discussed that went something like, when everyone comes together for the greater good of the country then harmony can ensue. I cannot quote it exactly but its essence can also be described as: if everyone can subscribe to a greater purpose that’s larger than any of our singularities then suddenly the greater good becomes tangible.

Now let me swing perspective here for a moment. We do have abundant pots of gold at the end of our rainbows here in S.A. We also have Platinum, Coal, Diamonds and many other raw resources at our disposal. We have an abundance and diversity of nature that is breath taking. Our weather is fabulous. The beauty of our beaches and bushveld are just awe inspiring. We boast talents in music and art that appeals to the harshest of critics. We are empathic and have copious amounts of compassion for worthy causes. Our ability to innovate astounds me. The optimism despite our third world status is remarkable, anyone who has experienced a crescendo of singing from a random group of workers would think they are a tightly-rehearsed choir. This is truly a special place and we have even been branded “the world in one country.” A common mistake everyone makes is that we view one radical polarization as vehemently wrong, so we swing violently to its polar opposite while thinking, that’s wrong so this must be right. This premise is flawed and it’s why we experience ongoing conflicts between far left’s and right’s. The sweet spot is in the middle, where we should observe both contrasts and find a balance between.

There is something magical that happens when you break-through to balance. A sort of transcendence occurs and you find a clarity that takes you beyond the separation of rights and wrongs, and where inspiration & intuition seep in to take its place. In this space you may find yourself reverse engineering a prism where you witness a rainbow of separate shades entering through a prism and all uniting to become one, just as we are at source.

Please remember while it is great to celebrate diversity, contrasts, variety and all uniqueness that makes us different, let it not separate us. Notice the seven colours of a rainbow, how each colour blends from one into the other seamlessly, on close inspection you’ll see there is no stark separation. Let’s remember to celebrate what we share in common and what unites us. Beyond all our differences we all crave to be seen, heard, accepted, loved and appreciated.

www.successloops.com

[bunai-codepink]

giving my brain a VIOLENT rest from theories and brainstorming ideas and just. overworking itself? but gonna talk about my self inserts again cause i love them both? sm???

both (looma + mj)

- don't let the frills and bright colors fool you. literal human form of a chihuahua and will not hesitate to go for the knees. just happens to like cute things. - strawberry blonde basically means part angry part stupid and no self preservation (as you can tell. by their tastes in men) - if it was a career option they'd both kill to be magical girls. doesn't matter if they're not girls, dream job fr - not super chatty at first, but is the type of person where once they're comfy with you, you have unlocked The Weird. - awful sweet tooth. don't leave either of them alone with anything sugary it WILL be gone - adhd/autism duo fr fr!! - both like to just get up and dance when a good jam comes on (working on playlists cause i am unhinged) - both of em wear a binder! looma doesn't wear it all the time but mj has a timer set and a sports bra in xir bag when it goes off

looma (sdj)

- uses xe/xir pronouns, but begrudgingly uses they/them while at work - can't stand just doing nothing and has to be moving. due to this ABSOLUTELY hates slow days. once refilled toppings at least 3 times and overfilled by accident. - stims by drumming xir hands on things or arm flapping - captain oblivious my beloved. literally has no idea about anyones feelings until after the fact - likes to wear oversized jackets! while jack's is warm, xe prefers xir own (personal favorite is xir blue jersey with the stars on it) - yes, xe named xemself after the loomas from super mario galaxy.

"they're just funny lil guys!! sillies!!"

mj (mdhm)

- is very Particular about xir house. if anything remotely looks out of place or is nudged it sends off red alarms. - has an unhealthy collection of mini backpacks stored in the back of xir closet. no ones knows about it and xe would like to keep it that way - what does mj stand for? your guess is about as good as mine, xe changes xir answer anytime anyone asks. - local theivery of jackets hoodies and similar abound. usually if alan takes his jacket off there's a high chance mj will swipe it instead of getting up to get a blanket - isn't a huge fan of the slasher genre when it comes to horror, but if you want found footage or cult classics mj's your bestie - i've mentioned this before but doesn't like putting people's names or anything in xir phone. usually defaults to nicknames or just emojis - big fan of swishy skirts!! bonus points if there's pockets - unfortunate forgetful tbh!! memory is shit so often takes notes or pictures as reminders - has gone trick or treating the last 5 years as sam from trick r treat and due to xir height, always passes as a teenager at least. the candy scam continues. - chewerly hoarder!! has a bunch of necklaces but prefers the bracelets

"sorry if that was a bit blunt, i'm autistic. and also kinda a bitch? i didn't mean it, i promise."