#koda talks

[valer13sval3ntine]

i had a dream about charlie slimecicle having a photoshoot posing as jesus christ and i thought it was real and i woke up and was so sad it wasnt, SO I MADE THIS IN 5 MINUTES

[kodaswrld]

[stayfruityponyboy]

First post on this side blog. Also first fic I’ve written for this ship and for the d20 fandom…I’m a little nervous.

I’ve hit a wall with novel writing so I’m revisiting ACOFAF by writing a human au about Rue and Hob.

Coming soon. I’ll share the link to my ao3 when I’ve uploaded the finished one-shot!

For now here’s the moodboard and a teaser.

———————————————————————-

The charming bungalow located on 116 Craft Court was grieving. Floorboards creaked with a cadence that mimicked weeping. The windows refused to shut entirely, leaving a sliver of space behind just in case Salt Goblins wanted to crawl through them again. Lights flickered wistfully as the doorbell rang, only to shut off once visitors weren’t revealed to be the three mischievous children this house had witnessed grow up to become curious adults. If the Bungalow could speak, it would ask K.P Hob why its friends hadn’t returned from school yet.

In this hypothetical situation, Hob’s reply would be: “Our Salt Goblins, otherwise known as: Cosmo, Castor, and Crux, are in college now. Which means longer classes. No more arriving home thirty minutes after their school day has ended to terrorize all and sundry.” He might even take the opportunity to teach the house a thing or two by adding: “ You see, a semester lasts three months and the Goblins have only just begun their studies. We’ll see them in time for the Equinox.”

He would then run a hand down the wooden door frame in front of him, as one would offer a comforting hug to a friend in need. He’d force himself to look away from the markings etched into the side, displaying how on one sweltering summer in 2014, Crux towered over her brothers in height.

Hob would eventually continue his daytime rituals, continuing a one-sided conversation with the house. At the end of the day he’d wander into the kitchen to make a cup of tea and set three empty mugs on the table next to him…wishing desperately that the wizard who enchanted his home left an instruction manual for Uncles experiencing empty nest syndrome.

[valer13sval3ntine]

im autistic

[hallowpen]

The Secret of Us and the allegory of the puzzle...

I think one of the major overarching themes in this series is that you cannot force something to fit where it doesn't want to belong. And the only way to 'complete' the picture, ideally, is to patiently allow the pieces to be put together in the way they're supposed to.

I really really want to talk about Lada and how much I resonated with her as a character. In order for me to do that, I have to explain some cultural insights that revolve around Lada's familial structure.

Funnily enough, I was recently discussing certain matrilineal cultures that exist in Thailand and how they perpetuate a lot of bigoted ideals... and that is shown beautifully in Lada's relationship with her parents and how they each react to her queerness. To me, it seemed clear that Lada's parents' marriage was born from matrilocal customs. And unfortunately, that's not really something you would be able to pick up on if you weren't Thai (or natively Asian in general). So... in these types of families, women hold a lot of authority, and that authority is passed on through the female line (which is why daughters are valued over sons). The wife would manage and have the final say regarding household matters, including how the children are raised... and the husband's duty would be to respect his wife. A mother and her daughter maintain a continuous relationship with one another as, should the daughter marry, her husband would come to stay with them until they have a family of their own (and sometimes even after). It's a good way to strengthen matrilineal kinship, but it puts enormous cultural pressure on the daughter who is raised with very high expectations... the most pressuring of which is to marry a man and to have natural born children. Should the daughter not 'fit' this mold, they are often ostracized from the family.

It gives new meaning to hearing Khun Russamee say, "Lada is the seed I've nurtured since birth," doesn't it? It's why she is so against accepting and understanding Lada and Earn's relationship. Because in her mind, there doesn't exist a future where two women can uphold these matrilineal customs... and so the only reason Earn must be pursuing Lada is for some form of exploitation (i.e. money). She justifies her cruel and queerphobic behavior to keep them apart as some form of misaligned protection of her daughter and her daughter's future... to keep her from being taken advantage of and to help her see reason. It doesn't excuse the behavior at all... but at least you can understand the motivation (no matter how terrible). These types of mothers exist in the reality of Thai society... it's not just some cliched villain narrative. I'm speaking from experience here (NOT MY MOM! I LOVE MY MOM... my mother's mother).

In Thailand, we hold strong to the notion of บุญคุณ ('bunkhun'). This notion perpetuates the idea that we owe an endless debt of gratitude to our parents. It's seen as our "moral obligation". (Similar ideas exist in other Asian countries, as well)

Lada has done everything right. She's loved and obeyed her mother, she's cultivated a successful career with intentions to take over from her parents' leadership of the hospital, she's set herself up to be able to support her family's needs... She cannot imagine a life where her mother could ever not support her or her choices. Her one "fault" is that she is in love with a woman and refuses to conform to her mother's insistent heteronormative intentions (I loved the juxtaposition of this against P'Nu's defeated acceptance btw). She's rightfully exhausted from all the pressure to 'fit' her mother's mold of the perfect daughter, and Earn recognizes that.

So when her mother falls ill, and Lada is expected to take responsibility, it makes sense from the perspective of her familial structure. When she sacrifices her happiness for her mother and Earn understands the reasons why... it makes sense. Khun Russamee only comes to believe that Earn truly does love Lada once Earn willingly steps away from their relationship to ease Lada's mother's expectations... it's twisted, but it makes sense. And Khun Russamee does apologize, for whatever the frik that's worth (I can only try so much guys 😞😞😞) It's just part of our ingrained culture to value family despite their abusive behaviors. And as much as I wish that weren't the case, these views remain an actual reality. So, it isn't dishonest to portray them.

...The point is, the final pieces of the puzzle could only come together once they were allowed to. And then we finally got our happy ending!!!

Could certain story elements stand to be improved? Yes... but they're no worse than anything we've seen from BL series. And I do believe as time goes on, with more and more GL content being made, the writing will get better and stronger (I hope 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾).

Despite the more problematic writing, Lingling and Orm were outstanding in their roles. Never have I seen two artists, in all of the Thai QL I've watched, be so in tune to their characters and their emotions. Everything from their dramatic scenes to their more subtle facial expressions were completely on point. It was a pleasure to witness... and the biggest draw for me as a viewer. Well done!!!

[thatonechocogirl]

got jumpscared when i saw them in the short

[sonyshock]

Please don't hit me with a slipper, but your OC reminds me of this guy:

Why would I hit you with the slipper if you are right

[charleemoon]

GOLDEN LOVERS ARE BACK NEVER KILL YOURSELF

[pepperangers]

hc that most of tyler's job as a red involves keeping certain teammates alive outside the suits

ivan, to koda, holding a knife to a socket: perhaps this blade shall be a sufficient size!

tyler, vaulting over a table: NO NO NO NO NO

[valer13sval3ntine]

mumbo jumbo. next question

[kodaswrld]

shout out to regressors who have “fallen behind” their peers! those who don’t have their license/permit yet, those with poor grades, those who have dropped out of school, those who have been expelled, those who still live with parents/guardians, those who are unemployed! no matter the reason for it, be it physical health, mental health, financial struggles or whatever the case may be, you are not alone! 🩵

reposted blog ~ credits

[silly-lil-lee]

HEHEHEHE

[hallowpen]

I figured I might as well make this a little blog series, since there will be more to address in upcoming episodes.

Before we dive into the nitty gritty... I really want to acknowledge the production value of The Loyal Pin and all the hard work that went into making it. The characters, the sets, the wardrobe, the dialect... everything was an honest representation of a historically accurate period drama. The first episode was perfectly curated to establish the series' universe. I was really impressed with Becky in particular because I've been following her since GAP, and I know how much she struggled with reacquainting herself to the language when she moved back home to Thailand from New Zealand. To have the added pressure of maintaining a period accurate dialect was not easy for her. Freen has proudly commented on how hard Becky worked to really learn the script... and it shows. Well done, Bec Bec!!!

Let's Talk Thai Culture...

We'll start off by breaking down Thai Royal Language Terminology (คำราชาศัพท์)

The Savettavarit Royal House Consists of 1) His Royal Highness, The Prince Thai Royal Title: พระองค์ชาย (pronounced phra-ong chai) reserved for direct male descendants of the king

2) Her Serene Highness, Princess Alisa Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a non-inherited title for being the wife of a prince (abbr. M.C.)

3) His Serene Highness, Prince Anantavut Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าชาย (pronounced mom-jao chai) a title for male children of a prince, meaning secondary prince (abbr. M.C.)

4) His Serene Highness, Prince Anon Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าชาย (pronounced mom-jao chai) a title for male children of a prince, meaning secondary prince (abbr. M.C.)

5) Her Serene Highness, Princess Anilaphat Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a title for female children of a prince, meaning secondary princess (abbr. M.C.)

The Kasidit Noble Family Consists of 1) Her Serene Highness, Princess Pattamika Thai Royal Title: หม่อมเจ้าหญิง (pronounced mom-jao ying) a non-inherited title for being the 'adopted' sister of the prince (abbr. M.C.)

2) Lady Pilanthita Thai Noble Title: หม่อมราชวงศ์ (pronounced mom rat-cha-wong) a title assumed by 'commoner' children of หม่อมเจ้า (M.C.), meaning their ancestry can be traced back to a king (abbr. M.R.) The Common Address: You'll hear certain characters use the term ท่าน (pronounced than). It is the formal address between members of royalty/nobility to acknowledge certain members of higher rank. It essentially means "Your Highness". For example, regarding Princess Pattamika, Pin addresses her 'adoptive' mother (f.) as ท่านหญิง (than ying) and Anil refers to her 'aunt' as ท่านอา (than ah*). *อา (ah) is how one would refer to their father's younger sibling

Another term you might have heard was เพคะ (pronounced phe-kha). It is less formal and used to express familiarity. Both Prik and Lady Pin use this response to address Princess Anil as "Your Highness". Princess Alisa can also be heard using this phrase in conversation with, and to respond to, her husband.

She is considered a Noble 'Commoner', so Lady Pin would be formally addressed as คุณหญิง (khun ying) given her title. However, Pin is depicted as being more reserved and adherent to social structure. This is very telling of her social class amongst the higher ranking royal family who took her in. Pin has a lot more to lose than Anil should she stray from class expectations, and they did a wonderful job establishing that in the first episode. (I'm sure this will come into play even more as the characters age up... and I'm very much looking forward to it.)

Lower ranked servants/attendants (บ่าว - bao) can be heard using the term เจ้า (jao) to indicate their showing of respect when addressing someone of superior status.

Pronunciation and Formality: Without even knowing the Thai language, you might have noticed that the characters heavily enunciate their dialect when speaking. It's an accurate depiction of a "prim" and "proper" royal family. Even how Anil addresses her two brothers is very formal: พี่ชายรอง (meaning second eldest brother) and พี่ชายใหญ่ (meaning eldest brother). If you're going to do a period drama... this is how it's done!!!

Should we discuss the Thai dishes highlighted in this episode? ...Why not?

สองมาลีลอยแก้ว (pronounced song mali loy kaew) is a Thai dessert comprised of watermelon and mamuang dong (มะม่วงดอง - pickled mangoes). The fruit is carved into floral shapes and arranged to "float" in sugar syrup with ice, hence its name... which literally translates to 'Two Flowers Floating in Glass'.

นำ้ปลาหวาน (pronounced nam pla whan) is a Thai dipping sauce comprised of palm sugar, fermented fish sauce, shallots and chili. It's usually paired with firm and tart fruits... like green mangoes. (It's an acquired taste hehe)

The last thing I wanted to mention are Thai night markets and fairs (ตลาดกลางคืน). They are still hugely popular for social outings and, like the series has shown, are comprised of various stalls offering street food, clothes, accessories, attractions, etc. They're very popular amongst tourists, as well.

I hope this wasn't too overwhelming with information... but I just wanted to be as thorough as possible because this series is shaping up to be, what is essentially, a love letter to Thai tradition.

[dazaistabletop]

YOUR HAIR IS ALWAYS GRIMY

[azzie-beastbinder]

Late Night Musings

“...Umezawa, are you awake?”

“I was about to ask you that, kid. But yes. What’s wrong?”

“...”

“Come on, kid. I’ve known you since you were a baby, you can talk to me.”

“I know. I just...I don’t know. I’m...faltering. I can feel it. Everything is just too much, and...”

“...And it feels like you’re going crazy.”

“I can hear scissors talking, Satoru.”

“Okay, so you’re literally going insane. So what? You’re still Koda. You’re still my little brother. You’re still the Dokuchi boss.”

“For how long, though? I’ve only been in this position for five years and I’m already burning out. Even fucking Boss Mazene kept her position for six years. What did she do that I couldn’t?”

“Well for one thing, she was already in her fifties when she took the position, and everyone hated her to the point where my gang’s ancestors were hired to kill her. For another, she took her position because she killed Boss Puddlepaw, who wasn’t much better and only led for a year longer than she did.”

“...How do you remember my gang’s history off the cuff like that?”

“I remember everything Ayame taught me. She was the best teacher I ever had. And that’s saying something, considering I’ve gone through the Imperials’ enforcer academy three times now.”

A snicker. “You have, haven’t you?” A sigh. “I don’t know if I can live up to her example.”

“You don’t have to. I don’t go through my life trying to live up to my father, and he was the boss before...well, technically there was a guy between me and him, but you get the point.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to follow up on Ayame Hayashi. It’s like...everyone looks at me like they assume I’ll do incredible things just because I’m her son. Everyone acted like it was already set in stone that I would be the Dokuchi boss even before Boss Mei stepped down-”

“Koda. You’re spiralling.”

“...Right...”

“Look at it this way, kid. In five years, you’ve done more for the Dokuchi Reckoners and people beyond Kamigawa than pretty much everyone since Setsa did. You actually care about your gang and want to keep them safe. You’re a good boss, Hayashi.”

“...I wonder what things would have been like if I never became the boss...”

“I don’t see the point of wondering about it, but sure, let’s play this out. Let’s say you never became Boss Mei’s second-in-command when you were seventeen. Goldenscar wouldn’t have accepted no matter what Boss Mei asked her to do. Ghostmark would still have been sixteen, so he definitely wouldn’t have been in the running, even with him learning under Tsuji.”

“Right...which means Okino probably would be the next one, since she was twenty at the time. And she’s the best of us.”

“Quit putting yourself down, Hayashi. But sure, Yuriko as boss. Since she wouldn’t be a movie star, since we both know she can’t handle two big things all at once, that means the Dokuchi would be in an even worse state, financially speaking.”

“Yeah, because she’s the one keeping the orphanage funded now...”

“Right. So regardless of how good of a boss she would or wouldn’t be, that part of the Dokuchi Reckoners would still be suffering in a way that it isn’t now.”

“...Yeah...”

“You’re a good guy, Koda. Towashi’s done its damnedest to break you at every turn, but here you still are. Your first reaction when someone is suffering is to help them. Your first reaction to injustice is to right it. You’re a better person than I was at your age, and you’re still a better person than me now.”

“...Thanks, Satoru.”

“No problem, kid. Now get some shut-eye. We’ve got one hell of a hike in a few hours.”

[vdearest]