I directly stole from the Netflix original animated series Bojack Horseman. I know I gush about it a lot in chats and other threads but it's a downright brilliant show (disguised as a crude and bitter comedy involving anthropomorphic animals of course). And the thing they do best is portraying drug trips and dreams. I lifted so many beats and visual cues from those sequences that I'm hesitant to even call myself original. I lifted everything from the disjointed sequences of events to that whole segment where Axel dreamed of living in a secluded woodland house with Thu and kids from Bojack and I'm not even ashamed.
But I think this shot from the season 4 episode "Time's Arrow" says the most:
I wanted faceless dream characters like that. And I debated a lot of ways to do it (my fave that would have been harder was pixellating faces like the censor blur does) but someone released custom mannequin skins not long before I went in to shoot.
My approach was nothing more than expanding the big problems with Thu's and Axel's worldview. She's stuck in the past and he's too ambitious to be anywhere but the future. But I'm leaving the rest of that for therapy.
I'm still in the process of reading. I'm on chapter 14. I must say your story has me very intrigued. I'm trying to figure out whats really going on with Tru but everytime I I've gotten it I'm wrong. I love a story that really makes me think like this.
I was just wondering are you German and Vietnamese? I ask because those cultures are so heavily introduced in your story. If you aren't is there a reason you choose those cultures?
@swcheppes: nope, just a white American who...has known Vietnamese people. My mum has a number of friends from Vietnam and we'd celebrate the Lunar New Year with one of them and stuff like that. And Axel is German because he was originally for @CitizenErased14's use in Windenburg.
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
@swcheppes: nope, just a white American who...has known Vietnamese people. My mum has a number of friends from Vietnam and we'd celebrate the Lunar New Year with one of them and stuff like that. And Axel is German because he was originally for @CitizenErased14's use in Windenburg.
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
wait why would windaberg be german.
axels in citizens story? i wonder if hes as troubled.
@swcheppes: nope, just a white American who...has known Vietnamese people. My mum has a number of friends from Vietnam and we'd celebrate the Lunar New Year with one of them and stuff like that. And Axel is German because he was originally for @CitizenErased14's use in Windenburg.
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
wait why would windaberg be german.
axels in citizens story? i wonder if hes as troubled.
Haha @friendsfan367 In my legacy, Windenburg is in Germany And no, luckily Axel's beginnings in A2A were very trouble-free That's all Trip's doing!
@swcheppes: nope, just a white American who...has known Vietnamese people. My mum has a number of friends from Vietnam and we'd celebrate the Lunar New Year with one of them and stuff like that. And Axel is German because he was originally for @CitizenErased14's use in Windenburg.
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
wait why would windaberg be german.
axels in citizens story? i wonder if hes as troubled.
Haha @friendsfan367 In my legacy, Windenburg is in Germany And no, luckily Axel's beginnings in A2A were very trouble-free That's all Trip's doing!
He was so cute and unassuming that he was clearly the only natural candidate for a dark and grisly sequel.
@swcheppes: nope, just a white American who...has known Vietnamese people. My mum has a number of friends from Vietnam and we'd celebrate the Lunar New Year with one of them and stuff like that. And Axel is German because he was originally for @CitizenErased14's use in Windenburg.
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
wait why would windaberg be german.
axels in citizens story? i wonder if hes as troubled.
Haha @friendsfan367 In my legacy, Windenburg is in Germany And no, luckily Axel's beginnings in A2A were very trouble-free That's all Trip's doing!
One story I am caught up on (minus 101, but that's because I was working on my update to read it.) But what to ask? What to ask? Should I ask about Daddy? LOL. Seriously, this story is absolutely amazing, and well written. The dream sequences had my heart breaking, and then all happy, cause there were Daddy moments that I soooo needed in my life. Andrea, for all his faults, is my favorite character. Axel is demented, and I love him for it. He's so sick and twisted, and he was manipulated at best. That's what I love about this story. CathyTea is right, the world building and all the intricacies truly gives this story depth. Also, can we just talk about the settings Trip has done with this story? Thu's apartment went from pristine to a complete dump, and it was freaking amazing how she managed to build up the trash in the apartment. Then there's the bank. Honestly I love the settings of every chapter. And the orchestra, man that...that was really cool. Okay, I can gush about this story all day, so I'm gonna stop.
My question though...
For Trip: As you are aware, I live with congenital heart disease, so reading a story that focuses on a main character with that (not to mention the death of a character), I feel is a great way to spread awareness. What I want to know is, what inspired you to use CHD as a focus? And why? Were you aware that some of your readers may have such health issues (like me)?
For the other readers: Where do you think this is going, and do you think that there will be an HEA between Axel and Thu? Or are they going to end up just being alone...with Axel only having a pair of underwear to remember Thu by? (Hey, we're talking about Uptown, I can totally go there!)
One story I am caught up on (minus 101, but that's because I was working on my update to read it.) But what to ask? What to ask? Should I ask about Daddy? LOL. Seriously, this story is absolutely amazing, and well written. The dream sequences had my heart breaking, and then all happy, cause there were Daddy moments that I soooo needed in my life. Andrea, for all his faults, is my favorite character. Axel is demented, and I love him for it. He's so sick and twisted, and he was manipulated at best. That's what I love about this story. CathyTea is right, the world building and all the intricacies truly gives this story depth. Also, can we just talk about the settings Trip has done with this story? Thu's apartment went from pristine to a complete dump, and it was freaking amazing how she managed to build up the trash in the apartment. Then there's the bank. Honestly I love the settings of every chapter. And the orchestra, man that...that was really cool. Okay, I can gush about this story all day, so I'm gonna stop.
My question though...
For Trip: As you are aware, I live with congenital heart disease, so reading a story that focuses on a main character with that (not to mention the death of a character), I feel is a great way to spread awareness. What I want to know is, what inspired you to use CHD as a focus? And why? Were you aware that some of your readers may have such health issues (like me)?
For the other readers: Where do you think this is going, and do you think that there will be an HEA between Axel and Thu? Or are they going to end up just being alone...with Axel only having a pair of underwear to remember Thu by? (Hey, we're talking about Uptown, I can totally go there!)
i usually can figure out your abreviated words but whats hea? i think i'm just depressed tomorrow is saturday.lol.
One story I am caught up on (minus 101, but that's because I was working on my update to read it.) But what to ask? What to ask? Should I ask about Daddy? LOL. Seriously, this story is absolutely amazing, and well written. The dream sequences had my heart breaking, and then all happy, cause there were Daddy moments that I soooo needed in my life. Andrea, for all his faults, is my favorite character. Axel is demented, and I love him for it. He's so sick and twisted, and he was manipulated at best. That's what I love about this story. CathyTea is right, the world building and all the intricacies truly gives this story depth. Also, can we just talk about the settings Trip has done with this story? Thu's apartment went from pristine to a complete dump, and it was freaking amazing how she managed to build up the trash in the apartment. Then there's the bank. Honestly I love the settings of every chapter. And the orchestra, man that...that was really cool. Okay, I can gush about this story all day, so I'm gonna stop.
My question though...
For Trip: As you are aware, I live with congenital heart disease, so reading a story that focuses on a main character with that (not to mention the death of a character), I feel is a great way to spread awareness. What I want to know is, what inspired you to use CHD as a focus? And why? Were you aware that some of your readers may have such health issues (like me)?
For the other readers: Where do you think this is going, and do you think that there will be an HEA between Axel and Thu? Or are they going to end up just being alone...with Axel only having a pair of underwear to remember Thu by? (Hey, we're talking about Uptown, I can totally go there!)
i usually can figure out your abreviated words but whats hea? i think i'm just depressed tomorrow is saturday.lol.
One story I am caught up on (minus 101, but that's because I was working on my update to read it.) But what to ask? What to ask? Should I ask about Daddy? LOL. Seriously, this story is absolutely amazing, and well written. The dream sequences had my heart breaking, and then all happy, cause there were Daddy moments that I soooo needed in my life. Andrea, for all his faults, is my favorite character. Axel is demented, and I love him for it. He's so sick and twisted, and he was manipulated at best. That's what I love about this story. CathyTea is right, the world building and all the intricacies truly gives this story depth. Also, can we just talk about the settings Trip has done with this story? Thu's apartment went from pristine to a complete dump, and it was freaking amazing how she managed to build up the trash in the apartment. Then there's the bank. Honestly I love the settings of every chapter. And the orchestra, man that...that was really cool. Okay, I can gush about this story all day, so I'm gonna stop.
My question though...
For Trip: As you are aware, I live with congenital heart disease, so reading a story that focuses on a main character with that (not to mention the death of a character), I feel is a great way to spread awareness. What I want to know is, what inspired you to use CHD as a focus? And why? Were you aware that some of your readers may have such health issues (like me)?
For the other readers: Where do you think this is going, and do you think that there will be an HEA between Axel and Thu? Or are they going to end up just being alone...with Axel only having a pair of underwear to remember Thu by? (Hey, we're talking about Uptown, I can totally go there!)
i usually can figure out your abreviated words but whats hea? i think i'm just depressed tomorrow is saturday.lol.
Happily Ever After
oh i want to see that . i was right if i wasn't tired it would have made sense like it does now.
@orangeplumbob: I liked Andrea as a guy to think of increasingly worse things for him to think and do? But I would not trust myself in a room with him either.
And the filthy apartment was so much fun, but the reader reactions to it were better.
I know it's gonna sound offensive to say it, but while I knew that Thu was sick and while she has seizures entirely because I do, a heart defect was simply the first thing that came to mind to make her more sick. There are tons of people (including you!) that I got to know entirely through them reading Uptown and there were so many coincidental details that made it too real for a lot of people that I didn't even forsee. But I probably should have. After all, it's a story meant to be grounded in realism and reality has infertility and infant loss, CHD, and creepy guys preying on teenagers.
Though for Jacob, it was an interesting journey to get to his story...who is up for behind-the-scenes details? (I have to write them out, shh!)
To the surprise of many, Jacob was supposed to be a healthy baby who was honest-to-God poisoned by Mike. It's when the thematic tone of Uptown was much more immature and Thu was supposed to end up a much more sympathetic character than she is now.
You might be able to figure out how late I made this change. Suddenly Mike starts to be much more justified in his mean-spirited behavior. It was around Chapter Sixty. I think I really did quick-write Andrea to be not just be protective of Thu but also extremely resentful and mean to his kids. In his next appearances, there's no denying he's still mean but there's more of an air of him being super tired of Thu and what she puts him through.
But (and to finally answer the rest of @orangeplumbob's question) there was a halfway point to this, where Jacob was a sick baby who got poisoned, so that it looked like nature being cruel. Healthy infants rarely die but sick ones more often do. There wasn't any deep reason as to why hypoplastic left heart syndrome was chosen beyond me hearing about it beforehand. I guess it hit the sweet spot of "sufficiently deadly" but also "decently survivable with the right care" (and of course to fit in with the rest of the Duong family hearts) Where it could still catch Thu and Andrea off-guard. And where Mike wouldn't just be helping with the inevitable.
That made it easier to cut the poisoning part out of it, where it was just a delusion in Thu's head.
For a change made so late it's certainly the best one I made. Andrea is a much more interesting true villain than Mike could ever be.
To the surprise of many, Jacob was supposed to be a healthy baby who was honest-to-God poisoned by Mike. It's when the thematic tone of Uptown was much more immature and Thu was supposed to end up a much more sympathetic character than she is now.
You might be able to figure out how late I made this change. Suddenly Mike starts to be much more justified in his mean-spirited behavior. It was around Chapter Sixty. I think I really did quick-write Andrea to be not just be protective of Thu but also extremely resentful and mean to his kids. In his next appearances, there's no denying he's still mean but there's more of an air of him being super tired of Thu and what she puts him through.
But (and to finally answer the rest of @orangeplumbob's question) there was a halfway point to this, where Jacob was a sick baby who got poisoned, so that it looked like nature being cruel. Healthy infants rarely die but sick ones more often do. There wasn't any deep reason as to why hypoplastic left heart syndrome was chosen beyond me hearing about it beforehand. I guess it hit the sweet spot of "sufficiently deadly" but also "decently survivable with the right care" (and of course to fit in with the rest of the Duong family hearts) Where it could still catch Thu and Andrea off-guard. And where Mike wouldn't just be helping with the inevitable.
That made it easier to cut the poisoning part out of it, where it was just a delusion in Thu's head.
For a change made so late it's certainly the best one I made. Andrea is a much more interesting true villain than Mike could ever be.
That's so interesting! I'll be honest, until I read that, I had a secret theory that it was Anthony that killed Jacob. I thought Andrea was the most decent guy in the story, then when the truth came out, I started suspecting that all the nice characters were actually worse than him, i.e. infant murderers xD
To the surprise of many, Jacob was supposed to be a healthy baby who was honest-to-God poisoned by Mike. It's when the thematic tone of Uptown was much more immature and Thu was supposed to end up a much more sympathetic character than she is now.
You might be able to figure out how late I made this change. Suddenly Mike starts to be much more justified in his mean-spirited behavior. It was around Chapter Sixty. I think I really did quick-write Andrea to be not just be protective of Thu but also extremely resentful and mean to his kids. In his next appearances, there's no denying he's still mean but there's more of an air of him being super tired of Thu and what she puts him through.
But (and to finally answer the rest of @orangeplumbob's question) there was a halfway point to this, where Jacob was a sick baby who got poisoned, so that it looked like nature being cruel. Healthy infants rarely die but sick ones more often do. There wasn't any deep reason as to why hypoplastic left heart syndrome was chosen beyond me hearing about it beforehand. I guess it hit the sweet spot of "sufficiently deadly" but also "decently survivable with the right care" (and of course to fit in with the rest of the Duong family hearts) Where it could still catch Thu and Andrea off-guard. And where Mike wouldn't just be helping with the inevitable.
That made it easier to cut the poisoning part out of it, where it was just a delusion in Thu's head.
For a change made so late it's certainly the best one I made. Andrea is a much more interesting true villain than Mike could ever be.
whos mike? i read the post when you wrote it but fogot to ask i still don't know jacobs parents wll daddy pretty sure mommy is thruo
I've been reading Uptown for a few days straight and I finished it this morning!
My favourite chapter is chapter 37. Everyone in the comments were too busy talking about Axel's many.... problems.... so I'm going to talk about the visuals instead. It is my favourite chapter because of these three beautiful screenshots towards the end. I'm talking about the last three pictures of Axel's daydream, and I love them because of the contrast between the yellow filtered indoors and the blue outside that shows through the window. The contrast is striking- unreal, even. Like its representing Axel's unrealistic ideals.
...Then the next screenshot is Axel in the shower having his own private fun time, and we snap out of the daydream. ("He looks really satisfied," commented my roomie.)
The dream sequences towards the recent chapters are amazing, both visually and content wise, and I feel this chapter is a little teaser of that. It really takes the reader along on a ride. Great chapter.
I totally agree with the surrealism of this chapter, @chalicen. It adds a whole other level to Axel's state of mind, and we can really experience it with him. I loved the contrasting colors as well. Just got caught up to chapter 37 today so I've been on the Axel train for awhile and this one is by far the most revealing of his personality and character. Well one of them.
I really feel like he's living in a dream world and he acts like Thu is so perfect and can do no wrong but he's in for a rude awakening... at least that's where I think it's heading. He's in love with a fantasy. Though I think it might be more lust and obsession than healthy love. And Trip's writing is great in this regard capturing something that starts so normal and gets so twisted and I feel like it's only going to increase.
Comments
I directly stole from the Netflix original animated series Bojack Horseman. I know I gush about it a lot in chats and other threads but it's a downright brilliant show (disguised as a crude and bitter comedy involving anthropomorphic animals of course). And the thing they do best is portraying drug trips and dreams. I lifted so many beats and visual cues from those sequences that I'm hesitant to even call myself original. I lifted everything from the disjointed sequences of events to that whole segment where Axel dreamed of living in a secluded woodland house with Thu and kids from Bojack and I'm not even ashamed.
But I think this shot from the season 4 episode "Time's Arrow" says the most:
I wanted faceless dream characters like that. And I debated a lot of ways to do it (my fave that would have been harder was pixellating faces like the censor blur does) but someone released custom mannequin skins not long before I went in to shoot.
My approach was nothing more than expanding the big problems with Thu's and Axel's worldview. She's stuck in the past and he's too ambitious to be anywhere but the future. But I'm leaving the rest of that for therapy.
outrun / blog / tunglr
outrun / blog / tunglr
I was just wondering are you German and Vietnamese? I ask because those cultures are so heavily introduced in your story. If you aren't is there a reason you choose those cultures?
Now the Cote siblings and family you'll see later are largely stolen from my own, at least in ethnicity and dynamics.
outrun / blog / tunglr
wait why would windaberg be german.
axels in citizens story? i wonder if hes as troubled.
Haha @friendsfan367 In my legacy, Windenburg is in Germany
He was so cute and unassuming that he was clearly the only natural candidate for a dark and grisly sequel.
outrun / blog / tunglr
oh so your a angel and trips a big meanie.
she knows i'm kidding.
It starts Sunday and lasts all week! (That's my kind of coffee break!)
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
sunday is my friday.
oh and my fridge comes sometime tuesday so i've been having lots of coffee.
i dropped eggs on my floor but they stayed in the carton. but broke.
My question though...
For Trip: As you are aware, I live with congenital heart disease, so reading a story that focuses on a main character with that (not to mention the death of a character), I feel is a great way to spread awareness. What I want to know is, what inspired you to use CHD as a focus? And why? Were you aware that some of your readers may have such health issues (like me)?
For the other readers: Where do you think this is going, and do you think that there will be an HEA between Axel and Thu? Or are they going to end up just being alone...with Axel only having a pair of underwear to remember Thu by? (Hey, we're talking about Uptown, I can totally go there!)
Second Chances | Different Rain
i usually can figure out your abreviated words but whats hea? i think i'm just depressed tomorrow is saturday.lol.
Happily Ever After
Second Chances | Different Rain
oh i want to see that . i was right if i wasn't tired it would have made sense like it does now.
And the filthy apartment was so much fun, but the reader reactions to it were better.
I know it's gonna sound offensive to say it, but while I knew that Thu was sick and while she has seizures entirely because I do, a heart defect was simply the first thing that came to mind to make her more sick. There are tons of people (including you!) that I got to know entirely through them reading Uptown and there were so many coincidental details that made it too real for a lot of people that I didn't even forsee. But I probably should have. After all, it's a story meant to be grounded in realism and reality has infertility and infant loss, CHD, and creepy guys preying on teenagers.
Though for Jacob, it was an interesting journey to get to his story...who is up for behind-the-scenes details? (I have to write them out, shh!)
outrun / blog / tunglr
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
but trip tried to murder axel. other than that i like the behind the scenes too.
You might be able to figure out how late I made this change. Suddenly Mike starts to be much more justified in his mean-spirited behavior. It was around Chapter Sixty. I think I really did quick-write Andrea to be not just be protective of Thu but also extremely resentful and mean to his kids. In his next appearances, there's no denying he's still mean but there's more of an air of him being super tired of Thu and what she puts him through.
But (and to finally answer the rest of @orangeplumbob's question) there was a halfway point to this, where Jacob was a sick baby who got poisoned, so that it looked like nature being cruel. Healthy infants rarely die but sick ones more often do. There wasn't any deep reason as to why hypoplastic left heart syndrome was chosen beyond me hearing about it beforehand. I guess it hit the sweet spot of "sufficiently deadly" but also "decently survivable with the right care" (and of course to fit in with the rest of the Duong family hearts) Where it could still catch Thu and Andrea off-guard. And where Mike wouldn't just be helping with the inevitable.
That made it easier to cut the poisoning part out of it, where it was just a delusion in Thu's head.
For a change made so late it's certainly the best one I made. Andrea is a much more interesting true villain than Mike could ever be.
outrun / blog / tunglr
That's so interesting! I'll be honest, until I read that, I had a secret theory that it was Anthony that killed Jacob. I thought Andrea was the most decent guy in the story, then when the truth came out, I started suspecting that all the nice characters were actually worse than him, i.e. infant murderers xD
Winter's Alchemy | Britechester After Dark - Forum thread
whos mike? i read the post when you wrote it but fogot to ask i still don't know jacobs parents wll daddy pretty sure mommy is thruo
@friendsfan367: Mike is Andrea's youngest son from his first marriage. He's this little noodle:
outrun / blog / tunglr
I totally agree with the surrealism of this chapter, @chalicen. It adds a whole other level to Axel's state of mind, and we can really experience it with him. I loved the contrasting colors as well. Just got caught up to chapter 37 today so I've been on the Axel train for awhile and this one is by far the most revealing of his personality and character. Well one of them.
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Coffee everyday!
Find me elsewhere:
My EA App ID: livinasimminlife
Livin' A Simmin' Life Stories
My Worldbuilding Blog
Simblr
My Sims Pinterest