I just discovered this, and am loving it. The philosophical and contemplative bent of the entire work is very refreshing to see, especially given the current state of affairs in the cultural zeitgeist. I look forward to the next update, whenever that may be.
abignothing
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This is the first time that I have checked on this VN in about seven years, and I almost cannot believe my eyes. From the baby one-man project that I remember, this has truly grow into the marvellously lush development of what is essentially an independent studio. Props to you all for what this VN has become, and may it continue to flourish.
An FVN is not the first place that I would expect a thoughtful adaptation of St. Francis of Assisi, but I actually love this, especially because it avoids several types of flat narrative and religious cliches like 'hot wolf boyfriend' and 'Christianity nondescript dualist, salvific temple religion'. The storyline harbours a great sensitivity to love and relationship, but zooms out from the typical romance story to contemplate the relation of the individual to the living creatures of whole cosmos (brother ox, sister star, &c.), which I appreciate. Thank you for putting this together.
Best of luck with your citizenship, sorry that it could not have happened under a better administration. I am a citizen but my partner is a visa-holder, so I can imagine the strain that places on your mind in daily life, not to mention the added stress of travel. Keep yourself healthy first habibi, I hope that your interview goes well.
As with many other things here on Itch (including past posts of yours), I read this and wanted to make a thoughtful, engaging, and well-balanced response, but have not found the time or energy to do so with the thoroughness that I feel befits the discussions at hand. I read this when it was first posted, and it has still been floating in my mind as a 'to do' that I in honesty do not think that I will get around to. May it suffice to say, then, that I appreciate the subtlety of your insights and encourage you to continue pursuing this path, since your understanding is far-reaching and your speech is clear.
I just found this, and saw people saying #teamnaya in the comments before I downloaded. Not knowing who that was or what it meant, I brushed it aside in the interest of remaining unprejudiced for or against any particular character. As soon as she said that her personal item was her astrophysics textbook, however, I knew that my final decision was set and that my heart would accept no other.
And so the saga continues. The short story was a fun digression without being entirely 'filler', and I enjoyed the first-hand narrations from characters of the supporting cast, whose lives are just as complicated as Tom's but whose stories would not make sense to fit into the main plot. I look forward to more of them in the future, and to the continuing twists and turns of the main narrative.
I not only love that part of the player captcha test includes the romantic intrigue of Kevin, Alice's hairdresser, but that one of the test questions is about the objectively correct/incorrect OTP. Many other such gems litter this VN, and they continually brought a smile to my face. (Kevin and Bruno totally deserve each other, by the way).
I had noticed that as well, but did not connect the dots until you mentioned it. If they were more defined abstract patterns, like futuristic arabesques or geometric linework that each fit the 'feel' of their respective narrators, I think that might make the difference a bit more distinguishable while still retaining the subtlety. In any case, I am sure that your final design choice will look great, whatever it ends up as.
The use of the coloured stripe in the dialogue boxes to distinguish between Julian and Ash as first-person narrators is not only useful and clever, but the UI person/team did a great job of unobtrusively yet distinctly incorporating it as part of the VN's overall visual style. There are many other larger aspects of this VN that are also well-executed, as other comments have no doubt made clear, but that particular detail was the first thing that I noticed and was impressed by as I read this story. The level of attention to detail on many levels is exemplary, and the idea of the chapter recap feature is ingenious as well. This is a fabulous team working on a wonderful project, and I would gladly support monetarily if I had the means; as it stands, however, I eagerly await the next public update.
At first I started reading the story and thought, 'Oh, this is a fantasy story just like Chronicles of Narnia, even complete with Christian undertones. I wonder where this will go'. Having just finished it, I can say that it is very much not like the work of C.S. Lewis, and that this stands as its own wonderfully inventive and literary work. The ambiguity as to whether the alternate world is real, imaginary, or some strange mixture of the two is well-executed. I also enjoyed that the exploration of religious tension included its consequences upon the lives of others and the narrator's reflections after deciding to pursue what could only have ever been a needlessly destructive course of action. The depth and subtlety of this jam submission stand out to me, and I look forward to reading more of the author's work.
May I also introduce to you Northern Lights, if you have not already come across it. It has a National Parks premise as well, though it is not the direct and immediate setting at the story's beginning. It may never see completion, unfortunately, as the author has fallen on hard times and is focussing on personal crisis management; however, it is a breath-takingly gorgeous project well worth a read.
This is a very compelling storyline, and I especially appreciate that the characters are older. The world and characters are rendered with a delicious depth and subtlety of emotion, and the setting/premise allows for a unique exploration of grief, loss, and political intrigue. Very well done, and I look forward to future builds.
I look forward to another excuse to play the whole VN through again. I have enjoyed this more long-form content of yours. Granted that it does require a larger commitment for developing plot and dialogue, as opposed to the quick vignette of a webcomic or a short-form piece, as a reader I think that the payoff is worth it.
Overall, this VN is a polished jewel that I will return to time and time again. The production value was what initially attracted me, but the writing truly did not fail to deliver a powerful follow-through. Self-contained, short, sweet, eminently rereadable, and with all-original audiovisual assets that match the tone and atmosphere to boot—what is not to love?
Specifically, I feel that it perfectly balances subtle dialogue clues which are neither too cryptic nor too obvious. I read through the entire story while in a rather tired state of mind and still had minimal difficulty in following the events & solving the 'Justice Served' ending, but I can tell that the reader will be amply rewarded for any additional amount of concentration invested into their reading session.
I also appreciate that the representation of queerness in the story is understated yet ubiquitous: it is firmly present, and while it is crucially relevant to the background events of the mystery, it is integrated as merely a fact of life rather than something requiring extended commentary. It is as if the story is saying, 'Some of the characters are queer, what about it?' with a refreshingly casual and nonchalant attitude.
All in all, this was a great treat, and I look forward to this studio's future works.
I think he meant six months to the day since the last release, as Chapter 3 was released on 20 April 2025. The file name, lautomne-.4, is the same as what was released on Patreon a few weeks ago as the latest build. Surely even Bjaker, though breaking our hearts at the trouble now brewing in Alder Falls, would not be cruel enough to announce a public update scheduled for six months after Patreon release.