“I’m arrogant, inappropriate and burdened with a terribly inconvenient conscience.”

THE ATTORNEY:

Rules, to Alan, have never possessed quite the sacred quality others insist upon assigning them. He will bend them. Test them. Occasionally trample enthusiastically across them. He is perfectly willing to manipulate a situation, antagonise a judge or exploit the weaknesses of an opponent if doing so serves his client.

And more often than not, he wins.

Winning, however, isn't always the same thing as being right.

For all his arrogance and theatricality, Alan possesses a deeply rooted conscience. Injustice bothers him. Hypocrisy infuriates him. And on the occasions when his professional obligations collide with his personal morality, he may discover that winning carries consequences even he cannot simply talk his way out of.

THE MAN BEHIND THE CLOSING ARGUMENT:

Alan is intelligent.

Alan is also, depending upon whom you ask, insufferable.

An unapologetic flirt with an appreciation for beautiful women, Alan has never been particularly talented at keeping his observations to himself. His confidence frequently crosses into arrogance, his humour into impropriety, and his disregard for conventional boundaries has landed him in trouble more times than he'd probably care to count.

He knows this.

Mostly.

Behind the bravado, however, lies a considerably more complicated man. Alan is fiercely loyal to those he loves, capable of enormous compassion and far more emotionally vulnerable than his courtroom persona might suggest.

He can spend an afternoon reducing an opponent's argument to rubble and an evening quietly questioning whether he should have done it at all.

That contradiction is not something I intend to write around.

It is the character.

DENNY CRANE:

Of all Alan's relationships, none is more important than his friendship with Denny Crane.

Political opposites, drinking companions, colleagues and best friends, Alan and Denny routinely end their evenings together on the balcony of Crane, Poole & Schmidt with whiskey and cigars.

Denny can infuriate Alan in ways few others could survive.

Alan can challenge Denny in ways few others would dare.

Beneath the arguments, ridiculous conversations and considerable differences between them is an extraordinary degree of affection and loyalty.

Alan doesn't need Denny to agree with him.

He needs Denny to be there.

And usually, he is.

MORALITY & POLITICS:

That does not make him morally uncomplicated.

Alan is perfectly capable of defending people he dislikes, exploiting legal technicalities he might personally despise and making arguments in court that conflict with his own beliefs.

He's a lawyer.

His responsibility to his client does not disappear merely because his conscience would find that convenient.

Sometimes those two parts of Alan coexist remarkably well.

Sometimes they don't.

PORTRAYAL:

Canon relationships and history remain intact unless otherwise agreed for a particular storyline.

I am particularly interested in the contradictions that make Alan Alan: the brilliant lawyer who can despise injustice while manipulating the legal system; the shameless flirt capable of profound tenderness; the arrogant showman whose conscience occasionally refuses to let him enjoy the victory.

WRITING & STORYLINES

I'm open to both canon and crossover interaction.

Courtroom drama, legal cases, political and moral conflicts, friendship, romance, comedy, darker psychological material and quieter character-driven stories are all welcome.

You don't need to write a Boston Legal character to approach Alan. If there's a plausible reason for our characters to cross paths, I'm more interested in finding the story than worrying about whether their respective canons ever shared a television schedule.

Original characters are welcome.

Chemistry will develop through writing rather than being predetermined.

RULES:

21+ ADDS ONLY:

This profile explores mature themes and I only write with people aged 21 or over. If I discover that you are under 21, I will remove you.

NO GODMODDING:

Please don't control Alan's actions, thoughts or reactions. You write your character and I'll write mine. I'm happy for us to share responsibility for secondary characters where appropriate.

STARTERS:

If you approach me about starting a roleplay, please don't automatically assume that I'll write the opening post. I'm happy to discuss who is best placed to start based on the plot.

IC ≠ OOC:

Conflict between our characters does not mean there is conflict between us as writers. Alan can be provocative, inappropriate, argumentative and morally complicated. His behaviour and opinions are not necessarily my own.

ACTIVITY:

Roleplay is a hobby, not an obligation. There may be times when replies take longer, and I'll always extend the same patience to the people I write with.

I'm also currently writing a four-part series centred on Zandra Plackett. one of my other characters on this profile. It's a massive undertaking and naturally takes up a significant amount of my writing time. I want to be able to work on my own stories without feeling pressured or guilty for not replying to threads immediately, while still enjoying collaborating and writing with others.

Patience goes both ways, and that's all I ask.

WRITING STYLE:

I'm primarily a multi-para to novella writer. I enjoy detailed, character-driven writing and put considerable effort into longer threads. I don't expect every reply to match mine word-for-word, but I do value effort and substance from both writers.

SHIPPING:

I'm open to exploring romantic and sexual storylines with Alan where there is genuine chemistry between the characters. I don't want relationships predetermined simply because two characters are canonically involved, nor will I force chemistry where it isn't developing naturally through the writing.

MESSAGES:

My inbox is primarily for out-of-character conversation, plotting and discussing threads.

A FINAL WORD FROM ALAN:

You've made it this far.
Which either suggests a genuine interest in getting to know me or an alarming amount of free time.
Fortunately, I have considerable experience with both.

—Alan Shore.