How Should the CAP Saga End?

[methodwriter85]

Right, although I don't get the impression that Mark intends to write a story for every year in that decade. I do think he might write another four or five stories, and that the "end" likely won't happen until 2012 or so. A four-year run of stories feels about right, I think.

 

I just don't want the CAP saga to turn into something that keeps churning out just for the sake of turning out stories. It'd be akin to television shows that go on for way too long. In any event, I'm really excited to see how the CAP family is going to navigate the tough decade we just got out of.

 

It's kinda weird for me- the '80's were my toddlerhood, the '90s were my childhood. The 2000's were my teen/college years, and luckily Mark's written into the story four contemporaries- JJ, Will, Marie, and John- and I'm excited to see my generation getting covered. Mark's done a good job with making JJ and Will interesting enough characters to cover.

 

This thread isn't so much about the "end" anymore, as it is speculation about the future of the CAP family. I wish I could edit the title thread, but I can't.

 

Since we're talking years, what years do you think Mark is going to cover?

 

My guess would be 2001, 2004-2005, 2008, and then end with 2010. Maybe 2006 added in as well so we can see JJ at the Olympics.

Edited December 2, 2010 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

Or I could do a Star Trek spinoff. The descendants of the Crampton/Schluter/Hayes family f**k Captain Kirk (or the other way around).

 

Arbour, I am starting to think your imagination is waning...... screw descendants, we want JP's Children alla Methuselah's Children and Time Enough For Love. We want Stef and JP still screwing when they are 1,500 years old hitting on 19 year olds and hear, "wow, you still have the body of a 400 year old!" from them.

[PrivateTim]

One thing that surprises me that we haven't seen, that was so crucial to the gay community is the Internet. I mean we just hit the new millennium and no one's mentioned bulletin boards, Compuserve, Prodigy, AOL, IRC, m4m chat rooms, web camming, the rise in speed from getting online at 1,200 to 2,400 to 9,600 and then the blazing fast 56k modem? How would you ever use all that speed! Paying a bill by how long you were online, emails costing 25 cents a piece, your parents getting their first $400 prodigy bill! and this is all before 2000.

 

That was all before these social networking sites I've heard of like Adam4Adam (whatever that is), CraigsList, Gay.com, etc....... and there are the less innocuous ones. Who didn't have a Friendster or MySpace account? When was the last time you signed in?

[methodwriter85]

See, that I can buy that though. All of these guys are out, they don't need help finding dates, so why exactly would they need online sites as a gay resource? Brad and Robbie are close to 40, have been out since they were were 17, and have been together since then, so I don't see why they'd feel the need the hit up Adam4Adam or anything like that.

 

You got me on Matt Carrswold though. I'm surprised he wasn't looking at online sites to help him with his feelings about being gay when he was 17, before he met the Cramptons and he was closeted at a conservative private school. The only thing I can think of was someone about Matt's age telling me that in high school, going online wasn't "cool". It was still the nerdy thing to do. And I can buy that- the internet's popular, but it wasn't until circa 2000 or 2001 that things switched and the internet started becoming less of a nerdy hangout and more mainstream.

 

With JJ and Will, Mark can't really ignore the internet. It's an ever-breathing, all-pervasive tool in the life of a teenager by circa 2004. They're going to be on LiveJournal, then on Myspace, and then on Facebook. They're going to talk to their friends online on AIM, and in college they're going to Facebook their friends.You honestly can't look at this generation of kids without looking at the internet. JJ and Will are that first generation of young adults who really grew up with the internet as a daily part of their lives, as they started getting online during middle school.

Edited December 5, 2010 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

See, that I can buy that though. All of these guys are out, they don't need help finding dates, so why exactly would they need online sites as a gay resource? Brad and Robbie are close to 40, have been out since they were were 17, and have been together since then, so I don't see why they'd feel the need the hit up Adam4Adam or anything like that.

 

You got me on Matt Carrswold though. I'm surprised he wasn't looking at online sites to help him with his feelings about being gay when he was 17, before he met the Cramptons and he was closeted at a conservative private school. The only thing I can think of was someone about Matt's age telling me that in high school, going online wasn't "cool". It was still the nerdy thing to do. And I can buy that- the internet's popular, but it wasn't until circa 2000 or 2001 that things switched and the internet started becoming less of a nerdy hangout and more mainstream.

 

With JJ and Will, Mark can't really ignore the internet. It's an ever-breathing, all-pervasive tool in the life of a teenager by circa 2004. They're going to be on LiveJournal, then on Myspace, and then on Facebook. They're going to talk to their friends online on AIM, and in college they're going to Facebook their friends.You honestly can't look at this generation of kids without looking at the internet. JJ and Will are that first generation of young adults who really grew up with the internet as a daily part of their lives, as they started getting online during middle school.

 

I have a lot of friends who are out and lazy. Online was the easiest way to get laid with no entanglements. Why screw around with someone you know that could get you in trouble with your BF or an ex, etc. when you can have anonymous sex online or arrange hook-ups on line. Some just enjoyed the chase online.

 

I can't even go have a beer with my single gay friends because they spend the whole time on Grinder on their iPhones.

 

And trust me it is terrifying to have a teen these days with sites like Stickam.com and cam4.com out there.

[DragonFire]

 

Since we're talking years, what years do you think Mark is going to cover?

 

My guess would be 2001, 2004-2005, 2008, and then end with 2010. Maybe 2006 added in as well so we can see JJ at the Olympics.

 

Well, considering he's a creature of habit regarding historical events I'd say you've got the years pretty much down aside from one.

 

2001 for 9/11, 2003-2004 for the beginning of the Iraq war & of course 2008-2009 for Obama. Maybe it's a bit early for 2010, but with the banks & housing markets crashing through the floor I guess it would impact Stefan & Brad.

 

Interesting times ahead.

[methodwriter85]

Good points, Dragon!

 

I added in 2004-2005 since that's senior year for JJ and Will, and they had some big events- the '04 election, the Asian tsunami, as well as Hurricane Katrina.

 

I kinda hope Mark could add in 2007 so we can see the Virginia Tech Massacre, but other than that- 2007 was a pretty quiet year, so I'm not sure where Mark could take a 2007 story.

[methodwriter85]

Mark said he honestly has no clue what the next protagonist should be...so I was curious to see who you guys would like as the next protagonist.

 

I'm going with Wade and Matt, in September 2000. It's a minor leap(Mark intends to end Millenium in March 2000), but I like the idea of them covering the 2000 election.

[B1ue]

Good points, Dragon!

 

I added in 2004-2005 since that's senior year for JJ and Will, and they had some big events- the '04 election, the Asian tsunami, as well as Hurricane Katrina.

 

I kinda hope Mark could add in 2007 so we can see the Virginia Tech Massacre, but other than that- 2007 was a pretty quiet year, so I'm not sure where Mark could take a 2007 story.

 

As sort of a reply to both of your above posts, just because there's not much going on in the world doesn't mean there won't be a ton going on in their lives. And, just because there's a ton going on in the world doesn't necessarily reflect on them. I read the stories because I find their family and the dynamics within fascinating. Mark could completely make up the historical background, and I'd still read it. So for me, I'd not ask what happened in the world in 2007, but what's going to happen to them that hasn't necessarily been explored yet? Is JJ going to think about retiring in 2007, maybe going to college finally? And how will that dynamic work out with Will halfway to almost through, and getting more and more popular within his sport? Darius is going to be in the middle of law school, and for perhaps the first time in his life really stretching his mind. Matt and Wade may decide all this baby stuff is kind of awesome, and look into either having a surrogate or adopting a sprog of their own,a nd what impact will that have on their careers? And speaking of their careers, if Wade really does decide to go for politics, is it possible that during an appointment hearing or pre-election start-up Matt's rather...enthusiastic past comes out? Matt's an acknowledged slut, as much as Cody and Stef were, but they made it work for them. Could it be a liability for Matt?

 

Anyways, I trust Mark to find something interesting no matter the year, is where I'm going with this. The historical events that puncuate the narrative are interesting as background, but with a few exceptions don't really drive the story.

[methodwriter85]

Good points. And I was thinking maybe Will's friend Jason might consider Virginia Tech or maybe UVA- Will could freak out when he hears that a college in Virginia had a school shooting, and worries about his friend for a bit. I had that experience- I knew a girl who went to school in Virginia, and it took me a few moments to realize that it wasn't the one that was on the news.

 

As for Matt and Wade, I'm assuming that Tiffany would be a willing surrogate for them as they were willing sperm donors for her, but eh- you never know...if/when those kids come, some funny stuff could turn out that might sour relations. I've heard some nightmare stories about custody battles and the like. Interesting point about Wade's political career. I think Wade believes that he's not really going to pursue it, but it's so clearly in him to become a politician. I think he'd start out as a lobbyist for GLBT issues in Washington, and then go from there.

 

Which...how would that tie into Matt? Would he be willing to live on the East Coast? The best solution would be him living in New York City at some business corporation while commuting back and forth to D.C., but still that'd be different. I like how there's a real, honest reason for them to break up aside from some drama about cheating- the idea that their lives are headed into two different directions after graduation.

 

As for JJ...interesting thoughts there. I do think that if JJ does retire and go to college, he'd go absolutely nuts. After years of having to maintain a pristine image, I think JJ would really enjoy having the freedom to be a normal 21-year old guy instead. He could pledge a frat- maybe Sig Ep. Those guys were cool. (As long as it wasn't the Phi Kapps.) I don't don't see him with Kappa Delta Rho, either. Joining a frat could really shake JJ out of his prissiness. LOL.

 

Or JJ could go the other way, and become a hipster who drinks PBR at the fashionably shabby bar while wearing girl-cut jeans and discussing the latest indie band with his similiarly-dressed friends.

Edited December 30, 2010 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Alright, after reading Millenium and now PMS, here are my guesses as to what the kids are up to:

 

1. Gathan goes to Stanford and gets well-educated, but then goes back to Claremont with his intended life partner of whatever gender to help implement Nick's city plans. When Nick leaves the mayor office in 2010 after he's assigned a spot in county government, Gathan takes over as Mayor of revitalized Claremont. His campaign is based on expanding the education in Claremont and encouraging further development of Claremont College into a full, 4-year college.

 

2. Will and John have an on-again, off-again deal with one another throughout their teens and into their mid-20's. Will went to school in Florida(ba) then Hawaii(M.a.), studied marine biology, and gets involved in the Hurricane Katrina clean-up efforts during the summer of '06 to gain practical experience. He also got involved with the 2010 efforts in the Gulf Oil Spill. Meanwhile, John wants to be a doctor like his father, graduated a year early from high school, and is currently going to John Hopkins University for his doctorate in medicine. (If John goes to medical school, why not the best one in the country?) Matt and Wade have taken John on like a little brother, visiting him often.

 

Will COULD be settled down into a family at 24, because I can see him being the type that settles down early like Brad did, but I wouldn't discount him still being single.

 

3. Wade and Matt are settled in D.C., getting married in late 2010 or early 2011. Wade works for a PAC, while Matt works for an consulting agency. Matt had worked with Bear-Stearns, but...well...you know how that went. Matt and Wade live in a tastefully rehabbed townhouse in a gentrifying part of D.C. They've decided to have kids of their own, and call up Tiffany for a fun weekend in the tropics with the purpose of procreating.

 

4. Zack Hayes is a closeted NFL football player. To make it fun, let's say that he was on the Arizona Cardinals, and had angry closetcase sex with "I Point To God" Kurt Warner. He now has angry closeted sex with Derek Anderson, who's a total top but has a habit of inappropriately laughing during sex.

 

5. Tiffany had a son they named Danfield Carrsworld van Den Boss-Graves(they just call him D.C.), and Jeanine had a daughter they named Gail(after Tonto) van Den Boss-Graves. The kids are currently 11 and doing well at Malibu Middle School.

 

6. To celebrate becoming empty-nesters in 2004, Brad and Robbie gave their Malibu house to Darius(who's married now to Ella), bought a yacht, and travel the world's best surfing spots all year long.

 

7. Darius attended some party school, then got into a decent law school, then passed the bar exam in 2007. He's expecting the birth of his first child with Ella in summer 2011, who acted for a bit but decided to become a teacher after realizing how brutal the acting world is.

 

8. JJ retired from figure skating after 2006 and 2010 didn't yield any medals. He's now going to college at Northwestern University although has yet to declare a major, is taking advantage of Stef's old condo, and more than loving the Magnificent Mile. When he's not shopping or going to class, JJ works with kids at the University of Chicago skating rink with a nationally well-known and respected coach.

 

JJ has hook-ups with people of varying genders, but has absolutely no plans to settle down or have kids like brothers do. Now that he's 25 and out of the skating competition world, he's pretty much free to do what he wants, and likes to spend his nights partying at Chicago's best clubs and bars until 4 a.m. or later.

 

Man. That was fun to write.

[DragonFire]

Or....... a mass orgy in the very last chapter would sum it up perfectly.

[PrivateTim]

Alright, after reading Millenium and now PMS, here are my guesses as to what the kids are up to:

 

1. Gathan goes to Stanford and gets well-educated, but then goes back to Claremont with his intended life partner of whatever gender to help implement Nick's city plans. When Nick leaves the mayor office in 2010 after he's assigned a spot in county government, Gathan takes over as Mayor of revitalized Claremont. His campaign is based on expanding the education in Claremont and encouraging further development of Claremont College into a full, 4-year college.

 

2. Will and John have an on-again, off-again deal with one another throughout their teens and into their mid-20's. Will went to school in Florida(ba) then Hawaii(M.a.), studied marine biology, and gets involved in the Hurricane Katrina clean-up efforts during the summer of '06 to gain practical experience. He also got involved with the 2010 efforts in the Gulf Oil Spill. Meanwhile, John wants to be a doctor like his father, graduated a year early from high school, and is currently going to John Hopkins University for his doctorate in medicine. (If John goes to medical school, why not the best one in the country?) Matt and Wade have taken John on like a little brother, visiting him often.

 

Will COULD be settled down into a family at 24, because I can see him being the type that settles down early like Brad did, but I wouldn't discount him still being single.

 

3. Wade and Matt are settled in D.C., getting married in late 2010 or early 2011. Wade works for a PAC, while Matt works for an consulting agency. Matt had worked with Bear-Stearns, but...well...you know how that went. Matt and Wade live in a tastefully rehabbed townhouse in a gentrifying part of D.C. They've decided to have kids of their own, and call up Tiffany for a fun weekend in the tropics with the purpose of procreating.

 

4. Zack Hayes is a closeted NFL football player. To make it fun, let's say that he was on the Arizona Cardinals, and had angry closetcase sex with "I Point To God" Kurt Warner. He now has angry closeted sex with Derek Anderson, who's a total top but has a habit of inappropriately laughing during sex.

 

5. Tiffany had a son they named Danfield Carrsworld van Den Boss-Graves(they just call him D.C.), and Jeanine had a daughter they named Gail(after Tonto) van Den Boss-Graves. The kids are currently 11 and doing well at Malibu Middle School.

 

6. To celebrate becoming empty-nesters in 2004, Brad and Robbie gave their Malibu house to Darius(who's married now to Ella), bought a yacht, and travel the world's best surfing spots all year long.

 

7. Darius attended some party school, then got into a decent law school, then passed the bar exam in 2007. He's expecting the birth of his first child with Ella in summer 2011, who acted for a bit but decided to become a teacher after realizing how brutal the acting world is.

 

8. JJ retired from figure skating after 2006 and 2010 didn't yield any medals. He's now going to college at Northwestern University although has yet to declare a major, is taking advantage of Stef's old condo, and more than loving the Magnificent Mile. When he's not shopping or going to class, JJ works with kids at the University of Chicago skating rink with a nationally well-known and respected coach.

 

JJ has hook-ups with people of varying genders, but has absolutely no plans to settle down or have kids like brothers do. Now that he's 25 and out of the skating competition world, he's pretty much free to do what he wants, and likes to spend his nights partying at Chicago's best clubs and bars until 4 a.m. or later.

 

Man. That was fun to write.

 

Dude, why the frick would Will leave California with the two finest schools of marine science in the country in CA (Scripps at UCSD and Wrigley at USC) not to mention the UCSB's and Cal State Monterey Bay programs. The surfing in FL sucks, a CA surfer would never go to school there.

 

Once Gathan hits CA he ain't ever going back to OH. That is how it works. Midwesterner visits CA, never leaves. Damn Rose Bowl.

 

The best medical school in the country is Stanfurd, why would John go to Baltimore other than for crab cakes?

 

Darius isn't a beach person, he and Ella are going to live in the Hollywood Hills or Bel Air when Darius goes into the movie business.

 

Brad is too driven to retire at that young of an age and as JP gets older, Brad will assume more leadership in the family.

[methodwriter85]

Dude, why the frick would Will leave California with the two finest schools of marine science in the country in CA (Scripps at UCSD and Wrigley at USC) not to mention the UCSB's and Cal State Monterey Bay programs. The surfing in FL sucks, a CA surfer would never go to school there.

 

Well, I was thinking Florida so Will would have an active interest in helping out the Gulf Coast when Hurricane Katrina and then the Oil spill hits. But I guess that could happen even without Will going to college in Florida. I still think it would be a cool idea- Florida's 'effing beautiful.

 

 

Once Gathan hits CA he ain't ever going back to OH. That is how it works. Midwesterner visits CA, never leaves. Damn Rose Bowl.

 

I'm not so sure about that. He may hate the Claremont prospects, but he seems to genuinely love the town. I think going to college in California will be good for him, but in the end I think he'll wind up coming back to Claremont and take up the reins. Someone's gotta be around in that town for long-term to implement Nick and JP's vision for that town. They need someone young, bright, and talented.

 

 

The best medical school in the country is Stanfurd, why would John go to Baltimore other than for crab cakes?

 

John Hopkins has been named the best hospital in the United States since 1992. The school has consistently been the top school awarded grants by the National Institutes of Health. It's consistently ranked among the top three medical schools. It just makes sense for an aspiring doctor to want to go there.

 

And Mark's already sent two characters to Stanford, so why not spread it around a bit, especially when we're talking freakin' John Hopkins? I can see Duke University or Virginia Tech not being prestigious enough to attract a Californian, but...John Hopkins? Come on, Tim.

 

Darius isn't a beach person, he and Ella are going to live in the Hollywood Hills or Bel Air when Darius goes into the movie business

.

 

I've never seen any hint that Darius wants to be a movie person; it looks like he's leaning towards either the law or the military. Which could be pretty cool- maybe he'll wind up in San Diego? He could be the only enlisted soldier living in a house in La Jolla.

 

Brad is too driven to retire at that young of an age and as JP gets older, Brad will assume more leadership in the family.

 

Good point. You got me there.

 

I'm assuming your silence about JJ means you agree with me. Cool. Looks like we agreed on something here.

Edited March 25, 2011 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

Florida is too flat, too humid, and has too many bugs for a Californian. Not saying it can't happen, but that'd be a really odd choice. As for beauty...have you ever been to California? San Deigo or Santa Barbara, especially?

[sat8997]

Just as an FYI:

 

It's Johns Hopkins. (with an 's' )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<---------------- Lifelong Marylander

[PrivateTim]

Ok, a little seriousness from me and not flippancy Johns Hopkins is fine med school, I actually had friends go there, but a kid born and raised in Palo Alto in a Stanford household is generally dying to go there. Stanford (note I am spelling it correctly for my seriousness and not the traditional Cal spelling of Stanfurd) like Cal or USC is a very generational school. I have cousins who are 4th generation at USC and I was 3rd generation at Cal. Stanford is very similar, growing up with kids whose parents and grandparents had gone to Stanford, that was the only place they wanted to go. But I get someone wanting to going Ivy, especially for law school or to a school like Johns Hopkins for med school or U of Chicago for economics.

 

Now to Florida. Florida beautiful? Say what? It is flat, humid and half swamp, there is little of beauty in FL compared to CA's rugged coast with cliffs and coves, redwood forests, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, the Sierras in general and just the varied topography that is beautiful because of its variety. CA has the highest and lowest places in the 48 states. The highest place in FL is 485 ft above sea level. I am not saying I don't like FL or haven't had fun in many places there, but I haven't stopped at any physical feature in FL and gone "wow, that's amazing".

 

Darius, having grown up in the Colony, would be exposed to Hollywood types all around him including one of his fathers. The Hollywood people in the colony are also more likely to be in the business end as opposed to the acting. Yes the Colony has its share of stars, but far more executives live there than actors. Like college, many kids, especially in Hollywood, follow their parents into "the industry." If Darius has never shown any interest in the film biz, he has shown even less interest in the law or business, he has been mostly a "hail fellow, well met" skirt chaser. Maybe 9-11 will shake him up and he will join NROTC and wind up with his 'uncle' in the navy. I don't see Darius as an enlisted type.

[Mark Arbour]

Ok, a little seriousness from me and not flippancy Johns Hopkins is fine med school, I actually had friends go there, but a kid born and raised in Palo Alto in a Stanford household is generally dying to go there. Stanford (note I am spelling it correctly for my seriousness and not the traditional Cal spelling of Stanfurd) like Cal or USC is a very generational school. I have cousins who are 4th generation at USC and I was 3rd generation at Cal. Stanford is very similar, growing up with kids whose parents and grandparents had gone to Stanford, that was the only place they wanted to go. But I get someone wanting to going Ivy, especially for law school or to a school like Johns Hopkins for med school or U of Chicago for economics.

And that's a good reason why universities cultivate legacies.

 

Now to Florida. Florida beautiful? Say what? It is flat, humid and half swamp, there is little of beauty in FL compared to CA's rugged coast with cliffs and coves, redwood forests, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, the Sierras in general and just the varied topography that is beautiful because of its variety. CA has the highest and lowest places in the 48 states. The highest place in FL is 485 ft above sea level. I am not saying I don't like FL or haven't had fun in many places there, but I haven't stopped at any physical feature in FL and gone "wow, that's amazing".

Yep.

 

Darius, having grown up in the Colony, would be exposed to Hollywood types all around him including one of his fathers. The Hollywood people in the colony are also more likely to be in the business end as opposed to the acting. Yes the Colony has its share of stars, but far more executives live there than actors. Like college, many kids, especially in Hollywood, follow their parents into "the industry." If Darius has never shown any interest in the film biz, he has shown even less interest in the law or business, he has been mostly a "hail fellow, well met" skirt chaser. Maybe 9-11 will shake him up and he will join NROTC and wind up with his 'uncle' in the navy. I don't see Darius as an enlisted type.

Even Stephen managed to go into the army as an officer. I don't see Darius as an enlisted man, even though it would be an interesting socio-economic contrast.

[methodwriter85]

Well, in any event, as long as Darius gets into combat, I'm happy. Someone's gotta join the War on Terror. As Blue pointed out, Darius seems the best candidate.

 

Or he could go to law school at Tulane, and then get into Hurricane Katrina. Either one would work for me. I'm thinking though that Will's more likely to experience the effects of Hurricane Katrina, when he goes down there to work with a marine science lab as part of his summer '06 internship.

 

As for Florida, I think swamps have a beauty to them, but then again I'm used to wetlands. I'm not that big a fan of hills, and all the sunshine, palm trees, and white sand had me really liking Florida. And the orange groves were beautiful, and even the cities didn't have the big smog problem L.A. has.

 

One thing seems certain- JJ will live in a city in a multi-million dollar condo set close to a major shopping district, and near the best clubs. He'll leave settled family surburban life to his siblings. I'm kinda rooting for Paris, or London. New York City and Chicago would be good as well. I see JJ as a guy who really likes chic European fashions, and being attracted to a Euro lifestyle of walking everywhere to chic boutiques, bistros, and corner grocery stores.

 

*Waits for PrivateTim to insist on the merits of JJ being able to have a Euro-style life in Los Angeles because there's just that much to the city*

Edited March 27, 2011 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

*Waits for PrivateTim to insist on the merits of JJ being able to have a Euro-style life in Los Angeles because there's just that much to the city*

 

The Euro lifestyle is in San Francisco of course, not L.A.

 

L.A. was happy to be the "anti-city" post WWII. People didn't have to live in big buildings, everyone got a yard so they could barbeque, have a dog and 2.3 kids, everyone had their own car so they didn't need to rely on mass transit, which led to the demise of one of the largest mass transit systems in the world. My grandmother could take the trolley from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica, Downtown LA, Pasadena, even as far south as Newport Beach, but in the post war prosperity and with the heavy auto industry in the L.A. area, everyone wanted their own car and the Red Cars went away. It is a shame the city didn't buy the system them.

[methodwriter85]

The Euro lifestyle is in San Francisco of course, not L.A.

I was just giving you crap because I was shocked you didn't disagree with my vision for JJ's life at 25, since you like disagreeing with me so much. I do think the kid's NOT going to live suburban married life. That would be so out of character for him. I do think married suburban life would fit Darius pretty well; maybe Will when he's ready to settle down in his late 20's.

 

San Franscisco would work fine, but I really do see someone like JJ really loving a place like Chicago or New York City. Or a place like London or Paris. I'm leaning mostly towards NYC, though- I can see JJ falling in love with Times Square/Broadway and of course, 5th Avenue. Not to mention ice-skating at the Rockefeller Plaza during Christmas.

 

L.A. was happy to be the "anti-city" post WWII. People didn't have to live in big buildings, everyone got a yard so they could barbeque, have a dog and 2.3 kids, everyone had their own car so they didn't need to rely on mass transit, which led to the demise of one of the largest mass transit systems in the world. My grandmother could take the trolley from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica, Downtown LA, Pasadena, even as far south as Newport Beach, but in the post war prosperity and with the heavy auto industry in the L.A. area, everyone wanted their own car and the Red Cars went away. It is a shame the city didn't buy the system them.

 

I hate driving, so I could never live in a place like Los Angeles. I actually read "Fast Food Nation", and L.A. basically invented what we consider the modern suburb. I'm leaning more towards living in a city like Portland, a place with plenty of public transport and walkable areas.

Edited March 28, 2011 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

My family's archives indicate it was all a cuning plot to get the white folk to abandon the city back to us, a plan that unfolded in the 1960s during the mass retreats to the Valley and OC. Now, if only we could get rid of the Mexicans, we'd be set.

 

More seriously, you can see the attitude Tim mentions in most people that grew up in Los Angeles during that time, such as my parents. Now, me, I do walk everywhere I can, and really only drive to work or to leave the city. But I'm defintely bucking the trend for an LA native. Some of my friends will quite literally drive across the street.

 

I can't see JJ staying in LA. Will and Darius, yes, provided Will can get Brad to stop trying to run their lives, but JJ has better things to do. He might stick around because our women are superfically prettier (being the plastic surgery capital of the world has it's, heh, perks), and most women wear practically nothing during most of the year, but I kind of doubt it. Paris or London sounds right for him, but Chicago is also reasonable enough. He'd be practically neighbors with Gathan there, after all. Though I'd pay money to see him deal with snow for the first time. That's always a laugh, when you see someone from LA attempt to make sense of all that white crap on the ground and I have to shovel what and oh god where is my car?

 

Edited to add:

Well, in any event, as long as Darius gets into combat, I'm happy. Someone's gotta join the War on Terror. As Blue pointed out, Darius seems the best candidate.

 

Actually, now he's not. Gathan is much more likely now, or Zach, or one of Gathan's cousins that we possibly haven't met yet.

[methodwriter85]

I can't see JJ staying in LA. Will and Darius, yes, provided Will can get Brad to stop trying to run their lives, but JJ has better things to do. He might stick around because our women are superfically prettier (being the plastic surgery capital of the world has it's, heh, perks), and most women wear practically nothing during most of the year, but I kind of doubt it. Paris or London sounds right for him, but Chicago is also reasonable enough. He'd be practically neighbors with Gathan there, after all.

Tim mentioned San Francisco, but I don't see that as right for him, either. It's got the Euro-style deal to it, but it also seems a little too laidback and casual for him. And the city's not big enough for him. I really see him in either Chicago, New York City, Paris, or London. It'd be funny if he ended up in Williamsburg and forgoed his fashionista ways to become a hipster.

 

This song seems like it'll be suited nicely for JJ when the time comes:

 

 

Thankfully, this song comes out the summer he, Marie, and Will graduate from high school, so it'll be highly appropriate.

 

 

Though I'd pay money to see him deal with snow for the first time. That's always a laugh, when you see someone from LA attempt to make sense of all that white crap on the ground and I have to shovel what and oh god where is my car?

He wouldn't be that shocked by snow, though, because of all the time he spends inside the skating rink. Sub-freezing temps aren't exactly foreign to him.

 

I had a college teammate who was from Louisiana, and it was hilarious to see him react to 30-degree weather for the first time while wearing a skimpy cross-country uniform.

 

Actually, now he's not. Gathan is much more likely now, or Zach, or one of Gathan's cousins that we possibly haven't met yet.

 

I could see Zach going into the military as a way to prove to himself that he's not gay. I'd rather him be on the Arizona Cardinals and have angry closeted sex with that DILF Kurt Warner, though. (Now if only I could have sex with Kurt without having to listen to him talk about Jesus.)

Edited March 28, 2011 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

Oh, it isn't the temperture that's shocking. It's the snow itself, that's pretty at first until you realize you have to shovel it. And you are going to fall on your ass until you relearn how to walk in it (though I can see that being less traumatic to JJ). And then there's how much of it you get in northern states; I've never seen more than a couple feet when I wasn't at a ski resort. JJ is going to see the snow on the ground covering his car and the side walks, consider for a moment clearing a path, then say "screw it" and go back inside for a warm drink.

 

 

As "Breakaway" is one of my favorite songs, I approve. Find a reason to use "Lose Yourself."

[methodwriter85]

JJ is going to see the snow on the ground covering his car and the side walks, consider for a moment clearing a path, then say "screw it" and go back inside for a warm drink.

 

Actually, if JJ lives in a condo with garage parking, that wouldn't even actually be a problem.

 

Oh, "Lose Yourself" is going in for when JJ does a skating performance. It's without a doubt going to be used.

 

I think I'm getting really antsy with Mark about trying to get the story to move faster because we're just behind the point where A LOT of my favorite music starts coming out. But 2000 is a year I'm somewhat meh on. 2003, however- soooo much good stuff I can use. It makes sense- 2000 was a transitional year for music, and 2003 was where I felt like the music had finally lost it's 90's flavor and we had really moved on to something different. Not always better, but defnitely different.

Edited March 28, 2011 by methodwriter85