methodwriter85 Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Good chapter. I think Gathan could be an interesting character. As long he's not moving to California to fall in love with Will after getting kicked off the football team for being gay, I'm game. Edited January 13, 2011 by methodwriter85
PaulinJax Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 What ever happened to Matt's half brother from the Box? that was a very interesting thread and I was sorry that it went no where.I like it very much when they help out the young folk who need it.I enjoy your stories very much and have for years. Paul
DragonFire Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 A love den?? I want one. If Mark would be so kind as to build one in my basement I’d be a very happy Dragon. Not sure about the whips though, but hey, I’m willing to try anything once. I’m surprised JP was so stuffy about it; I really thought it would be right up his street….especially with Stef as his other half! After what he got up to in the 60’s this should’ve been a walk in the park. Did anyone else expect Robbie to be so personal with his speech? That really surprised me, but full kudos to him for doing that in a town he so clearly despises. And as for Stef…. Slut! lol 1
B1ue Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 Good chapter. I think Gathan could be an interesting character. As long he's not moving to California to fall in love with Will after getting kicked off the football team for being gay, I'm game. I knew this would, word for word, be your reaction. Not that I disagree in the slightest. 2
centexhairysub Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 Have we even established how old Gathan is? I re-read the story and nothing seems to indicate if he is in high school or older, or did I miss it? I also don't seem to understand the Hayes bashing, maybe it isn't bashing but that is what it comes across as to me. The family seems to be permenately intertwined and I don't see Mark dropping them from the story, so what gives???
Mark Arbour Posted January 14, 2011 Author Posted January 14, 2011 Chapter 54 is up at least on Mark's group and what a great chapter it is... I am really glad that some of the action is going to be moved back to Claremont; as screwed up as the town ended up being, I really believe some of the best of the earlier chapters took place there... Having some of the action move back there is like going full circle, JP et al couldn't wait to escape or move away but now their sense of noblesse oblige has kicked in and the have to come back and try to save the place; after all the family has some strong French roots and being tied to once past is very much apart of the French mindset. I have to admit that the play in the " love den " actually sort of bored me, as well written as it was, this story is just so much more for me than about sex... Not saying that I don't enjoy the stories forays into that at times but.... I knew that we would have to bring Wade's parents back into the story orbit with the idea of working with a Defense contractor and can't wait to see how that is explored. Keep up the good work and can't wait for the next chapter.... You know, I'm kind of feeling that too, the part about sex. That's why you'll notice it's gotten a lot less descriptive in the past few chapters...except the love den. I'm thinking a sling would be a lot of fun, so that was worth writing about. I'm still looking for someone who can tell me what e-stim is like. Maybe I'll write that in eventually. 2
centexhairysub Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 I'm still looking for someone who can tell me what e-stim is like. Maybe I'll write that in eventually. That is the use of electrical currents during sex... You will normally attach electrodes to certain sensetive areas and control the current running through them. You have to really trust the person though because that can go from being fun and hot to painful and used for hurting or punishment in a heartbeat...
Mark Arbour Posted January 14, 2011 Author Posted January 14, 2011 I know what it is, but thanks. There are some interesting videos on x-tube...wow. Most of those show guys doing it to themselves. I guess what I was looking for was someone who's actually done it so they could tell me what it felt like so I could describe it. 2
methodwriter85 Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) I knew this would, word for word, be your reaction. Not that I disagree in the slightest. Yeah. I mean, I love callbacks and homages, but I don't want to read Be Rad- The Sequel. I do trust Mark not to repeat himself off, but it's like if he's going to have a Hayes pop up, I like it when the Hayes boy does things we haven't already seen before. That's what I really liked about Matt- Matt being a Hayes in genetics only, he didn't have the baggage of being from a poor, homophobic, effed up family, and there was no obligatory shopping spree trip because Matt was a total rich kid. Don't get me wrong- I do love the Hayes family- but the whole "Crampton/Schluter Kid Falls for the Troubled Hayes Boy" has been done many times over at this point. This isn't bashing the Hayes or Mark's writing at all. I'm totally down for this Gathan character, and I'm hopeful he's going to be representative of a new, different sort of mood to this family, and we'll see these characters exploring roads that haven't already been explored. Edited January 14, 2011 by methodwriter85
Ivy Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 Seems to me like Gathan is probably already out of high school. I don't remember where Robbie fell in the age order of his family, but didn't this guy say cousin not uncle? So maybe he's out of school and has realized the job prospects are slim to none and that's what he was saying about just needing a chance. I see him as early 20's, eager to escape the cycle, but not seeing much opportunity to do so.
Mark Arbour Posted January 14, 2011 Author Posted January 14, 2011 Seems to me like Gathan is probably already out of high school. I don't remember where Robbie fell in the age order of his family, but didn't this guy say cousin not uncle? So maybe he's out of school and has realized the job prospects are slim to none and that's what he was saying about just needing a chance. I see him as early 20's, eager to escape the cycle, but not seeing much opportunity to do so. Well, you find out more about him in the next chapter. Gathan is 17, a high school senior, and a bright guy. Think about it this way. Robbie and the cousins who raped him (Fred, Wally, etc.) are of the same generation. They are first cousins. Gathan is the son of one of those cousins, so he'd be a contemporary of Darius, Will, or JJ. 3
methodwriter85 Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) I'd say he's more of a contemporary with Matt and Darius, not so much with JJ and Will. This is totally arbitrary, but I see my peers as people born from about 1984 to 1988. I think '82-born people have more in common with people born in 1979 than they would with someone born in 1985/1986. (Somewhere, I know Adam Phillips just punched a hole in the wall. ) Ivy, I had the same reaction, but then I remembered that Robbie and his cousins are all supposed to be really close in age- they all went to high school together. Since Robbie was on the young side to have Matt, I'm assuming it would have been unlikely for his cousin to have a kid in his 20's. Although, whew...he's still too old for Will. Thank god. (Drew was too old for Will as well, but that's water under the bridge.) Edited January 14, 2011 by methodwriter85
methodwriter85 Posted January 15, 2011 Posted January 15, 2011 (edited) Although, whew...he's still too old for Will. Thank god. (Drew was too old for Will as well, but that's water under the bridge.) Although this Zach Hayes is 14 and a football player, damn it. Oh, well. At least he's not a kicker.... LOL, j/k, Mark, j/k. In all seriousness, I like Wally and Clara's brood. I like that she doesn't come off as a small-minded woman despite being from a small town, AND that she isn't in the dark about what happened to Robbie in high school. It makes sense that Wally, while not rich or anything, seems to have carved out a decent life for himself. I guess the love of a good woman will do that for a guy from a troubled family. Edited January 15, 2011 by methodwriter85 1
B1ue Posted January 15, 2011 Posted January 15, 2011 Although this Zach Hayes is 14 and a football player, damn it. Oh, well. At least he's not a kicker.... LOL, j/k, Mark, j/k. In all seriousness, I like Wally and Clara's brood. I like that she doesn't come off as a small-minded woman despite being from a small town, AND that she isn't in the dark about what happened to Robbie in high school. It makes sense that Wally, while not rich or anything, seems to have carved out a decent life for himself. I guess the love of a good woman will do that for a guy from a troubled family. Small minds aren't only found in small towns, you know. I've dealt with a lot more racism and homophobia now that I live in a city than when I lived in a town with a population of 2000. This is mostly because, when in the small town, I was one of their own, and they had a tendency to take me on my own merits rather than place me in a category. She may have been cooler to, say, Stef or Wade on their own, especially if she saw him flirting with Gathan, but Robbie is family. You mentioned earlier that people from 1985/6 are closer to those younger than older. Doesn't that depend on who we hung out with and the relative age of our siblings? Personally, I have quite a bit more in common with people born in the 70's, because that's when my sisters were born and I forever tagged along with them. Most of their musical tastes (though I'm the sole country music fan in my family, they all like it but it's my favorite) and pop-cultural touchstones rubbed off. Growing up where I did may have something to do with that as well, trends being a couple years behind and all that. 3
Ivy Posted January 15, 2011 Posted January 15, 2011 Loved this chapter (55). I now see why I thought Gathan might be older. It seems he had to do a lot of maturing through hard times. I knew that the return to Claremont would be interesting and result in numerous renewed connections, good and bad, but now I am facinated to see how this new generation's stories are told. Will Gathan be one of the first to go off to college then return to Claremont? Maybe with an engineering degree from Stanford to work in the new Triton plant? I can't wait for the California trip so that Clair can give Ella a makeover! It's been a while since we've seen one of those, and if anyone needs one, it sounds like she is a worthwhile candidate. From the way Brad decribed her maybe a model or model/actress in the making? She would certainly have the right connections and people to watch out for her in the business. Seems like this is about the time when all the Disney and Nickelodean teen shows started blowing up all over the place. It will be intriguing to see how the Claremont kids and the California kids interact. Can't wait for that. Brad and Robbies interactions were really good as well. It's nice to see Brad thinking through things before flying off the handle.
mmike1969 Posted January 15, 2011 Posted January 15, 2011 “You can say garbage man,” Gathan said with a sneer, making us all feel like snobs. “Yes, that’s what he does.” Well, honestly, the Crampton Clan ARE snobs You take Gathan to a fancy country club in a limo, you then take him to the side to make sure he understands what fork to use and where to put a napkin and how to order his food and he makes you feel like a snob??? 1
centexhairysub Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Really enjoyed Chapter 55... I have always liked when the story goes back to Claremont; for me some of the best chapters in all of the stories have taken place in there. I agree with earlier comments that the mixture of the Claremont and California kids may cause a few waves. Wonder if Gathan only accepted the scholarship to Ohio State because they couldn't afford to send him to Stanford, his going there would bring him into Matt and Wade's field of orbit. And no, I am not knocking Ohio State but between the two, you would think Stanford would generally be the better choice, depending on what you wanted to major in of course. Nick knowing who is on the honor role isn't that far out of the realm of possibility... In a small town, I am guessing that Claremont is probably less than 15,000; the mayor would probably know information like that... Small towns are much more interdependent on different political, social, economic forces working together and being aware of what is going on in all levels of the community. I actually didn't think that Brad's behaviour at the country club was snobbish... He just didn't want Gathan to be embaressed by not knowing what was going on there, the men's room was probably the only place to drag him into on short notice to have some privacy to give a few hints. This was an act of kindness not snobbery. I have seen people thrown into situations like that that were really hurt by comments from others when it became obvious that they were not use to being in a place like that, Brad just wanted to shield him from that. As always, keep up the good work Mark and can't wait for the next chapter...
Mark Arbour Posted January 16, 2011 Author Posted January 16, 2011 Well, honestly, the Crampton Clan ARE snobs You take Gathan to a fancy country club in a limo, you then take him to the side to make sure he understands what fork to use and where to put a napkin and how to order his food and he makes you feel like a snob??? Really enjoyed Chapter 55... I have always liked when the story goes back to Claremont; for me some of the best chapters in all of the stories have taken place in there. I agree with earlier comments that the mixture of the Claremont and California kids may cause a few waves. Wonder if Gathan only accepted the scholarship to Ohio State because they couldn't afford to send him to Stanford, his going there would bring him into Matt and Wade's field of orbit. And no, I am not knocking Ohio State but between the two, you would think Stanford would generally be the better choice, depending on what you wanted to major in of course. Nick knowing who is on the honor role isn't that far out of the realm of possibility... In a small town, I am guessing that Claremont is probably less than 15,000; the mayor would probably know information like that... Small towns are much more interdependent on different political, social, economic forces working together and being aware of what is going on in all levels of the community. I actually didn't think that Brad's behaviour at the country club was snobbish... He just didn't want Gathan to be embaressed by not knowing what was going on there, the men's room was probably the only place to drag him into on short notice to have some privacy to give a few hints. This was an act of kindness not snobbery. I have seen people thrown into situations like that that were really hurt by comments from others when it became obvious that they were not use to being in a place like that, Brad just wanted to shield him from that. As always, keep up the good work Mark and can't wait for the next chapter... I can see where they may come off as being snobbish, but the vignette in the bathroom was meant to be kind, not demeaning. It's probably inevitable that when you have people from such different worlds, a bit of snobbery would be assumed, even if it isn't real. On the other hand, none of our normal gang has been negative about Wally being poor, or blue-collar. They seem to just accept it as it is. 2
methodwriter85 Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I can't wait for the California trip so that Clair can give Ella a makeover! It's been a while since we've seen one of those, and if anyone needs one, it sounds like she is a worthwhile candidate. From the way Brad decribed her maybe a model or model/actress in the making? She would certainly have the right connections and people to watch out for her in the business. Seems like this is about the time when all the Disney and Nickelodean teen shows started blowing up all over the place. Well, Los Angeles seems to lean more towards commercial modeling as opposed to high-fashion modeling like New York City, so I would guess Ella might become a teen actress, being in L.A. That could be cool. I'm really interested in seeing how these Claremont kids and California kids interact with each other, as well. Edited January 16, 2011 by methodwriter85 1
Mark Arbour Posted January 16, 2011 Author Posted January 16, 2011 You're all assuming that Ella moves to LA. If she does move, it won't be to LA, at least not until after high school. 2
Ivy Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Mark you evil author you!! What a tease! But speculation is so much fun!! At least we know Ella will be around in some form or other which means the other Claremont kids will be as well, which means Mark you have a lot of new material to work with. 1
KYE Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) I have very much enjoyed the last few chapters of this story. Even though Brad narrates Millennium, I have looked at the story as a partnership between Brad and Robbie. Their ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses, their dependence on each other when they each need some strength. With so much being about Brad's family in the story it is now good to see more detail into Robbie's family, again adding balance to the story's partnership between the two. A couple of other things of note that stood out for me in these chapters was Brad's continued quick temper with JP. Also I personally hope that JP's seemed reluctance concerning a "Love Den" (or S&M chamber) for him and Stef, could be because of JP's torture and raping of some of his students in the first story of the CAP series. While he was a professor at Northwestern in Chicago. Maybe since he is older and has matured he can realize how wrong those acts really were. Of course that is what my take from it hopes, correct or not. It seems with each new chapter more story lines keep on opening up. That just makes me look forward to the next chapter even more. Edited January 17, 2011 by KYE
methodwriter85 Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Mark you evil author you!! What a tease! But speculation is so much fun!! At least we know Ella will be around in some form or other which means the other Claremont kids will be as well, which means Mark you have a lot of new material to work with. It's pretty exciting that we're seeing the rise of a new generation of characters. I wonder when the official "handoff" begins. September 11th might be a good place- it was a huge generational touchstone, like the Pearl Harbor for Generation Y. Edited January 17, 2011 by methodwriter85
centexhairysub Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Loved Loved Loved Chapter 56, this story just keeps getting better and better... I could see this story in the series going to one hundred chapters easily, there is just so much going on.... I just knew that both Jeanine and Tiffany were both going to end up pregnate, this just creates so many lovely possibilities... I do think Brad is right though, I am not sure that Matt or Wade reallly thought of all of the issues they will have to be dealing with but this is gonna be good... I can't wait til Mark decides who the fathers are going to be. I hope that this story continues to jump back and forth into Claremont, there seems to be a wealth of new areas to pull from there now. I realize that with the business side and the battle coming down the pike, we can't keep everything focused there but don't want to go to long without a Claremont fix... Keep up the great job and when is the next chapter coming, Mark??? :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Ivy Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Ok did anyone else get a weird feeling about the conversation between Brad and Steph, just before Darius came in? Steph is what? Bored, unhappy? He's only about 55 at this point. Is he having a mid-life crisis too? He's always been a life-of-the-party kind of guy. With just mostly JP, Isadore, and Frank in that big ole house, I could see boredom setting in, especially since JP is not big on the love den idea. Joking aside, I'm thinking this might be more important than it seems at first glance. But then again, that's why Mark is a genius. It might be important, might not, he just likes to keep us guessing.
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