[Jwolf] The Funny Thing Is

[Jwolf]

Hey all. The next chapter is up and available here. Check it out and let me know what you think

[Daddydavek]

In this chapter, Coop takes his daughter home and tries to reassure her that he and Devon love her and worry about her. He had indicated to Devon that he would get back to her afterward, but then the chapter fails to indicate one way or the other. While the chapter does showcase Coop as being more responsible and thoughtful as a "grown-up" it doesn't show him being totally dedicated as a parent. Parent's clue each other in as to what transpires with the kids so they can both be on the same page....It is hard enough being consistent even when parents frequently update each other. Without it, it is impossible and the kids are the first to point it out.

 

Finally, as the father of an almost 29 year old 'little princess' it is hard to let them go, especially at 15. So while Coop's reaction was a little over the top toward Mike, it wasn't totally unbelievable either.

 

 

[Conner]

As soon as Liz said, "You look great, Dad." I knew she was in a pile of shite!

 

What wasn't mentioned definitively was their state of dress. For me, "in bed" means naked and that's the way I took it. Kissing with clothes on is snoogling. Kissing naked is foreplay. So I have to conclude that Mike and Liz were discovered prior to completion of the actus reus.

 

I thought Coop performed admirably under the circumstances. He said all the right things including the comment that she didn't have to make the decision to have sex all on her own. Devon wasn't home when Coop delivered Liz to the house. I have no doubts that Coop and Devon discuss the issue between them.

 

The joys of parenthood!

[Conner]

Chase's response to Coop's questions about Morgan has left me more than a little confused. After London, he goes to LA, presumably to continue his training. He hooks up a few times and concludes that that is all just unsatisfying fluff. He remains celibate for 4 years. Well, if you believe him.

 

“What do you mean celibate?”

 

“I just… I never quite hit it off with anyone once I got back to the States after London. I tried to date in LA but everything was so superficial and everyone was so fake. My handlers were always on my case about being careful who I trusted. It was just easier not to trust anyone. So I kind of gave up on the whole thing.”

Why did Chase breake it off with Coop in the first place? Without any kind of explanation? Was it just the distance thing? Why didn't Coop ask him that head on?

 

Chase marries Morgan to give him health coverage? Really? Chase then spends 14 years being Morgan's friend?

 

“It was a stupid little thing. We didn’t tell anyone we were doing it. My publicist would have flipped her shit if she knew that I was doing a shotgun wedding for a guy who was literally cracked out.”

 

He paused for a minute and the vulnerability separating us could have been sliced with a butter knife. I almost told him it was okay not to continue, but he went on anyway.

 

“He needed me in a pinch, and he never stopped. And we grew up. We stayed friends, of course. He still gets into trouble every once in a while and asks me for a bailout.”

What "vulnerability" is Coop talking about? Is it Chase's admission that he spent 14 years of his life looking after a drug addict just to fill a gap in his life? That he's basically been unhappy for 20 years?

 

And then there's this...

 

“Gamin, being with someone like that, I just… I never knew what to expect. If he were to relapse today, I would feel guilty and I would want to help. He’s a grown man, I know that, but I would feel obligated to help him.”

I have no doubt that Morgan will make that exact call to Chase. Then what?

[Jwolf]

Chase's response to Coop's questions about Morgan has left me more than a little confused. After London, he goes to LA, presumably to continue his training. He hooks up a few times and concludes that that is all just unsatisfying fluff. He remains celibate for 4 years. Well, if you believe him.

 

 

 

Why did Chase breake it off with Coop in the first place? Without any kind of explanation? Was it just the distance thing? Why didn't Coop ask him that head on?

 

Chase marries Morgan to give him health coverage? Really? Chase then spends 14 years being Morgan's friend?

 

 

 

What "vulnerability" is Coop talking about? Is it Chase's admission that he spent 14 years of his life looking after a drug addict just to fill a gap in his life? That he's basically been unhappy for 20 years?

 

And then there's this...

 

 

 

I have no doubt that Morgan will make that exact call to Chase. Then what?

 

Hey Conner. As usual, some really great questions from your end, and I'll try to answer them the best I can without giving any future plot points away.

 

Chase explains the first time they meet up the reason he didn't call Cooper between London and Rio. Simply put, he new if he went back to Cooper after that, he wouldn't have had the drive or commitment to make it to the next Olympics. In my mind, it's a lot deeper than just: we had a fight, I left, I didn't call. To be away from Coop for only two months and find that really difficult... I imagine he knew how hard it would be to juggle both and still further his career. In my mind, you're allowed to make those decisions when you're 20 years old, you're an up-and-coming star, and you know one phone call could derail that. I have friends who went into minor league Soccer and the level of selfishness it takes to maintain even a middling career was baffling. It's tough, but it's the reality for the guys I know like Chase (for them, there was a ton of sleeping around, though, so it wasn't too bad, I guess )

 

I didn't have Coop ask him that because I didn't want him to ask anything that would seem accusatory. That scene, for me, was more of a chance to get them to talk AND to listen. When Coop is in his attack mode, he doesn't listen, so I was careful not to have that particular exchange enter argumentative territory, if that makes any sense.

 

You're right to think that Morgan isn't out of the picture. There are a ton of holes in that story that get fleshed out slowly. In short, it's complicated... lol. That's the best I can do for now. I will say that Chase hasn't lied about anything, he's just omitted some details that I won't get into. The fact is, the more that's uncovered about those 20 years, the more it comes to light that Chase never stopped loving Cooper. And that's the vulnerability that I tried to paint between them. It takes a lot of heart to say I lived this entire life without you, but honestly, I never once stopped loving you, even while all of this other stuff was going on.

 

I hope I covered enough bases to ease your confusion a little.

[Jwolf]

In this chapter, Coop takes his daughter home and tries to reassure her that he and Devon love her and worry about her. He had indicated to Devon that he would get back to her afterward, but then the chapter fails to indicate one way or the other. While the chapter does showcase Coop as being more responsible and thoughtful as a "grown-up" it doesn't show him being totally dedicated as a parent. Parent's clue each other in as to what transpires with the kids so they can both be on the same page....It is hard enough being consistent even when parents frequently update each other. Without it, it is impossible and the kids are the first to point it out.

 

Finally, as the father of an almost 29 year old 'little princess' it is hard to let them go, especially at 15. So while Coop's reaction was a little over the top toward Mike, it wasn't totally unbelievable either.

 

 

 

Yeah, I definitely don't disagree with you on the first point. I'm sure Cooper and Devon would have had a discussion following the events that night. But in terms of the story, we've seen that argument before, so I chose not to flesh it out. In the next chapter, we get a glimpse of the punishment they agreed on for Liz and the impact that has. As much as this is a slice-of-life story, it'd be impossible to paint every scene in a compelling way that continuously moves plot forward. Another argument with Dev would have simply slowed the whole thing down in my opinion.

[Conner]

...

 

I hope I covered enough bases to ease your confusion a little.

 

Not a home run, but you did get a triple!

 

If you haven't already concluded this, confusion is not an unfamiliar state to me.

[MJ85]

You have a way of writing in a kind of "yo-yo" fashion...like things get heated for a couple of chapters, then settle down for a couple of chapters, then it gets heated again, and so on. I kind of worry that the next "heated" event we get is going to make Cooper flip out (yet again! ). (NOTE: When I talk about your writing in a "yo-yo" fashion, I'm counting "The List" as well, which I'd read before registering here at GA.)

[Conner]

You have a way of writing in a kind of "yo-yo" fashion...like things get heated for a couple of chapters, then settle down for a couple of chapters, then it gets heated again, and so on. I kind of worry that the next "heated" event we get is going to make Cooper flip out (yet again! ). (NOTE: When I talk about your writing in a "yo-yo" fashion, I'm counting "The List" as well, which I'd read before registering here at GA.)

 

I don't get the impression that you're being critical here, MJ, but I do have to say that I think we could do with a better metaphor. You just called the author a "yo-yo".

 

How about an "earthquake" which is then followed by lesser aftershock quakes or tremors?

 

Frankly, this style, if I may call it that, is not at all uncommon. Even war zones take breaks.

[MJ85]

I don't get the impression that you're being critical here, MJ, but I do have to say that I think we could do with a better metaphor. You just called the author a "yo-yo".

 

How about an "earthquake" which is then followed by lesser aftershock quakes or tremors?

 

Frankly, this style, if I may call it that, is not at all uncommon. Even war zones take breaks.

 

I'll have you know that I did no such thing! (And no, I'm not being critical)

 

Yeah, I've seen this sort of "style" in other stories, but I made a point of mentioning it because with the way JWolf's writing...the, shall we say "dramatic" parts stand out on their own merits, and the calmer moments stand out because they're...well, not "dramatic". It's the way he's woven the two sides together that his stories have gone back-and-forth between the two as they progress that it made me think of a "yo-yo" kind of style. (Though I have seen "earthquake"-type moments elsewhere too - some of them literal! )

 

And, might I add: It's served him quite well! JWolf...keep up the good work!

[Jwolf]

A little tardy for the party, but the next chapter is up and available here. Sorry for the delay, we're still trying to get settled on a new schedule. Everything should be post smoothly starting this coming Sunday

[XXJasonXX]

Ugh! Why is he going back to chase? Really not who I want him to meet in this story...why not have him meet someone new or something....erghhh

[MJ85]

Spencer really is such a socialite, and he exhibits all the worst qualities of one. I can't stand him now! Lately it seems like he only aggravates the people around him, only they don't blame him for it.

[Daddydavek]

I'd like to see Coop's kids really get under Chase's skin and drive him away. Somehow, I think he will be a fish out of water when actually confronted with the possibility of living with kids, especially kids that may not be too happy that he wrecked their homelife. He is an enabler though, and Coop has shown dependency. The one I hate to see so hurt is Kyle. Coop has shot off his big mouth a time too often.

[MJ85]

I'd like to see Coop's kids really get under Chase's skin and drive him away. Somehow, I think he will be a fish out of water when actually confronted with the possibility of living with kids, especially kids that may not be too happy that he wrecked their homelife. He is an enabler though, and Coop has shown dependency. The one I hate to see so hurt is Kyle. Coop has shot off his big mouth a time too often.

 

You don't think "Mr. Sleep-His-Way-To-The-Top" would do the same exact thing if Cooper let him? I don't think Kyle's meant to end up anywhere except either alone, scorned because everyone's figured out his true colors, or stuck with his latest partner at the end of his latest career pursuit and unable to go anywhere.

 

I'm probably being more sassy than I need to be but I'm not exactly a big fan of his at the moment, either. What Chase did really, really sucks...but he's trying to do something about it. Kyle, on the other hand, is not quite so apologetic about what he's done.

[Daddydavek]

You don't think "Mr. Sleep-His-Way-To-The-Top" would do the same exact thing if Cooper let him? I don't think Kyle's meant to end up anywhere except either alone, scorned because everyone's figured out his true colors, or stuck with his latest partner at the end of his latest career pursuit and unable to go anywhere.

 

I'm probably being more sassy than I need to be but I'm not exactly a big fan of his at the moment, either. What Chase did really, really sucks...but he's trying to do something about it. Kyle, on the other hand, is not quite so apologetic about what he's done.

 

 

Yeah Kyle was co-opted in college, however, that was sealed in stone when Coop went for Chase and rejected him despite his flaws. Their history is complicated, but never mean or ugly. It could get both and that is a shame. Kyle doesn't owe Coop any apologies. He has stood by him all these years and now wants to get over him romantically.

 

As for as Chase, he used Coop in college, dropped him when their relationship became inconvenient for his Olympic career; ignored him for 20 years and then dropped back in his life like a handgrenade. Pardon me if I shed no tears if he gets dumped.

[MJ85]

Yeah Kyle was co-opted in college, however, that was sealed in stone when Coop went for Chase and rejected him despite his flaws. Their history is complicated, but never mean or ugly. It could get both and that is a shame. Kyle doesn't owe Coop any apologies. He has stood by him all these years and now wants to get over him romantically.

 

As for as Chase, he used Coop in college, dropped him when their relationship became inconvenient for his Olympic career; ignored him for 20 years and then dropped back in his life like a handgrenade. Pardon me if I shed no tears if he gets dumped.

 

Seems like Kyle had the opportunity to go for Cooper not long ago when he was fuming over Chase's revelations of what he'd done and might've been on the verge of sending Chase packing. What did Kyle do? He chose Winston. And even if Chase dumps Cooper again, that doesn't mean Kyle will send Winston packing...

[Daddydavek]

Seems like Kyle had the opportunity to go for Cooper not long ago when he was fuming over Chase's revelations of what he'd done and might've been on the verge of sending Chase packing. What did Kyle do? He chose Winston. And even if Chase dumps Cooper again, that doesn't mean Kyle will send Winston packing...

 

I think Coop needs Kyle as friend more than as lover. I think the rest of them get that too, especially Spence.

[MJ85]

I think Coop needs Kyle as friend more than as lover. I think the rest of them get that too, especially Spence.

 

For some reason, it doesn't seem like even being just friends is going to work as long as Kyle's with Winston. I'd hazard a guess that maybe Cooper's not over Kyle either, no matter how much he may want to convince himself that he is...

[Conner]

Ugh! Why is he going back to chase? Really not who I want him to meet in this story...why not have him meet someone new or something....erghhh

 

I truly understand what you're saying. Unfortunately, someone new just wouldn't have the same drama. I don't know about you, but I love the drama.

 

We humans are nortorious for wanting to "fix" what was broken. Sometimes we label stuff like this as "unfinished business". In reality, it is finished. We just didn't like the ending. So we hang on to it. We replay it over and over in our minds, hoping it will end differently. Of course, it never does.

 

In fiction, you can fix shit!

[Conner]

Spencer really is such a socialite, and he exhibits all the worst qualities of one. I can't stand him now! Lately it seems like he only aggravates the people around him, only they don't blame him for it.

 

Now now, no bad mouthing Spencer. He's a total sweetheart!

 

You say "worst qualities" but don't give any examples. :wacko:

[MJ85]

Now now, no bad mouthing Spencer. He's a total sweetheart!

 

You say "worst qualities" but don't give any examples. :wacko:

 

Well...okay, maybe I did exaggerate that one.

 

But really...he doesn't seem to care about much except his money and his free time, and when Cooper accidentally let it slip about Kyle, he flat out turns on Cooper instantly (so there's also "selfish"). He also sells Cooper out to Kyle about it. Not to mention...he's been encouraging Cooper to just stay single, when Cooper's in the worst position out of any of them.

 

So...how does that make him such a good guy lately?

Edited September 17, 2011 by MJ85

[Conner]

Well...okay, maybe I did exaggerate that one.

 

But really...he doesn't seem to care about much except his money and his free time, and when Cooper accidentally let it slip about Kyle, he flat out turns on Cooper instantly (so there's also "selfish"). He also sells Cooper out to Kyle about it. Not to mention...he's been encouraging Cooper to just stay single, when Cooper's in the worst position out of any of them.

 

So...how does that make him such a good guy lately?

 

Coop let it slip that Kyle was running for office. (and that's actually another topic that I'd like to beat to death, but not right now). Coop backtracks and tells Spencer that he shouldn't have told him that. Spencer says, basically, "That's your problem, Coop, not mine." Makes sense too. According to Coop, Spencer is Kyle's bankroll for political office. Damn right he's pissed that Kyle hasn't talked to him about it. Spencer then chews out Kyle, as well he should have. Spencer is Kyle's best buddy, like forever. He didn't turn on Cooper. Spencer has a vested interest in all of this. It's his money.

 

It's Bass who has been encouraging Coop to stay single, not Spencer. Spencer just wants Coop to let Kyle get on with his life...which, in my opinion, is damn good advice.

 

My final and most convincing argument is Spencer is just hot and sexy. I don't know about you, but hot and sexy excuses a whole lot of stuff.

[Jwolf]

Hey guys, I'll interrupt this friendly fire debate (which I'm purposely staying out of ) in order to announce the next chapter is ready and posted here. Check it out, let me know what you think.

 

P.S., if you are of the mind that Spencer is a socialite prick, I don't think anything in this chapter is going to change your opinion. Wasn't my goal, it just worked out that way. Hmm... so much for staying out of it.

[XXJasonXX]

I am excited for brunch. I feel like this is definately going to be a basketball wives/realhousewives type of event.