Paternity

[Mark M]

Oh gawd no, here is JJ.

 

 

 

And with Will, you don't have to care about popularity to be popular or leadership to be a leader. It just happens.

 

 

If that's JJ who wouldn't want to kill/hit/beat/tease him? i'm sorry but that is one not cool looking kid. Lucas till i feel as if he's too masculin if you have seen him in "Hannah montana: the movie" Or X-men First class. If anyone is though i'd say u'd have him close but just with a better face.

 

I'd fantisize that after he's around 20 and figure skated all his life he'd look like this to think this guy is actually 6 months older then me in real life! and smokin hawt.

(alex Pettyfer)

 

 

 

anyway i like the fact wade is giving carl a hard time. but i see major drama coming at one point. Sean Massey seems like he could be a fling for matt. We'll have to watch were that goes. Least it's finally someone who's organized like wade. although comminalities usualy don't attract. But yet i have heard Marrying your best friend is a Good option. Wade also has 450,000,000 ish million so he's loaded, no big deal though these people r all rich. Mark next time you write a story i dare you to make it about a non-rich person. (and not ever getting this rich) course i guess this is fiction, but gawd at the rate were going everyones RICH! where's my millions?

 

P.S when is someone gona die? there are so many people in this family that i'm surprised something doesn't happen to someone. Right now we know Will is trying for a new friend/boyfriend, school, and some family issues with jeanne, gathen is hockey & school (as far as we know), Wade is riley, tiffany, jeanne, brad, robbie, JP, Will, Gathen and Matt's current life. what about Isadore. i havent heard about her in AGES much less frank? unless he's dead? :S What about Jim and crampton construction. or the re-building of (Enter name of the city here) lol.

 

as always i await the next chapter.

[methodwriter85]

It's really funny that you suggest Alex Prettyfer. I think he'd make a good "post-puberty" JJ as well. You just know pre-puberty this guy had a handsome but somewhat feminine face.

 

Lucas Till is masculine, but if you concentrate purely on his face, it's handsome but in an almost feminine way, which is how Mark has been describing JJ. And puberty will fill JJ out at some point.

 

I just can't see Charles Guislan being described as "cute as hell", "cheerful", "bouncy", "handsome", and the like. It just doesn't work.

 

But if Mark writes in some fashion-obsessed friend of JJ described as a "pale, wan emo kid with an interesting and edgy face", Charles Guislan would work damn well. I do think Mark should write in some emo kids, which should be around in a circa 2000 high school.

 

P.S when is someone gona die? there are so many people in this family that i'm surprised something doesn't happen to someone. Right now we know Will is trying for a new friend/boyfriend, school, and some family issues with jeanne, gathen is hockey & school (as far as we know), Wade is riley, tiffany, jeanne, brad, robbie, JP, Will, Gathen and Matt's current life. what about Isadore. i havent heard about her in AGES much less frank? unless he's dead? :S What about Jim and crampton construction. or the re-building of (Enter name of the city here) lol.

We're still in pre-9/11 America. I'm sure the body count will start up again at some point. Someone being involved in the War on Terror, given the amount of military involvement that this family has had, seems pretty much like it'll happen.

 

My money right now would be on Frank Hayes dying of a heart attack somewhere in the next couple of years.

Edited January 6, 2012 by methodwriter85

[GLH]

Wade needs to kick Matt's arrogant, ignorant ass to the curb.

Edited January 6, 2012 by GLH

[Westie]

I was kind of shocked that the Danfields had that kind of money. I knew they were wealthy, but they didn't seem like they'd be THAT wealthy, going by the kind of lifestyle they live. I had them pegged kind of like Peter from Mad Men- an aristocratic name, but not an extreme amount of wealth. Although it makes sense- they don't have flashy jets and the like, because they're old money and they don't flaunt wealth like the Schluters do.Or the grandparents left Wade's parents a pittance, and all of the money to the next generation, to ensure that the money wouldn't run out.

 

That would mean that between the three of them, Wade, Beau, and MaryEllen have trusts equaling somewhere around 1.2 billion coming their way at some point. That would actually seem to be way more than the kind of money that's going towards the Schluter/Crampton kids, although there's also a lot more heirs to spread the wealth around in.

 

Dont forget though that schluters and cramptons have a small windfall on the way. Steff invested $300,000 in google - and gave Matt and Brad $100,000 each of that (a three way split). Andy Bechtolsheim invested the same amount of money in 1998 in google, and that stock was worth $1.7bn in 2010. Given that Matt's father owns a successful chain of Lasek centres (in bloodlines supposedly earning him way more that $100,000 a week), Matt has a nice trust fund and an obscene Schluter/Crampton/Hayes allowance. I wouldn't be surprised to find both of them are pretty evenly matched in the financial stakes within 2 years of this story.

 

Moreover, Steff and Brad each add another $1.7bn to the collective family coffers, as well as the huge profit they will undoubtedly make from the Triton Aquisition and the revitalization of Claremont. In bloodlines Steff was said to have $2bn net worth, Brad in the several hundreds of millions. Robbie is probably in a similar league (maybe half brad's net worth). From what i can Gather, JP still has around 30% of Crampton construction, as well as the (now never mentioned) shareholding in Isidore's company (which was once Crampton California). In "The Land Whore" he had investments sat with Stefan which were doing very well for him, and those 20 Acres of escorial that are bordering onto the Stanford campus wont just be "chump change" to coin a phrase of Tonto's.

 

The Schluter family trust still seems to have assets and these of course have appreciated in value over time and include huge land holdings if the makeup of the Schluter Family Wealth hasn't changed from what JP told is in the original "chronicles of an Academic Predator", when we were informed that it was mostly land based.Tonto was the daughter of a Crampton and so we can assume that there was a slice of that pie in the mix somewhere too.

 

All in all, I'd say that regardless of the holdings that may or may not exist in the timeframe of this story (but we're probably pushing $3bn), that amount will probably be dwarfed by the figure it ends up as in 2010. Especially if Stefan rides the wave of the boom in the early 2000's and gets out by 2008. I wouldn't be surprised if we are talking $20-25bn or even more.

 

Now, wade is conservative old money, and there is nothing quite so indefensible in politics as actually earning staggering amounts of money. The conservative way is "slow and steady", and so assuming a slow and steady growth rate (compounded) on $400m - lets say 6.5% after tax which is pretty optimistic, wade wont even breach $1bn in the next 10 years. I think we are about to see an example of how old money gets eclipsed by new.

[methodwriter85]

Moreover, Steff and Brad each add another $1.7bn to the collective family coffers, as well as the huge profit they will undoubtedly make from the Triton Aquisition and the revitalization of Claremont.

 

That's IF the revitalization succeeds. Remember, we've got Gathan on deck as the leader of "Future Claremont", and the kid blew through over 100k one single Vegas weekend without realizing it. And the 2008 recession REALLY hammered a lot of urban renewal efforts in the country.

 

Although I do think it'd be funny if, for JJ's 2006 Olympic Hype puff piece, he dons an apron and "works" for a day at the Coldstone Creamery rip-off they opened up at the Shoppes at Claremont Factory. Then walks around the revitalized town and talks about how having such humble Ohio roots really grounded him in understanding the salt of the Earth, Good Christian folk that make up his birthplace and the backbone of America....

 

....As JJ reads off of the script while his P.R. manager gives him the "thumbs" up sign. (I'm sorry, but after watching the 2006 Olympic Hype puff pieces of Evan Lycasek and Johnny Weir, I'm eager with anticipation. Those things are truly hilarious. JJ trying to sell himself as grounded and relateable to Middle America will be funny to read about.)

Edited January 6, 2012 by methodwriter85

[Westie]

That's IF the revitalization succeeds. Remember, we've got Gathan on deck as the leader of "Future Claremont", and the kid blew through over 100k one single Vegas weekend without realizing it. And the 2008 recession REALLY hammered a lot of urban renewal efforts in the country.

 

 

Im sure it isnt gonna wipe out that much even if the revitalisation fails. its only a small part of the diverse portfolio. but remember, they arent running a property holdings company. They wont keep hold of the buildings, unless they can cross rent to triton plant etc

[PrivateTim]

It's really funny that you suggest Alex Prettyfer. I think he'd make a good "post-puberty" JJ as well. You just know pre-puberty this guy had a handsome but somewhat feminine face.

 

Lucas Till is masculine, but if you concentrate purely on his face, it's handsome but in an almost feminine way, which is how Mark has been describing JJ. And puberty will fill JJ out at some point.

 

I just can't see Charles Guislan being described as "cute as hell", "cheerful", "bouncy", "handsome", and the like. It just doesn't work.

 

Charles Guislan is very different "live" than when he posing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BRqx5HA5Zgs

[methodwriter85]

Even then, that doesn't get around him having more of an andro look than someone who could be called handsome, "cute as hell", and the like. I actually do like this guy's look, but I honestly believe it isn't right for JJ. However, he'd be perfect as some fashion-forward friend of JJ's that gets introduced at some point.

 

Please don't go toe to toe with me on this, Tim. JJ is the one character I'm really, really protective about and will draw a line in the sand with. I kinda have to be. He's my namesake and birthdate-sake.

 

Let's go back and discuss surfing community rituals and the like instead. These kids would be hanging out at the Pier and like, right? Tell me about that, Tim. And about the likelihood of whether or not Will could have sex with Brody Jenner. (Dumb as a box of hammers, but damn he's hot.)

Edited January 6, 2012 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

Wade needs to kick Matt's arrogant, ignorant ass to the curb.

 

Remember that the people we love sometimes screw up.

[Mark Arbour]

I think I'll weigh in on JJ's looks.

 

I like the Lucas Till look, but what Tim tapped into for me was that Lucas Till looks too old and developed to be JJ right now. I see him with that very clean-cut look that Till has, but a body shaped more like that French dude Tim posted. Why? JJ's just getting into puberty, so his muscles won't be very bulky. He's basically a short, skinny twink at this point. Now in a couple of years, I see him with a pretty awesome body. Skating will do that. Still, I think he's going to be more of a lithe figure. It's how skaters are.

 

Im sure it isnt gonna wipe out that much even if the revitalisation fails. its only a small part of the diverse portfolio. but remember, they arent running a property holdings company. They wont keep hold of the buildings, unless they can cross rent to triton plant etc

 

The big risk here is Triton, since Brad's up to his eyeballs in that one. If Triton stumbles, he takes a major hit.

[PrivateTim]

The big risk here is Triton, since Brad's up to his eyeballs in that one. If Triton stumbles, he takes a major hit.

There will be risk for Triton in 2013 as defense cuts hit and weapons systems are taken off the board, but the unfortunate events of 2001 made defense contractors incredibly successful for much of the 2000's. The bigger risk is Triton being taken over by a BAE and Brad is forced out. But he still makes a boatload of money and would probably get a seat on the board, but his role would be cursory, not the hands on role he likes.

[methodwriter85]

I like the Lucas Till look, but what Tim tapped into for me was that Lucas Till looks too old and developed to be JJ right now. I see him with that very clean-cut look that Till has, but a body shaped more like that French dude Tim posted. Why? JJ's just getting into puberty, so his muscles won't be very bulky. He's basically a short, skinny twink at this point. Now in a couple of years, I see him with a pretty awesome body. Skating will do that. Still, I think he's going to be more of a lithe figure. It's how skaters are.

 

Right. Well, there's a reason why I posted the picture of a younger-looking Lucas Till. So Lucas Till's face on that guy's body. (At least pre-puberty.) I can accept that. I just don't think JJ would have an edgy look like Charles Guislan's face- it's too gothic and emo for someone who needs to look like the boy next door. So Lucas Till's face on a short, skinnier body. It's kinda like you having JP Crampton with Ricky Nelson's face, but blond hair and a short body.

 

I think it'd be funny if the revitalization worked so well that people started getting priced out of what had been slummy neighborhoods. Claremont with hipsters. Now that would be funny as hell. (They're to the 2000's what the yuppies were to the 1980's, Mark.)

 

Edited January 10, 2012 by methodwriter85

[centexhairysub]

Just got through reading the new chapter of Paternity and WOW... I loved the scene with Wade and Sean and no, I don't mean the one in the boardroom. I loved the interaction over the meal. The back and forth and give and take was just pitch perfect. I did enjoy the scene in the boardroom but it was sort of just a teaser I think.

 

I am glad that Matt seems to be taking Wade's advice but I can tell, something is gonna have to be done to slap down this Carl. He is just not going to give up, I am still not sure what his game is though. This seems to be more than just trying to get with Matt or play him. I can bet there is a serious agenda here and I have to wonder if it is just Carl, or is there someone else behind it???

 

I do have to wonder how long Tiffany will put up with the living situation if Jeanine isn't getting any better. I hope that this side of the story is continued or there is at least some follow up.

 

I cannot believe how into this story I am getting. This is quickly becoming my favorite in the series since the the Land Whore. For me, the first three stories are still the best but this one is moving past all the rest rapidly.

[GLH]

I am glad that Matt seems to be taking Wade's advice but I can tell, something is gonna have to be done to slap down this Carl. He is just not going to give up, I am still not sure what his game is though. This seems to be more than just trying to get with Matt or play him. I can bet there is a serious agenda here and I have to wonder if it is just Carl, or is there someone else behind it???

 

I still don't think Matt gets it. He may abide by Wade's wishes, but I can't help but think he's still clueless. I still see a self-inflicted train wreck in his future.

Edited January 11, 2012 by GLH

[Mark Arbour]

Just got through reading the new chapter of Paternity and WOW... I loved the scene with Wade and Sean and no, I don't mean the one in the boardroom. I loved the interaction over the meal. The back and forth and give and take was just pitch perfect. I did enjoy the scene in the boardroom but it was sort of just a teaser I think.

 

I am glad that Matt seems to be taking Wade's advice but I can tell, something is gonna have to be done to slap down this Carl. He is just not going to give up, I am still not sure what his game is though. This seems to be more than just trying to get with Matt or play him. I can bet there is a serious agenda here and I have to wonder if it is just Carl, or is there someone else behind it???

 

I do have to wonder how long Tiffany will put up with the living situation if Jeanine isn't getting any better. I hope that this side of the story is continued or there is at least some follow up.

 

I cannot believe how into this story I am getting. This is quickly becoming my favorite in the series since the the Land Whore. For me, the first three stories are still the best but this one is moving past all the rest rapidly.

 

I'm glad you like this story. I actually had a reader send me an e-mail, telling me that he didn't like it that much, and that I should focus on George Granger. Didn't really faze me, though, since I like this story. I'm having fun with it. Wade's an interesting character to write.

 

I still don't think Matt gets it. He may abide by Wade's wishes, but I can't help but think he's still clueless. I still see a self-inflicted train wreck in his future.

 

That's probably because he's like his natural father, and a bit pig-headed and stubborn at times.

[methodwriter85]

I cannot believe how into this story I am getting. This is quickly becoming my favorite in the series since the the Land Whore. For me, the first three stories are still the best but this one is moving past all the rest rapidly.

 

I'm not sure I'd call this my favorite, but I do think this is absent the structural problems that plagued Poor Man's Son. I've liked this story better for these reasons:

 

1. There's no jumping back-and-forth between narrators in every chapter. I think that was an interesting idea, but ultimately it broke up the narrative momentum.

 

2. Wade and Matt have been together, in CAP time, since 1998- a good two-year relationship. There's more weight in their relationship angst than dealing with Will's infatuations, or Gathan's summer fling with Kristin.

 

3. Will works soooo much better as the high school comical B-storyline. He's an interesting character, but I don't quite think he has the pathos or gravitas to fully lead a story yet. And there's nothing wrong with that, because there's a better balance between Wade's more serious story, and Will's B-story antics. In Poor Man's Son, it was like we were going full blast on the angst stuff on both sides, and it was a bit too much. It's like we were supposed to follow Gathan AND Will as the A-story, and the balance was off because of that.

 

4. A gay Southern blue-blood with a crazy Southern Gothic family. I mean really, the story just writes itself here. It IS nice that we're getting outside the Schluter/Crampton/Hayes trifecta here and exploring a completely different kind of family. Virginia tidewater tobbacco families have to be so utterly different from Mid-western affluent families, Midwestern blue-collar families, and California new money.

 

5. 14-year old angst is fine, but there's something about the angst of finishing up your college years, entering your twenties that really gets to me. It's a weightier kind of angst- when you're 14 you're thinking about getting a boyfriend. When you're 20/21, you're trying to think about what you want to do with the rest of your life once school is over, as well as a whole host of really complicated things that you just don't think about when you're a kid.

 

I have enjoyed this.

Edited January 11, 2012 by methodwriter85

[rjo]

This last chapter (11) brought out a few interesting hints. What happened to Wade's uncle? Why is Tiffany so upset living at Escorial? and maybe the most important how is Elizabeth Danfield going to react to Wade's ulimatium? As always with Mark some important fact is lurking around in the background. And then there is Carl. Just a innocent college kid or more? If Wade does get his money, he has a great deal of power. As Stef always says money is power. I think Wade will use it if he has too. Look out Carl and anyone who maybe behind him.

[Daddydavek]

The writing in Chapter 11 shows a lot of thought and care in use of the language. From the dialogue with Sean, the later encounter with Matt, to the last sentence of the chapter, it is tight, spare, and very well crafted.

 

The story has definitely moved up a notch in intensity and I eagerly await more.

 

While I too, in some ways prefer the Granger series at the moment because that story is heading into an epic clash, the CAP series was my first introduction to the Arbour world and I could never ignore it.

[methodwriter85]

This last chapter (11) brought out a few interesting hints. What happened to Wade's uncle? Why is Tiffany so upset living at Escorial?

 

I think Wade's never-before-mentioned uncle was openly gay, got disowned, and died of AIDS in the 1980's.

 

As for Tiffany, here's my take. She pictured raising her child with Jeanine. Then when it turned out that Jeanine had cheated on her with Cody, Tiffany then figured that she'd raise the child by herself, with perhaps some babysitting help from Wade, but not NEARLY as much parental and grandparent-involvement as she's gotten. She obviously didn't grow up poor, because of her grandparents, but I think given the kind of early childhood that Tiffany had, she developed a bit of an independent streak. Note her not being all that enthused about being given three private nannies. I think Tiffany feels trapped, not just by Jeanine but by Wade's family and all the expectations and obligations that are getting attached to her son. Escorial is like a gilded cage to her that points out just how in over her head she's gotten- if her grandparents are still alive, I think she'd probably want to jet off to her grandparents with Riley and get a break from the craziness of this world.

Edited January 11, 2012 by methodwriter85

[centexhairysub]

This last chapter (11) brought out a few interesting hints. What happened to Wade's uncle? Why is Tiffany so upset living at Escorial? and maybe the most important how is Elizabeth Danfield going to react to Wade's ulimatium? As always with Mark some important fact is lurking around in the background. And then there is Carl. Just a innocent college kid or more? If Wade does get his money, he has a great deal of power. As Stef always says money is power. I think Wade will use it if he has too. Look out Carl and anyone who maybe behind him.

 

I went back through the stories with Wade and I really do think this is the first mention of an Uncle. Methodwriter's suggestion is interesting but not sure if that is were the story is going. I do think there is something maybe he was developmentally or mentally challenged??? I do think that there is more with Carl than mets the eyes... I am not sure why but it sort of reminds me of Carson with Robbie, and no, not just because that has been mentioned. There just seems to be something sort of dangerous about this whole situation. I do think that Wade will fight for what he cares about and that is Matt and his son.

[rjo]

What is interesting about this story is that Wade is one of those type of people who stands up for what he believes in. And they are 100% right Riley and Matt, the most important people, followed by Brad and JP. I think that's why I believe he is most like George Granger. Noble I guess. That's not a word we use a lot whese days. Mostly because there are so few people who are nolbe in this world. I believe Wade is more than a match for his mother. She maybe the master but he is a fast learner.

[methodwriter85]

It's kind of interesting to consider Wade noble, because we've never really had a "noble" protagonist before. JP was borderline sociopathic, Stefan and Brad have a "grey" morality to them, and Matt wasn't that noble either. I actually like that Mark doesn't make these guys perfect people who do everything right, but with Wade we've got a change of pace. There are some things I can't see Wade doing that JP would have done in a heartbeat, and I like that. Keeps the story from feeling repeitive. (I knew someone who told me they stopped reading CAP when it looked like Will was going to be Brad Redux. We don't need a JP Redux, either.)

[PrivateTim]

While I too, in some ways prefer the Granger series at the moment because that story is heading into an epic clash, the CAP series was my first introduction to the Arbour world and I could never ignore it.

 

My first intro to the world of Arbour was "On The Mark" and still my favorite story.

[methodwriter85]

My first intro to the world of Arbour was "On The Mark" and still my favorite story.

 

Yeah. I loved it was a story about real people, leading relatable lives, through the eyes of an intelligent but seriously socially awkward protagonist. It'd be great if Mark could write something like that again, but I get that he wants to do fun, cheesy soap erotica instead. And it's been a damn fun ride. "CAP" kinda replaces the hole that the dying American soaps have left in my heart.

[rjo]

I am not sure if I would consider JP a sociopath. I have met a few sociopaths in the past and JP is not even close. I would not consider JP evil, they were. Maybe the word noble was not the correct one. I see Wade as a person who believes in standing up for what is right. Doing that is not an easy thing. In this world it is so easy to go with the flow and duck and cover. Let's check the latest poll and see what to believe. This is not Wade. He is made of sterner stuff. That maybe his background, but in my mind I find that noble. Would you consider Oscar Schindler noble? Or the people who stood up to Hitler and Joseph Mc Carthy? We don't know if Carl is evil, yet. He maybe, or he could be just a college kid, who knows. When we first met Brian did we know he was evil? People go to great lengths to protect their family or friends. Did JP go too far? Did Brad? Would Wade not go to those lengths if he was forced to? What about us, would we?