What Happens Next In CAP?

[methodwriter85]

I hope JJ is not going to be a narrator.

 

Nah, not until he grows up and matures a bit.

 

I also can't really see him being a narrator in the near future because being narrator means you've got to engage in a lot of sex, and I think he's going to be largely traumatized and asexual for awhile.

 

Finally, could you try to cut JJ at least a little slack? He's a 15 year old boy who essentially lost his mother, was abused by the only strong male model in his life, and didn't tell anyone because he desperately wants to hit the top of his sport. It's not like he was just another spoiled brat rich bitch. There were reasons behind it.

Edited April 10, 2013 by methodwriter85

[mmike1969]

I totally read that as "Then Will shoots JJ..."

 

Perked me right up!

I am almost positive you are not going to be happy unless the majority of CAP characters die in a horribly slow and painful death

[GLH]

You mean they've not?  We've seen hide nor hair of them for the past three weeks, are you sure no one's had their nefarious way with the entire cast?

[B1ue]

Nah, not until he grows up and matures a bit.

 

I also can't really see him being a narrator in the near future because being narrator means you've got to engage in a lot of sex, and I think he's going to be largely traumatized and asexual for awhile.

 

Finally, could you try to cut JJ at least a little slack? He's a 15 year old boy who essentially lost his mother, was abused by the only strong male model in his life, and didn't tell anyone because he desperately wants to hit the top of his sport. It's not like he was just another spoiled brat rich bitch. There were reasons behind it.

 

There are always reasons behind it, even when the reason is "because I can." And, speaking as someone whom almost everyone I know makes allowances for, excusing rude behavior I usually don't mean and hardly ever even notice unless it's brought to my attention, just because someone has reasons, doesn't make it excusable.

 

Also, I hate to say this, but some people don't react to rape or molestation by becoming assexual. While I don't particularly want to read about a 13 year old that looks 11 engaging in orgies, some people do react by becoming aggresively sexual. There's reasons; one can put to past behind them by eroding the memories with experience, or having had their virginity taken from them, conciously or unconciously cope by devauling sex (because if it was worth little, what happened to them was no big deal). That said, with Will and Jeff we've had characters that represented both of these ideas, so perhaps JJ can go assexual for a time, defying both his genetics and upbringing.

 

Leaving all that aside, an interesting thought occured to me. Method, you mentioned that it was likely several of Hayes boys would likely enlist, which is something I agree with. I think it'd be an interesting counterpoint to The Box, when Aaron deserted and Stephen stayed on, if a Hayes boy manages to find himself in the military. It does happen; both of my sisters are much steadier and happier as enlisted, even if one is still messed up from her last tour in Iraq and her husband is equally, if differently, haunted by his tour in Afganistan.

[naaz]

Does anyone know when Mark will be back?

[methodwriter85]

Also, I hate to say this, but some people don't react to rape or molestation by becoming assexual. While I don't particularly want to read about a 13 year old that looks 11 engaging in orgies, some people do react by becoming aggresively sexual. There's reasons; one can put to past behind them by eroding the memories with experience, or having had their virginity taken from them, conciously or unconciously cope by devauling sex (because if it was worth little, what happened to them was no big deal). That said, with Will and Jeff we've had characters that represented both of these ideas, so perhaps JJ can go assexual for a time, defying both his genetics and upbringing.

 

Leaving all that aside, an interesting thought occured to me. Method, you mentioned that it was likely several of Hayes boys would likely enlist, which is something I agree with. I think it'd be an interesting counterpoint to The Box, when Aaron deserted and Stephen stayed on, if a Hayes boy manages to find himself in the military. It does happen; both of my sisters are much steadier and happier as enlisted, even if one is still messed up from her last tour in Iraq and her husband is equally, if differently, haunted by his tour in Afganistan.

 

What I find really interesting about JJ is that he, geneticially and upbringing-wise, should be a major slut like the rest of his family. I mean, he was the result of an uncle banging his crackwhore niece. But the combination of delayed puberty and being in a sport that mandates a Disney-friendly image kept him pretty innocent, until he was forced to be sexual with his coach. And then despite what happened with his coach, he's still pretty much expected to keep his mouth shut about what happened and still go on to be very much the clean-cut, Disney-friendly figure skater who would never admit to even having straight pre-marital sex, let alone the kind of sex that was illegal in Texas until 2003. I think at 15 and with him lagging behind it'll be okay, but at 17/18 when he's finally in full-gear puberty wise, it's going to be difficult. I love that JJ stands in contrast to Will, who's very much that guy who started having an active sex life in junior high because he had the body of a guy several years older- I hope we can keep that going for the time being. It's incredibly realistic and very true to life with guys who were in the 12 to 16 age rage- the guys like Andy in Cross-Currents who were basically built like adult men by age 14 and thus got plenty of play, and the guys like JJ who were ignored by their peers because they still looked 11.

 

Anyway, I'll be interested in seeing what characters eventually find themselves in Iraq. I don't think Matt or Wade would go, but I could see Gathan, maybe Darius. Historically, Claremont fits the profile of the kind of town that sends off a lot of their young to war, so I'm assuming there will be a fair amount of Claremonters in The War on Terror/Operation Enduring Iraqi Freedom.

[Mark Arbour]

I started a thread on the new story:  9.11. 

[methodwriter85]

    I don't know how likely this is, but man, how cool would it be if Mark could incorporate the 2001 MTV Music Video Awards into CAP, which took place on September 6th? I mean, we did have Beyonce show up.

 

 

   I remember when 9/11 happened, people were talking about how much fun the week before 9/11 had been in NYC, and this was the last major awards ceremony held in New York before 9/11.

 

   For me, I remember the '01 ceremony being a big deal because one of the kids at my school was a back-up dancer for a Jay Z song.

Edited April 15, 2013 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

-When JJ turns 15, he becomes the record holder for the longest amount of time a contemporary Crampton/Schluter family member has lived without ever smoking pot.

 

    I was right about this one. Woo-hoo! lol

 

    Another guess I'm going to make- because Tiffany's moving to Los Angeles due to her being JJ's coach and JJ being back in L.A., Wade's going to wind up attending UCLA Law. As that would be the 2002-2003 school year, Darius would be a sophomore or junior (depending on how his credits transferred) at UCLA. UCLA Grad has an economics program, so I can see that being a good fit for Matt as well.

 

      Maybe Mark can have Matt and Wade set up house in Bel-Air while they attend UCLA? I kind of wish they were the type to be urban pioneers and set up house in Silver Lake, which was apparently the hot young neighborhood of 2000's Los Angeles, but that's not Wade at all. It would be cool to explore hipster culture, as they were the strongest decade-defining personality archtype to come out of the 2000's like the yuppies of the 80's, but I so can't see the two getting into that. Marie, possibly Will, yes. Matt and Wade, no. They're too square.

Edited August 22, 2013 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

    I was right about this one. Woo-hoo! lol

 

    Another guess I'm going to make- because Tiffany's moving to Los Angeles due to her being JJ's coach and JJ being back in L.A., Wade's going to wind up attending UCLA Law. As that would be the 2002-2003 school year, Darius would be a sophomore or junior (depending on how his credits transferred) at UCLA. UCLA Grad has an economics program, so I can see that being a good fit for Matt as well.

 

      Maybe Mark can have Matt and Wade set up house in Bel-Air while they attend UCLA? I kind of wish they were the type to be urban pioneers and set up house in Silver Lake, which was apparently the hot young neighborhood of 2000's Los Angeles, but that's not Wade at all. It would be cool to explore hipster culture, as they were the strongest decade-defining personality archtype to come out of the 2000's like the yuppies of the 80's, but I so can't see the two getting into that. Marie, possibly Will, yes. Matt and Wade, no. They're too square.

 

Hipsters are lame.  

[methodwriter85]

Hipsters are lame.  

 

      So were Reagan-voting yuppies, but that didn't stop you from being one in your 20's, right?

 

      In all seriousness though, like Yuppies in their day, Hipsters do a lot for rehabbing and re-invigorating decaying inner city neighborhoods, which isn't a bad thing. Gentrification has its drawbacks, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

Edited August 22, 2013 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

      Maybe Mark can have Matt and Wade set up house in Bel-Air while they attend UCLA? I kind of wish they were the type to be urban pioneers and set up house in Silver Lake, which was apparently the hot young neighborhood of 2000's Los Angeles, but that's not Wade at all. It would be cool to explore hipster culture, as they were the strongest decade-defining personality archtype to come out of the 2000's like the yuppies of the 80's, but I so can't see the two getting into that. Marie, possibly Will, yes. Matt and Wade, no. They're too square.

 

Matt & Wade aren't going to live in Bel Air, no one under 50 wants to live in Bel Air. They'll get a condo on Wilshire Blvd.

 

And Silver Lake is the La Brea Tar Pits of the gay community, it is where old gay go to die. There maybe have been a hipster subculture move in, but it wasn't gay hipsters and no one going to UCLA would ever live in Silver Lake. Even WeHo is too far. UCLA students live in Westwood, the Wilshire corridor, the Brentwood corridor and maybe a few in Santa Monica who are hard core beach people.

 

And no one with a half an ounce of self respect would ever be a hipster.

[methodwriter85]

Matt & Wade aren't going to live in Bel Air, no one under 50 wants to live in Bel Air. They'll get a condo on Wilshire Blvd.

 

And Silver Lake is the La Brea Tar Pits of the gay community, it is where old gay go to die. There maybe have been a hipster subculture move in, but it wasn't gay hipsters and no one going to UCLA would ever live in Silver Lake. Even WeHo is too far. UCLA students live in Westwood, the Wilshire corridor, the Brentwood corridor and maybe a few in Santa Monica who are hard core beach people.

 

And no one with a half an ounce of self respect would ever be a hipster.

 

     Thanks for the pointers. I love your insight on California. My main exposure to California is watching the O.C., Melrose Place, 90210, and Laguna Beach, so I love getting the "real" view of it.

 

    As for the over-50 thing...Wade kind of strikes me as a person who'd be more into living in an area that was older and more established as opposed to a young area with a strong nightlife, though. Wade's kind of an old soul, no? I wouldn't rule out Bel Air just because it's an older area. Also, I'm not sure they'd get a condo- Wade clearly wants Riley to be a huge part of his life, and Matt/Wade seem like they'd have at least a couple more kids they procure either through adoption or threesomes with lesbians. I figure they'd get a house with a yard for little Riley to play with his future siblings in a guarded community where they'd feel safe to raise kids in.

Edited August 22, 2013 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

     Thanks for the pointers. I love your insight on California. My main exposure to California is watching the O.C., Melrose Place, 90210, and Laguna Beach, so I love getting the "real" view of it.

 

    As for the over-50 thing...Wade kind of strikes me as a person who'd be more into living in an area that was older and more established as opposed to a young area with a strong nightlife, though. Wade's kind of an old soul, no? I wouldn't rule out Bel Air just because it's an older area. Also, I'm not sure they'd get a condo- Wade clearly wants Riley to be a huge part of his life, and Matt/Wade seem like they'd have at least a couple more kids they procure either through adoption or threesomes with lesbians. I figure they'd get a house with a yard for little Riley to play with his future siblings in a guarded community where they'd feel safe to raise kids in.

 

I think that wherever Wade lives, it's going to be important that he have horses around.  If he ends up at UCLA, that may mean a commute, or that he has to live with old people. 

[methodwriter85]

I think that wherever Wade lives, it's going to be important that he have horses around.  If he ends up at UCLA, that may mean a commute, or that he has to live with old people. 

 

Good point. Maybe Wade would live in the canyons, like Topanga or Laurel?

 

What's an area where horseback riding is popular, Tim? I also think I read once that the Valley has some areas where people ride.

[PrivateTim]

Good point. Maybe Wade would live in the canyons, like Topanga or Laurel?

 

What's an area where horseback riding is popular, Tim? I also think I read once that the Valley has some areas where people ride.

 

Horse properties are hard to come by. In LA County they are in Malibu, Calabasas and Agoura, maybe a few in Burbank.

 

Burbank has the LA Equestrian Center where they held the '84 Olympic events, Griffith Park has stables and there is a private stable in the Hollywood Hills, but boarding a horse isn't the same as having them stabled at home.

 

I can't see Wade being overly worried about horses and babies in law school. He and Matt have plenty of time to buy the big house someplace, but The Wilshire, or a place like it, is more likely where two grad students are going to land.

 

An interesting thought...... Wade could go the John Kennedy route of working in the public defenders office. A nice touch for someone with aspirations to higher office who doesn't give a carp (sic) he is being grossly underpaid. It could also bring in story lines for Father Tim and the mission.

[centexhairysub]

I could totally see Wade pulling a JFK Jr. route with the public defenders office.  He doesn't need the money plus, Wade actually seems to really want to help others...  Plus, I would not mind a few tie ins with Father Tim and the mission either...

[methodwriter85]

   Kitt wrote this in the 9.11 thread, and I can totally see it happening:

 

I can see a lot of the appropriately aged kids from Claremont enlisting post 9/11. There was a surge in enlistments after the event, and while i am not sure its is true and not just perceptual there always seems to be a slightly more patriotic feel to smaller towns as compared to metropolis' like NYC. I can see Claremont revamping some older health care facility to welcome recovering vets into the area, some of whom tend to stay close to their rehab facilities. There is in fact several VA facilities in Ohio including Clermont County Community Based Outpatient Clinic (Cincinnati, OH).

 

 

It would totally fit into J.P.'s "let's do good for Claremont M.O." for him to start a support center for veterans...maybe renovate an old clinic or an old Claremont mansion? On a personal level, it'd make sense for him to want to help the vets, because of him dealing with Andre's death, and his friend Fritz's suicide, not to mention Steven.

 

I would imagine that Iraq is going to dredge up a lot of unpleasant memories for J.P., especially once it becomes clear that Iraq is not going to be the Gulf War "Mission Acccomplished!" few-months war people thought it would be.

 

But yeah...9/11 is the start of such an incredibly shitty and depressing decade. The only highlights from that decade, IMO, would be the tech advancements and the gains in gay rights. Other than that, it's 9/11, Aghanistan, Iraq, the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Virgina Tech, the housing crash, and the economic meltdown.

Edited September 4, 2013 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

   Since we're in 2002 now, I wonder if Mark is going to incorporate the D.C. Sniper attacks. That, Enron, and the war in Afghanistan felt like the big stories for the year. (it's a given that the 1-year anniversary of 9/11 is getting covered.)

 

   If JJ does indeed move to Boston, I really hope we get a catfight between him and Johnny Weir at the 2002 Eastern Sectionals. LOL.

 

    Have we heard someone say "Homeland Security" yet? That term feels like a huge part of what this decade was.

Edited March 2, 2014 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

   Since we're in 2002 now, I wonder if Mark is going to incorporate the D.C. Sniper attacks. That, Enron, and the war in Afghanistan felt like the big stories for the year. (it's a given that the 1-year anniversary of 9/11 is getting covered.)

 

   If JJ does indeed move to Boston, I really hope we get a catfight between him and Johnny Weir at the 2002 Eastern Sectionals. LOL.

 

    Have we heard someone say "Homeland Security" yet? That term feels like a huge part of what this decade was.

 

Enron is so 2001.  World Com is the 2002 nightmare.

[Daddydavek]

While I remembered Enron, I had to look the WorldCom scandal up.

 

 http://voices.yahoo.com/worldcom-scandal-look-back-one-biggest-225686.html

 

Even after reading about it, nothing clicked.  

[Kitt]

The high profile issues are not the only things I can see being addressed. I can see JP becoming concerned over the growing number of school shootings. The 90's had 34 school related shootings, more than the previous 7 decades combined. That number jumps to 49 in the 2000's and so far in the 2010's decade we have had 85, including one @ La Salle in Philidelphia two days ago.  

 

If anyone is interested in where I got this info here's the link.

 

http://www.ask.com/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#List_of_U.S._school_attacks

[Mark Arbour]

I thought I'd use this thread to give you a bit of a teaser on what to expect with the next few stories.  The books in the past have been either epic (like Paternity, Millennium, and 9.11) or transitional (like Flux and Poor Man's Son). 

 

• The next story is titled Streak, and will most likely be classified as a transitional story.  It's hard to say, though, since I haven't finished it yet.  Barring some major disaster, you can expect that to publish on August 8, 2014. 

 

• I envision the story after that (which I have not started on, nor have I named yet) will likely be a more epic tale. 

[Daddydavek]

STREAK.  I'm picking the following definition as my guess as to what the title is implies.

 

1. short period or unbroken run: a short period or unbroken run, especially of good or bad luck

  So who is going on a streak of, (I hope good) luck?  

 

Could it be JJ?

 

Or is it going to be Matt?

 

Or possibly even Wade?

 

Somehow I doubt it is Will, Brad, Stef or JP.  

 

I wonder if Mark is going to give us another poll.....?

[bedseller]

I didn't read that chapter 45 was the final part of this story till after I went AHHH this would be a good point to end things for a while.  Then it all slid into place as Mark's writing always does.  So a big Thank You for Flux and can August 8th please hurry up and get here so I can see where we are being taken in the next part of the CAP saga.