methodwriter85

Yeah. The thing is, JJ can't have sex with people that he can't trust. He just can't. There's a lot riding on his image. I really did like how that sexual encounter developed. It wasn't just oral sex, but some actual character development. JJ's playing a role, but it's mainly the truth, one that works for what Alex wants. That Zach speech was just classic CAP. And the best part, it's all true- Will IS a hero, and a brave guy who faced down some very scary moments.

It's not even the original sign, LOL. Those letters are from the restoration of 1978. They're not even older than Private Tim. In 1993, UCLA frat boys changed the sign to say 'Go, UCLA', which prompted the installation of a 100k security system in 1994. I wonder if people have still gotten around that. Me? I just remember the 1993 class of West Beverly Hills getting commemorated with the sign: (Does anyone know if they really did that, or was that faked?)

I really do love how you're developing JJ's sex life. It feels right and very "him", so to speak, rather than just a typical horny CAP sex encounter. He doesn't have free abandon when it comes to sex like a normal attractive teenage guy would because of the massive expectations on him, not to mention his issues. It doesn't just feel like you're throwing in sex encounters just for the fun of it, here. There's some genuine character development going on in that scene.

Chapter 15 -When Zach gets finished with his speech, and everyone is in awe of what a hero Will Schluter is. "Hero" by Chad Kroeger It is still insane to me that they did a Spiderman reboot just 5 years after Spiderman 3. I loved Andrew Garfield in it, but I can see why it's not really setting the domestic U.S. box office on fire. -When JJ and Alex talk about the family drama, and JJ assures Alex he's in this. "Dilemma" by Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland My god, this song was EVERYWHERE that year. Ugh. -When JJ and Alex get hot. (Well, for JJ.) "Touch-a, Touch-a Me" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show As soon as I read that chapter, I knew this was the tune. Come on, it's dead-on, no-brainer for that moment. That song is basically JJ's theme for this entire story. I'm not a full-on Rocky Horror groupie, but my sister was really into it back in the early 90's, so I know the movie pretty well. I've know it since I was about 7 or so.

I gotta correct you a bit on the "raised by a drug addict" mother- JJ never really knew Bitty except for the brief time when she tried to take custody of JJ and Darius in 1995. (And then conveniently died of a drug overdose.) He was pretty much claimed by Jeanine as her son from birth, because Bitty pretty much went back to the crackhouses as soon as she gave birth to JJ at the end of 1985. But other than that, I agree. JJ aspires to purity even though he's certainly not innocent. Aside from it being what's he's expected to do, I think JJ needs a way to stand apart from his brothers, and not being a manwhore is one way to do it. He might have sex with Alex at some point (I mean, come on, this IS Mark Arbour writing and I'm not sure he'd let JJ keep his virginity through this entire story), but he's pretty vice-free compared to his brothers. He doesn't drink, he doesn't do drugs, and he doesn't slut around even though he probably could if he really wanted to. JJ does excess in other ways (I bet his closet is the size of a normal-szied bedroom), but he keeps himself relatively reigned in compared to his family. I think Mark's hinted that JJ is actually pretty good at reading people. When he tries to go for the obvious manipulation, he'll get called on it, but we've seen that JJ is actually quite astute when it comes to how other people act.

From JJ's point of view, the idea that ANY of these people think they've earned the right to talk about how to maintain long-term relationships is pretty laughable. I also liked how Will pointed out how different JJ is. He won't blow up, and then cool down and forgive. His rage is cold, and it lasts for a very long time. I don't think JJ's even forgiven his mother at this point. And he's still rather chilly to Madison because of how she represents his mother's breakdown to him.

I can see Coachella being right up their Alley. The vibe I get is that it's a big ol' Bro fest with their sorority girls wearing flower headbands. John Hobart especially seems like he'd be a target guy for that.

Here's another view of the skyline, similar to the last but from the view of the new boardwalk they put in on the east bank of the Schuylkill River.

I read about Burning Man on Wikipedia, and I'm still confused as fuck about what exactly it is. I thought it might be a music festival, but it seems like some kind of festival where people just groove on different vibes and try and accomplish a variety of different socially-conscious things while burning an effigy and trippin' on a myriad of substances in the California desert. I honestly can't see either Wade or Matt doing something like that. Matt is the overgrown frat boy and Wade is the prepster. I think the only person I can *maybe* see doing something so off-beat and weird would be Marie. If Mouse had lived to the 1990's, I think he might have gotten into it. (Mouse was an abused outcast that Brad befriended in high school who eventually got AIDS in 1985, became J.P.'s lover, but then died somewhere before 1991.) From what I read, the event got too popular for it's own good and it seems to be coming with increasing restrictions as a result. Bummer. I would give anything for Firefly Music Festival to go back to the small, 30k festival it was in 2012, but it seems like its founders are determined to hit that 100k mark in less than half-a-decade.

I'm not sure Mark's taking Alex and JJ to an X-rating, but I'm sure they'll be at least a solid PG-13, which can still be pretty hot indeed.

I don't know, girl figure skaters are even more repressed than the male ones are. In either case, they're not really allowed to act like they know what pre-marital sex is. On the other hand, being short wouldn't have been an hindrance to getting sex if JJ were a girl. It doesn't really seem like anybody's been allowed to keep their virginity past the age of about 12 or 13, at least with this generation. (Marie MIGHT have kept it up to about 15- but I'm not sure that Abercrombie Shirt Guy was her first time.) I think the only reason JJ hasn't gone past making out with people is because of his trauma from his abuse...the fact that he's almost 17 and still considered a virgin makes him really outlie the current teen CAP standards Mark's set for CAP. By the CAP standards Mark's set, neither Riley or Maddie would be virgins in September 2014, as they'd be 14. I would seriously love to see a 26-year old Will have the sex talk with a 12-year old Maddie in 2012. LOL. Courtney at the age of 19 in 2014 would probably long have made Ace want to rip his hair out. It'd be fucking hilarious if former womanizer Ace was gifted with a daughter that was something like Karen Owen. Well, given that JJ's training at an elite level, he probably does have a lot of self-control. He can't just do anything he wants to do, whether it's drugs, promiscuity, or eating a bowl of ice cream. That's where JJ is very different from Will, where Will pretty much does whatever he wants to do because he can and because he doesn't think about what people think. Although the other thing is...JJ's much pickier than Will would ever be. That's another thing that would keep him from racking up the kind of numbers Will has. Included in someone's hotness level for JJ isn't just the physical, like it would be for Will. There's also their pedigree. For example, JJ would have NEVER hit on and had sex with a taxicab driver like Will did, no matter how hot they were. That's why, even though JJ's libido is heating up and he does indeed having the slutty genes running through him, he's still able to maintain self-control here with Alex. Alex is like the top prize here because of who he is, more so than because he's hot. JJ's not going to risk losing his chance at the prize. This is being written by Mark Arbour. I really wouldn't expect something THAT chaste. I don't foresee orgies or stripping in Euro clubs any time soon, but I can't see Mark bothering with the story of JJ's sexual awakening with Alex if that's all that was going to happen. I asked if he'd consider having a supporting character or two that reflected the whole "Abstinence pledge" deal that was going on during this decade and he pretty much said no way in hell. LOL. I remember in high school, we were visited by a group that tried to convince us to be abstinent. I think pretty much the only people that actually did it were the Mormons. I wonder if we'll meet any Mormons in CAP. The Mormons really seemed to expand in the national consciousness during the 2000's, probably because of their aggressive proselytizing.

Brian Parnell, born 1973, died 2000. He was JP's half-brother, who was conceived by Bill Hendrickson (JP's biological father), and turned up in If It Fits, which was set in 1995. He was a dead-ringer for JP, and that's when they realized he was JP's brother. Took part in a crazy plot against the family during the story Millennium, which was set in late 1999 - early 2000. He crossed a line, and the family ordered a hit out on him. Brian was killed during sex by their hit men, I believe somewhere around March 2000 while he was hiding out somewhere in Washington, P.A.

Chapter 13 -When Zach finally gets fed up with Wally. "Perfect" by Simple Plan Simple Plan. God, long live the emo period of the early/mid-'00's. I'm kinda fudging on this tune, because the album this song was on was indeed out, but the actual song wasn't released as a single until much later. Eh. Whatever. It fits, so it's in. -When JJ goes to the Boston Symphony with Alex. "Bolero" -When JJ shares a passionate kiss with Alex. Well, passionate for them. "Paint the Silence" by South I'm excited to think that The O.C. is only a year away in CAP-land! So exciting. That show, at least during the first year it was on, really did cause an explosion of new trends in both fashion and music. - When Zach plays being injured and causes all kind of shit. "Fat Lip" by Sum 41 I have visions of Hot Topic-clad people in black outfits with red plaid accents, safety pins, and Manic Panic hairdye. Ugh.

The Coachella team has paired up with the Firefly team, with massive expansion plans for Firefly including a possible 2-weekend plan. 2-week Firefly Fest Possibility; Firefly Partners Up With Coachella I feel really ambivalent about this. Obviously Coachella seems like a legendary music festival, but that's something that got built up over a decade. Firefly trying to match its size by Year 4 or Year 5 just feels ridiculous. I knew that the small, 30k festival of Year 1 was long gone, but trying to add like another 20,000 fans or so to the 80,000 that came for Year 3 just seems like a recipe for disaster. I'm also really not sure that the people who live around the area are going to be cool with this. It's not like it's a completely isolated field- there are housing developments and residential roads on the periphery. On the other hand...in 2010, I never could've imagined that there would be a massive 80k music festival where I could have watched people crowdsurf during Weezer and Third Eye Blind, as well as see bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Foo Fighters play without having to go to Philadelphia, so that's pretty cool. I'm leaning towards just doing one year for Year 4, though. I kind of feel obligated to go every year since I'm now officially a Firefly veteran, but eh.

I immediately thought of this tune from my childhood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhrBDcQq2DM

So I'm going to ahead and get deep, and show off this article that combines the "Just Girly Things" meme with photos that depict the harsh reality of war. You know, given that the Iraq War is on the horizon in CAP-land. Just Girly Things Meets the Harsh Realities of War I know that if Mark decides to cover the Iraq War, he'll do it justice, like he did for 9/11. I guess for me, the tombstone that says "1985" on it kinda got me the most...because it makes me think about the fact that there were so many guys and girls my age who went off to the war, and a lot didn't come back. It just feels wrong for any kind of tombstone to start with dates from the 1980's, you know?

Mugshots of the Three Charged In Case Since I don't think these people will get serious jail time thanks to P.A.'s lack of protecting gays from hate crimes, my hope is to continue the chain of blasting these images out there and hope it follows these people around. It's just crazy though. These people are close to my age and they did that. And it's not like they came from some bumblefuck small town in Alabama or something, either. Definitely eye-opening for me, I believe.

I like that Mark is allowing JJ to have a relatively sweet, chaste courtship, as opposed to the narrators we've seen before him. Let JJ just enjoy his innocence and youth before getting into the wild, passionate stuff. I mean, given that CAP is gay erotica, I get why we haven't seen such relatively chaste characters before this, and why "waiting" is like waiting until the second date if at all, but I like that the multiple narrators allows for Mark to also have an old-fashioned kind of courtship, and at the same time also show two guys playing with handcuffs. I also liked the suggestion that JJ's holding back from getting too riled up, because on some level, he knows that being too forward with Alex is going to turn him off and he knows slow is the best way to go with this. It's a contrast for Will, who when his libido went off, just went full-hog.

Cato from The Hunger Games as Parnell? Alexander Ludwig is probably a nice person in real life, but with that douchey face he was born to play the teen asshole bully.

Chapter 12 -When JJ is kissed by Alex. "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" from The Sound of Music Tell me that isn't EXACTLY the dynamic that seems to be brewing between Alex and JJ right now. Alex wanting to play the suave, sophisticated worldly older guy teaching his innocent princess about love, while JJ plays the demure, innocent princess who may know more than they let on about worldly affairs. -When JJ dances after being kissed by Alex. "I Could Have Danced All Night" by the 101 Strings Orchestra As soon as I read that scene, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady popped into my head. -When Will and Zach have their little...adventure. "You May be Right" by Billy Joel

I think the main rule is that it must be instrumental. I think in my mind, I have JJ skating to a mix of classical music as well as instrumentals of Broadway standards like Les Miz. (It's been my music picks for him during his competitions, in any event.) You've done a fairly solid job of setting up the family as being pretty regular theater goers so JJ probably knows a ton of Broadway tunes to go along with his classical music collection. It does make sense that JJ has to be a pretty big classical fan- he doesn't strike me as someone who'd go against the grain and skate to Pink Floyd or ZZ Top. In any event...man, it's painful to watch how blissfully naive JJ is going into his first real infatuation. Especially when, as others have put it, Alex will need to find his "whore" component. I do think it's fun how, for someone who is pretty inexperienced save for his abuse, he really does seem to get exactly what he needs to play to get Alex. As for Zach, him and Will really are fun. That was a funny bit.

It'll be interesting to see what happens to JJ as he starts to move into his late teens. I do think JJ is probably destined for a vigorous, but very discrete, sex life. But I don't know if I can really see JJ living his life with hedonistic abandon like Stefan Schluter in Land Whore, especially while his carer is going on. His life is pretty much practice, diet, practice, diet, and yet more practice. No drinking, no drugs, and not really any parties. (Except maybe if he's overseas in Europe away from the watchful eyes of the USA Figure Skating Association.) I think JJ will fit very nicely into the Madonna slot. He can be sexual and like it. He just can't be openly aggressive about it.

Chapter 11 -When Will drives his Ferrari. "Get Free" by the Vines -When Will and Zach exchange the meaningful "I love you"'s. "Amber" by 311

Because in their mind, JJ is still the 14-year old kid who slashed up his body and they don't want that to happen again? From the last chapter: Yeah, true, which makes the fact that he has to play the Disney Virginal Princess all the more funny. He can't be like Will and just bang every cute person that comes his way. There's an image to uphold here. Whatever sexual experience he has, it has to be behind closed, locked doors and with people he can trust. Don't forget that between Regionals and Sectionals, JJ has Skate America scheduled for October 23rd through October 27th. That takes place in Spokane, Washington. Seriously though, is JJ going to expect Alex to come to that, too? It's just not possible for Alex to do all that traveling and still attend grad school full-time.

Blue, I know exactly how you feel. I'm going to have my 10-year high school reunion next year, in 2015. It doesn't feel possible that high school was really ten years ago, but time really flew and damn we're getting old. I also have my 5th year anniversary of graduating from college in 2015, which is doubly weird.