Paternity

[methodwriter85]

Wade really does seem independent; the kind of guy who could be on his own and be fine without a partner. I think that's become more apparent since he was able to work through the situation with his father.

That's my guess about what JJ will be like when he's older- he won't rule out finding love, but it's not something JJ will obsess over, because first and foremost his love is his career. I mean Darius and Will both seem like they'll need to be partnered up for happiness, so someone's gotta balance that out.

 

As for Tiffany, I wouldn't blame her if she were thinking about running off with the kid to Canada or something. She's in WAY over her head.

 

The Will and Darius stuff was funny. No one can quite cut you down like an older sibling.

 

And while Matt might other men/boys now, eventually it gets old and you see the vacuousness of it if you any sense about you and I think Matt does.

 

Cody's 30 years old at this point and I can't see him letting go of the Circuit Boi lifestyle. Of course, he also may not have any real sense about himself.

Edited December 4, 2011 by methodwriter85

[KYE]

And we do know one thing about Tiffany's family.

 

Ahhhh, an unexpected "blast" from the past could be very interesting for this family. BTW, I did like Tiffany's last name and I am looking forward to how that plays out in the storyline.

Edited December 5, 2011 by KYE

[Mark Arbour]

Ahhhh, an unexpected "blast" from the past could be very interesting for this family. BTW, I did like Tiffany's last name and I am looking forward to how that plays out in the storyline.

 

Didn't I tell you that we'd met Tiffany's father before? If not, I'll refer you to Be Rad.

[Daddydavek]

I hope Wade and Matt are more like JP & Stef than Brad & Robbie, who needs THAT drama again.

 

Yeah, we've been there, done that!

 

And while Matt might other men/boys now, eventually it gets old and you see the vacuousness of it if you any sense about you and I think Matt does.

 

Yeah, but he is still young, competitive and immortal so he might take a while to get there!

 

 

I am more intrigued by Darius' challenge to Will to close the deal with a girl. I'd love to see Will do some exploration with women/girls.

I agree, if only to really sort himself out and see where his basic attractions lay. Who knows he may find himself to be more in the middle of the spectrum than he thinks....

[KYE]

Didn't I tell you that we'd met Tiffany's father before? If not, I'll refer you to Be Rad.

 

I seem to remember that being mentioned when you asked for suggestions for Tiffany's last name in a past thread. Oh yell, I seem to even remember who suggested that.

[methodwriter85]

I agree, if only to really sort himself out and see where his basic attractions lay. Who knows he may find himself to be more in the middle of the spectrum than he thinks....

 

I'm down with this storyline as long as Will doesn't get said girl pregnant. I'd like for Will to be at least in his second half of his twenties before fatherhood comes up...I always thought one of the roots of Brad and Robbie's problems layed in the fact that they settled down too young, and didn't really experience young adulthood as fully as they could have without being tied down in a family unit.

 

Given the CAP track record(Jim, Robbie, Steven, Wade), I'm just a tad bit wary of Will becoming a daddy before his time.

[centexhairysub]

Oh wow, I remember the guy from that story and I thought about him when the name came up in a previous story... I wonder if her father knows who her daughter is involved with, maybe have a blast from the past replay???

[Daddydavek]

I'm down with this storyline as long as Will doesn't get said girl pregnant. I'd like for Will to be at least in his second half of his twenties before fatherhood comes up...I always thought one of the roots of Brad and Robbie's problems layed in the fact that they settled down too young, and didn't really experience young adulthood as fully as they could have without being tied down in a family unit.

 

Given the CAP track record(Jim, Robbie, Steven, Wade), I'm just a tad bit wary of Will becoming a daddy before his time.

 

After all the times Will has failed to use protection and worried himself to death, I certainly hope he uses protection, and lots of care not to get anyone pregnant....at least for another 10-15 years!

[Canuk]

I'm down with this storyline as long as Will doesn't get said girl pregnant. I'd like for Will to be at least in his second half of his twenties before fatherhood comes up...I always thought one of the roots of Brad and Robbie's problems layed in the fact that they settled down too young, and didn't really experience young adulthood as fully as they could have without being tied down in a family unit.

 

Given the CAP track record(Jim, Robbie, Steven, Wade), I'm just a tad bit wary of Will becoming a daddy before his time.

 

Interesting question whether becoming parents early is a good thing or not. Frankly I am SO glad I had both my sons before I was 25. at that age I was yound enough that they didn't cramp my style too much, but now so many of my friends that waited to have children are now in their late 40's/50's trying to do things with toddlers/pre-teens attached. And I sincerely pity those children going through puberty as their mothers go through menopause......

[Mark Arbour]

I have nieces and nephews that are under 5...and I love them, but damn, they are a lot of work. There's a reason young people have babies.

[B1ue]

And I sincerely pity those children going through puberty as their mothers go through menopause......

 

This was not terribly uncommon a couple generations ago. Actually, any large family will have at least one kid that was born near the tail end of their mother's reproductice life. If you're in the situation, it's not weird, it's normal. I was one such, in fact. I didn't think it was unusual or different until I saw how much close physical play my sisters and cousins had with their kids.

[methodwriter85]

My mom had me when she was 39. Anyway, I'm not saying that Will should wait until he's 40 to have kids, but somewhere around his late 20's/early 30's would work fine- enough that he's done with his education and settled into whatever job of choice he has, and still young enough that he can really enjoy it. If I'm estimating correctly, Arbour waited until he was in his early 30's to have his son, and that seemed to have worked out fine.

 

You gotta keep in mind that this generation is taking a much longer time to finish education and start careers, on average, than generations that went before them. White-collar people usually wait longer before they have kids because of the amount of education they have to get.

 

Plus, being that this is a soap opera- I mean, if you get someone settled down into a family with kids, how much crazy soap drama can you put them in without majorly effing with their relationship or making them look like shitty, neglectful parents? There's a reason why Brad didn't get another story until he hit his mid-life crisis. Domestic bliss is great, but it's not something that makes soap. If you have Will settled in with a kid and a life partner at 20, it's a 'happy ending' but he'd essentially be done as narrator unless Mark decided to screw with Will's relationship with said life partner. Waiting for them to get older before giving them kids keeps the story field more open.

Edited December 9, 2011 by methodwriter85

[Westie]

I'm not liking all this "should" judgment crap to be honest. "he should wait".... Its absolute rubbish.

 

Events don't shape lives - our reactions to those events do. Will may have kids early, but there are a million different avenues and roads that story could go down. This is a mistake people fall into a lot here, when they apply conventional rules to a totally unconventional family. They are (socially at least) generations ahead of the curve in terms of acceptability. Nothing about a teenage/early pregnancy (if it even happens) will follow the conventional wisdom we see day to day. You are prejudging a paradigm of which we can have no knowledge - and I suspect you are all getting it drastically wrong.

[Mark Arbour]

I'm not liking all this "should" judgment crap to be honest. "he should wait".... Its absolute rubbish.

 

Events don't shape lives - our reactions to those events do. Will may have kids early, but there are a million different avenues and roads that story could go down. This is a mistake people fall into a lot here, when they apply conventional rules to a totally unconventional family. They are (socially at least) generations ahead of the curve in terms of acceptability. Nothing about a teenage/early pregnancy (if it even happens) will follow the conventional wisdom we see day to day. You are prejudging a paradigm of which we can have no knowledge - and I suspect you are all getting it drastically wrong.

 

Drastically wrong: probably.

 

Besides, as I mentioned before, just because he gets a girl pregnant ( a big assumption there) doesn't mean the girl has to have the baby. To be honest, I have thought that Will may have a heterosexual moment or two. To me, that seems pretty realistic. But I didn't really contemplate that a pregnancy would ensue. That just seems to contrived. Then again...

[methodwriter85]

Is it annoying how every time on TV a high school couple has sex, there's ALWAYS a pregnancy scare? Usually seems rooted in some moralistic judgement deal, I think.

 

It'd be interesting if Will had a hetero moment with a girl who developed actual feelings for him. Awkward. I do like that Mark's covered with Will the emotional consequences of sex.

Edited December 10, 2011 by methodwriter85

[KYE]

To be honest, I have thought that Will may have a heterosexual moment or two. To me, that seems pretty realistic. But I didn't really contemplate that a pregnancy would ensue. That just seems to contrived. Then again...

 

Why does every Gay guy have to have a heterosexual moment? I do not find that particularly realistic. I know many Gay men, both of younger and older generations, that never had a heterosexual moment. Having a gay guy that did not have a heterosexual moment would seem pretty realistic to me. Many gay men of Will's generation will turn to surrogates by artificial means if they want children. That would be realistic.

Edited December 10, 2011 by KYE

[Westie]

Why does every Gay guy have to have a heterosexual moment? I do not find that particularly realistic. I know many Gay men, both of younger and older generations, that never had a heterosexual moment. Having a gay guy that did not have a heterosexual moment would seem pretty realistic to me. Many gay men of Will's generation will turn to surrogates by artificial means if they want children. That would be realistic.

 

but its not just about Children. For some its about the Journey. For many its about societal pressure. For others, it may just be because they genuinely like both. I do not doubt that, had I not found my wonderful paya - I could have easily settled down into a "conventional" arrangement. And I do not doubt, that given that there is no pressure in this family regarding choices, each child would feel total freedom of expression. Moreover, given that there is a somewhat looser attitude to the importance of sex and monogamy in this family and these stories - I think it entirely realistic for Will and others to have the occasional exploration and adventure.

[centexhairysub]

Yikes, just got through reading the latests chapter of Paternity and well don't know what to say but DAMN... The writing as always is first rate but just not sure if I like where this story seems to be going. I know it is early and the twist and turns are just starting but well, DAMN... I am going to sleep on this and then get up and read it again before I make a final judgement but well, DAMN...

[Daddydavek]

I also finished reading chapter 3 of Paternity and agree with Centexhs that I didn't know what to say. After some reflection:

 

I'd hate to see Wade and Matt break up. And I was somewhat surprised that Wade took some comfort with Gathan.

 

The chapter is a quick read and the writing is of course excellent. However, the storyline could go in so many directions that it's impossible to guess what will be coming next.

[methodwriter85]

I really loved JJ's reaction here- it wasn't pretty but it was realistic that he would focus all of his anger about the situation on Wade, because he can't bring himself to talk to Tiffany and he needs someone to blame that isn't his beloved mother.

 

Blue called it- Matt's slutty ways are coming back to haunt him.

Edited December 14, 2011 by methodwriter85

[Mark Arbour]

There's a basic imbalance in Matt and Wade's relationship. One way or another, it has to come to equilibrium.

[Westie]

This wont be the end of Matt and Wade. It will however, be a "changing point" for them. As mark says, the balance has to change. Whether that means total monogamy, a limited "open relationship", some kind of three-way polygamy with Tiffany, or that they ditch the relationship and just become "friends who screw more than once" - there is always going to be a special bond between these two.

 

What concerns me a little here is that, although Matt is a slut, I've just been rereading bloodlines - and he does really love Wade. A huge amount. And it was Matt that originally insisted on the first "restriction" to their open-ness (that Wade wouldn't turn to women at parties). The character i know from bloodlines - and I've just finished rereading it for the 9th time - will get insanely jealous, overcompensate with a "screwing spree", then pick up the pieces and try to win. Because Matt's fatal flaw is, that he has to win - the problem is, that he has to do it, before Wade falls for Gathan.

[rjo]

If you reread Bloodlines in Chapter 47, when Matt is on the edge of death, Wade tells him that Matt made Wade love him when Wade didn't want to and then saved Wade from the abuse Wade's father had subjected Wade to. That is a strong powerful love. Will Matt kill that love by his wandering ways? I hope not.

[centexhairysub]

Okay, I slept on it overnight and well I just have to say, DAMN.... I agree with Westie and Mark Arbour that this will be a moment that will either cement the bond between Matt and Wade or it will be one that fractures them to the point of never being able to put it back together. I do think even if God/Mark Arbour forbid, they did break up, their relationship will continue to exist in some form or another. I don't think they will ever be able to completely sever what they have had. I don't think you go through a life and death situation like they did and not bond in a way that ties you to another person forever. The bond may change or evolve but I don't think it can ever be ruptured entirely. Can I just say DAMN, again?????

[Westie]

Some of you might know/have gathered that I'm currently doing a complete reread through CAP again, and this evening I've just finished "the box", which is in many ways the "odd one out" of the CAP series. We see glimpses of Matt and Wade in this story too, and I've got to say that there has been a drastic change in Matt's personality since the box, through millennium, up until now. I'm even more convinced that Matt is in some kind of crisis in his mind. What that is, I dont know - but I am extremely intrigued.

 

Mr Arbour, this is down to your exceptional writing talent....