Whoa, I can sort of stay on schedule with these shorter bits!
You know that part in Rocky Horror where everyone's supposed to start loudly complaining about movies with flashbacks right before the flashback to Time Warp? That's the mood for this chapter: Sunshine and Laughter (Part II)
@VanPelt81 That can be the chapter's theme song! (Don't feel obligated on my behalf, though. I'll separate out the ViR chapters for you guys.)
@citysimmer Now that's the sign of a knowledgeable long-time reader: you see a chapter titled "Sunshine and Laughter" and immediately think, oh no, this isn't going to end well.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
This is as close as CT gets to fluff. Hector's ranting about some bizarre cartoon; also his mom is preparing to leave his dad but don't worry about that right now: Sunshine and Laughter (Part III)
Funfact. Sunshine and Laughter, in full, is probably going to end up being 22k--25k words long. The next chapter, probably 8k--10k. The last chapter in the book? About 160 words total. Hahahaha.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
This one's a day late. It's twice as long as the others, so I hope that makes up for it.
Rant about the nature of humor (delivered by an unreliable source), discrepancies in flashbacks, the author just flat-out refusing to write a scene where people kiss: Sunshine and Laughter (Part IV)
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
I'm happy to see Xiyuan again! Loved the wallbreaking screenshot, it was like he could see the future lol. Felt sad to know that Claudia didn't drink back then
@VanPelt81 Man... what an eye. I had to scroll through the photos twice to find the ghost. Townies and their photobombs, eh?
@citysimmer Yess!! This story could always use more Xiyuan! Right now he's all, "This is normal. It's normal to be insanely jealous when your best friend flirts with someone. On an unrelated note, why am I not enjoying these dates with women?" And then he's useless for another decade. Dodged a bullet, though.
Poor Claudia. Oh, how she's changed.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Hahaha. Don't underestimate Claudia's ability to down an entire bottle of juice before lunch and keep going. Homegirl's a LUSH.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
@VanPelt81 Truuuue... I made sure to imply she washed her hands first XD
And Xiyuan didn't move out until he was married and had a toddler because his handler hadn't figured out rotational play was a thing yet.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
So I'm hoping, especially at the end of this book, that this thread can become more of a discussion group than a place for me to yell updates at people. Thoughts? Wordpress followers? I'm gonna post a bunch of questions at the end of Book II. Not that anyone should feel obligated to participate; there are just so many details and themes to unpack and it would be cool to know what everyone's picking up on.
This is where it would be nice to have a discussion group: there are some implications in this chapter that raise the stakes considerably and I'm hoping at least one other simmer will pick up on it and get that GUYS GUYYYS OH NO moment.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
@VanPelt81 Yeah, there are definitely some flashbacks going on. It's an unusual format. Odd parts show the present day, even parts are flashbacks.
Considering putting a 'yo this is a flashback' note in one of the Part II captions, because longtime readers are picking up on the flashbacks (Claudia changes hairstyles between Books I and II) but I want newer people to be able to enjoy this chapter, too. I didn't realize how rough the 40ish-year jump would be on someone still getting used to the characters. That's on me!
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Oh you have a thread. 🤣 I must be blind. I actually stumbled on your story through wordpress haha. This is good I can post my thoughts here instead of typing essays in your comments section.
@mercuryfoam Welcome to the thread! There are a few people now (including you!) who've put a lot of thought into their interpretation, so I'm hoping discussion will kick up after the end of Book II. Can guarantee you'll have a lot to talk about. Hoo boy.
No, but really, that would be so cool. Partly because I can only respond to speculation is by nodding my head and saying "Interesting. How does that make you feel?" like an old-school Freudster; partly because there are a lot of things to notice and it's more fun if I let you discover them for yourselves. Like, "hey, how many times is she going to mention that Xiyuan has an entire closet full of tailcoats?" Hypothetically. Y'all should feel rewarded for closely scrutinizing this thing.
(I just can't handle the idea of someone having a dedicated closet for ONLY TAILCOATS)
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
This is not autobiographical, by the way. I'm not the little girl who spent all of elementary school saying "necrotizing fasciitis." That was my coauthor, Simister.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Trace sounds like a terrible kid and Mrs. Railey sounds like some of the incredibly jaded teachers playing favorites with their students that I had in grade school & middle school when I was a kid. I can definitely sympathize with Kendra in that chapter.
Short chapter this time. If you've been following so far, you could argue there's more introspection than action in this story.
But the other shoe drops and dozens of foreshadowing morsels come together in Sunshine and Laughter (Pt. IX). Even the chapter title should make sense now.
And @VanPelt81, they always catch the second kid, don't they? Seems like nearly every school takes the snitches-get-stitches approach where they assume the anti-bullying puppet show worked, so there couldn't be any bullying in their precious school and the whining kid just needs to grow some thicker skin. Luckily, Kendra listened to the monster under the bed instead of her parents. Haha!
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
I just realised I was going to type up a storm on your comments section again so I thought I'd migrate it all to the forums. I imagine you prefer essays here than on your wordpress?
Sunshine and Laughter (Part VIII)
I like Kendra. She’s cool, though obvious why the other kids would treat her that way unfortunately If there’s a previous chapter I can read more about her that’ll be great. Also I think its amazing already that Kendra says Necrotising fasciitis without doubling over and laughing everytime she does, especially when she uses it as a stock response. To me, that’s an achievement in itself. Watcher knows anything can set a kid off for real. But seriously, I think Kendra is such a bright 6 y.o. I thought she’s at least 11.
I am wondering though is it a bad thing for Kendra to deal with her anger by drawing monsters and having them exact revenge for her? It’s her own way of justice when nobody is standing up for her and it’s not harming people. I can see Claudia’s reasoning, but Kendra deserves to have her own inside joke to laugh snidely at Trace for being a cr*pstick. It won’t do much for her image ofc and all in all still a coping mechanism with consequences, but yeah still *kinda* harmless.
Is Claudia under the influence? Describing her mom’s movements as graceful is one thing, but mermaid swimming in the air just sounds… overboard. She doesn’t seem like it for the rest of the chapter so it might be me over-reading into the wordplay. Or that its a common expression but I don't read enough. And I think I’m slow but when Claudia gave her daughter the grand speech about bullying. Is she referring to her own predicament? I can only assume so because if she can apply those words to her child she should be able to apply the same wisdom on herself? Does she think so when Mike undermines her authority? And your description of Claudia folding into herself absolutely breaks my heart.
@mercuryfoam As always, I find it incredibly useful to hear your take and am so grateful, can't even express how grateful I am, that you're taking the time to write down all these thoughts.
I wish more people wanted a voice in the discussions. As it stands (repeating this here so it makes sense to people on both platforms), because there's no discussion happening on either Wordpress or the forums, post wherever you want and maybe a faction will spring up organically. I'm guessing Wordpress is easier; you don't have to hunt down the thread every time.
Is it a bad thing for Kenny to cope how she's coping? That's up to you to decide. I understand these characters (yes, even Mike, despite the hamfisted assassination of his character in the early chapters) enough to see conflict through their eyes and try to present their beliefs and actions as a product of rational thinking based on their own priorities, personalities, and body of information. If Claudia labels something as bad, that's Claudia's opinion, not mine. You're totally free to clash with the characters on anything. You probably will. And don't ever worry about your take being "wrong," because you're engaging with the story in exactly the way it was intended, thinking critically about the context, motivations, and consequences for everyone's behavior.
Yeah, she's usually juiced. That's Claudia. Autonomously, she runs to the bar every five minutes so I decided to roll with it.
So, Claudia's monologue. I wanted this scene to set up Mike's and Claudia's ideas about conflict and how being exposed to these ideas might influence their kids. She's not talking about her own situation because she doesn't recognize that Mike's behavior is toxic. And because she doesn't connect her husband's teasing with bullying, she can't address it as a conflict. It's something you get used to over time. She can only speak confidently about the bullying issue because she's speaking about it in the abstract; she's not the target of the bullying and there are no direct consequences for her if she gets it wrong. That's another theme: we find it easier to solve other people's problems than our own. Claudia's optimistic so she's really bad about this.
I actually didn't even think of that! Yeah! She believes she can handle conflict, but can't fix her own problems---but it's not her fault she's in this situation, no one should be. The whole chapter is about how useless it is to tell Claudia "why don't you just leave if he's so bad?" because leaving is much harder than it sounds. And then here, late in the game, you see Claudia perpetuating that exact noise herself. Nice crunchy ethical tension instead of gooey black-and-white helpless-victim stuff. I'm down with that interpretation.
And to streamline things, I'm releasing a much better summary of Book I to go along with the next chapter! (Tomorrow! Still working on pictures.) The brand-spanking-new character sheet might also help.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
I'm light years behind so can't quite participate in any upcoming discussions as of yet, but would be more than keen down the line! For now all I can say (apart from my comments on WP) is that I adored the Seven Days at the Von Haunt Estate chapter, it was that point of the story where this really became something else to me! I'm not the fastest of readers so it may take me a hot minute to catch up, but I can't wait to see what's next - I sense some beautiful trainwrecks incoming and I'm here for it!
We're so close to the thrilling conclusion, and if you've followed this far I'm not saying anything about how it ends la la la la la.
Catastrophe Theory: If, through loose ends, we could resume/Unrav'ling defects from the loom/And soften as the shuttle mends---/Then save for me a few loose ends! Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Comments
You know that part in Rocky Horror where everyone's supposed to start loudly complaining about movies with flashbacks right before the flashback to Time Warp? That's the mood for this chapter: Sunshine and Laughter (Part II)
@VanPelt81 That can be the chapter's theme song! (Don't feel obligated on my behalf, though. I'll separate out the ViR chapters for you guys.)
@citysimmer Now that's the sign of a knowledgeable long-time reader: you see a chapter titled "Sunshine and Laughter" and immediately think, oh no, this isn't going to end well.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
This is as close as CT gets to fluff. Hector's ranting about some bizarre cartoon; also his mom is preparing to leave his dad but don't worry about that right now: Sunshine and Laughter (Part III)
Funfact. Sunshine and Laughter, in full, is probably going to end up being 22k--25k words long. The next chapter, probably 8k--10k. The last chapter in the book? About 160 words total. Hahahaha.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Rant about the nature of humor (delivered by an unreliable source), discrepancies in flashbacks, the author just flat-out refusing to write a scene where people kiss: Sunshine and Laughter (Part IV)
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Also, it seems like the guy wearing sunglasses at night had a great date.
@citysimmer Yess!! This story could always use more Xiyuan! Right now he's all, "This is normal. It's normal to be insanely jealous when your best friend flirts with someone. On an unrelated note, why am I not enjoying these dates with women?" And then he's useless for another decade. Dodged a bullet, though.
Poor Claudia. Oh, how she's changed.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Getting ending vibes because everyone in Gen1 is here: Sunshine and Laughter (Part V)
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Charlie briefly reappears! Too bad he's a nonverbal toddler: Sunshine and Laughter (Part VI)
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
They do make a good point of kicking out their bachelor roommate though.
And Xiyuan didn't move out until he was married and had a toddler because his handler hadn't figured out rotational play was a thing yet.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
But also new chapter. In this one, she's really into leaving with that tortilla press: Sunshine and Laughter (Part VII)
This is where it would be nice to have a discussion group: there are some implications in this chapter that raise the stakes considerably and I'm hoping at least one other simmer will pick up on it and get that GUYS GUYYYS OH NO moment.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
That or there are some flashbacks going on. Not sure what to think but looking forward to the next one.
Considering putting a 'yo this is a flashback' note in one of the Part II captions, because longtime readers are picking up on the flashbacks (Claudia changes hairstyles between Books I and II) but I want newer people to be able to enjoy this chapter, too. I didn't realize how rough the 40ish-year jump would be on someone still getting used to the characters. That's on me!
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
No, but really, that would be so cool. Partly because I can only respond to speculation is by nodding my head and saying "Interesting. How does that make you feel?" like an old-school Freudster; partly because there are a lot of things to notice and it's more fun if I let you discover them for yourselves. Like, "hey, how many times is she going to mention that Xiyuan has an entire closet full of tailcoats?" Hypothetically. Y'all should feel rewarded for closely scrutinizing this thing.
(I just can't handle the idea of someone having a dedicated closet for ONLY TAILCOATS)
And @VanPelt81, I'm pretty intrigued about your
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
And this next installment is all about bullying and being a weird little girl: Sunshine and Laughter (Pt. VIII)
This is not autobiographical, by the way. I'm not the little girl who spent all of elementary school saying "necrotizing fasciitis." That was my coauthor, Simister.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
But the other shoe drops and dozens of foreshadowing morsels come together in Sunshine and Laughter (Pt. IX). Even the chapter title should make sense now.
And @VanPelt81, they always catch the second kid, don't they? Seems like nearly every school takes the snitches-get-stitches approach where they assume the anti-bullying puppet show worked, so there couldn't be any bullying in their precious school and the whining kid just needs to grow some thicker skin. Luckily, Kendra listened to the monster under the bed instead of her parents. Haha!
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Sunshine and Laughter (Part VIII)
I am wondering though is it a bad thing for Kendra to deal with her anger by drawing monsters and having them exact revenge for her? It’s her own way of justice when nobody is standing up for her and it’s not harming people. I can see Claudia’s reasoning, but Kendra deserves to have her own inside joke to laugh snidely at Trace for being a cr*pstick. It won’t do much for her image ofc and all in all still a coping mechanism with consequences, but yeah still *kinda* harmless.
Is Claudia under the influence? Describing her mom’s movements as graceful is one thing, but mermaid swimming in the air just sounds… overboard. She doesn’t seem like it for the rest of the chapter so it might be me over-reading into the wordplay. Or that its a common expression but I don't read enough.
I wish more people wanted a voice in the discussions. As it stands (repeating this here so it makes sense to people on both platforms), because there's no discussion happening on either Wordpress or the forums, post wherever you want and maybe a faction will spring up organically. I'm guessing Wordpress is easier; you don't have to hunt down the thread every time.
Is it a bad thing for Kenny to cope how she's coping? That's up to you to decide. I understand these characters (yes, even Mike, despite the hamfisted assassination of his character in the early chapters) enough to see conflict through their eyes and try to present their beliefs and actions as a product of rational thinking based on their own priorities, personalities, and body of information. If Claudia labels something as bad, that's Claudia's opinion, not mine. You're totally free to clash with the characters on anything. You probably will. And don't ever worry about your take being "wrong," because you're engaging with the story in exactly the way it was intended, thinking critically about the context, motivations, and consequences for everyone's behavior.
So, Claudia's monologue. I wanted this scene to set up Mike's and Claudia's ideas about conflict and how being exposed to these ideas might influence their kids. She's not talking about her own situation because she doesn't recognize that Mike's behavior is toxic. And because she doesn't connect her husband's teasing with bullying, she can't address it as a conflict. It's something you get used to over time. She can only speak confidently about the bullying issue because she's speaking about it in the abstract; she's not the target of the bullying and there are no direct consequences for her if she gets it wrong. That's another theme: we find it easier to solve other people's problems than our own. Claudia's optimistic so she's really bad about this.
I actually didn't even think of that! Yeah! She believes she can handle conflict, but can't fix her own problems---but it's not her fault she's in this situation, no one should be. The whole chapter is about how useless it is to tell Claudia "why don't you just leave if he's so bad?" because leaving is much harder than it sounds. And then here, late in the game, you see Claudia perpetuating that exact noise herself. Nice crunchy ethical tension instead of gooey black-and-white helpless-victim stuff. I'm down with that interpretation.
And to streamline things, I'm releasing a much better summary of Book I to go along with the next chapter! (Tomorrow! Still working on pictures.) The brand-spanking-new character sheet might also help.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
We're so close to the thrilling conclusion, and if you've followed this far I'm not saying anything about how it ends la la la la la.
Haunted: Picture Oscar Wilde dating Willy Wonka, also Oscar Wilde is still dead