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strangetomato
In Part One, Johnny Smith was abducted, and Ripp spent the night in Ophelia's bed. The next part begins as the sun rises the next day.
Warnings: language, sexual situations
Chapter Twenty-Five
Part Two
Johnny lay face down in the sand. He ran his hands over the ground. He kissed it. He'd heard of people doing that when they returned home, but he would never have imagined that it came so naturally. The sand felt welcoming. Home. It was such a complicated thing.
He thought about what had just happened to him, he thought about his family, he thought about Ripp and Ophelia, and he thought about Oscar Wilde. He had been reading a lot of Oscar Wilde lately. Not just the novel, but the plays too. Johnny didn't do things halfway.
One quote had really stuck in his mind. It was one of those things that gets quoted again and again, and not always in context.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
Now he was applying it out of context too, but he thought that his context might be better than the original. They were in the gutter. Very much so. They were looking at the possibility of ruin. Could he blame his parents for what they wanted for him? Could he blame the Curious family for looking to the stars for answers?
Could he accept the offer that had been presented to him?
Johnny picked himself up off the ground. The sun had just risen.
He wanted a lot of things from life. He had ambitions, and he strived to achieve them. The chance to do something significant appealed to him. Something heroic and noble. Something right. But that wasn't the only thing he wanted. It wasn't even what he wanted most of all. He wanted to belong somewhere. To be welcomed unquestionably. To have a home. If that meant hanging out in the gutter, achieving nothing, with people who had no greater purpose in life than to just live it, would it be so bad? Was it so wrong for him to want nothing to change?
Johnny knew that curling up in ball and shutting the blinds wouldn't make his problems go away. He needed to deal with it. He couldn't run from what he was, but did that mean that he had to give up his happiness? There was duty, on one hand, but there was also love. His father was right. Love was something that you had to grow.
He had grown it, and he was growing it still.
Johnny Smith walked home.
He woke up next to a woman. That was nothing new.
Ripp was about to rouse her with his morning glory, but then realized where he was and who he was with. He sheepishly retracted his offering, curling back on himself, to avoid waking her that way. He tried to will it to go away, but failed. It was persistent on the best of days, and here he had Ophelia next to him, who basically rendered him a hopeless teenager again, ready for action at a moment's notice. He'd have to slip away and take care of it in his own room.
Then he realized what had happened.
It was morning, and his own room was where he should already be. If Johnny was home, he might come into Ophelia's room at any minute.
Ripp had to get out.
"Good morning, Ripp."
"Johnny." He was already there, waiting for him.
Ripp moved his hands in an attempt to shield the tent he was pitching, Or had been, since all of his blood was now draining from his body.
"Have a good night?" There was tone of forced cheerfulness in his voice, and it made the hairs on Ripp's arms stand up. If Johnny was mad enough to put on an act, he was mad enough to fear.
"I can explain..."
"Save it."
"It's not what you think."
"Don't tell me what I think. I'll judge that for myself, okay?"
"But, Johnny..."
"Let's continue this discussion outside, okay, Ripp? I wouldn't want to wake Ophelia."
"Okay." He didn't have much choice but to go along with him.
Once outside, Johnny got right to the point.
"Ripp, you can't sleep with my girlfriend."
"Oh, so suddenly Phi is 'your girlfriend', is she?"
"Well, do you think she's your girlfriend too?! She isn't!"
"She's Ophelia, Johnny! And she's just as much my friend as she is yours! I don't give a fuck what you say!"
"So, you're going to just move in on her with no regard for my feelings?"
"I'm not moving in on her, Johnny! I didn't do anything!"
"You slept with her!"
"Yes. We slept! That's all!"
"I don't believe you."
"You don't trust me? I'm telling you the truth."
"How can I trust you, Ripp? I know what you're like..."
"I wouldn't do that! I didn't."
"Then why are you in your underwear?"
"I'm always in my underwear. I sleep like this." Johnny knew that already. It would have been hard not to notice the fact that Ripp seemed to only get dressed to actually leave the house.
"So, you really didn't touch her?" Ripp said nothing. "Ripp?!"
"Well, I touched her, but not like that..."
"What?"
"She was cold."
"You just have no idea where to draw the line, do you?"
"Listen, Johnny. Ophelia asked me to do it, and if Phi wants me to do something, I'm going to do it. I'd jump in front of a bus for her. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
"So, if she asked you to..."
"What? Fuck her? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"You'd do it, wouldn't you?!"
"Well, one of us ought to, don't you think?" Johnny just glared at him, in enraged silence. "Besides, I really doubt that she'd do that, Johnny. Get a clue. Despite what you may suspect, it isn't like that. Phi wouldn't do that, and you know it."
"Yeah, PHI wouldn't do that. Ripp, however..."
"Yes, I'm such a terrible person, aren't I?"
"Well, you seem to think -"
"This is Ophelia we're talking about, Johnny! I'm sorry, but if Phi comes to me, lonely and afraid in the middle of the night, what you expect me to do? Tell her to fuck off and send her on her merry way? Well keep dreaming, because that will NEVER happen!"
"She was afraid?"
"She IS afraid, Johnny. She's always afraid. Don't you know that? Do you even care?"
"Of course I care! ... I know that..."
"Well, then I might ask you where you were when she needed someone to be there for her. Don't you think that if you'd been there, she would have needed to come looking for me? If you're so determined to keep Phi all to yourself, then I suggest that you take better care of her."
"I'm not about to take dating advice from you."
"Well, then where were you?"
"None of your business! I don't know every detail of your comings and goings."
"It's not like you, Johnny. That's all." Johnny said nothing, but he was obviously upset. Ripp tried to change the tone of the conversation. "Is everything okay?"
"I was abducted."
"What?! By aliens?"
"Yes, abducted by aliens."
"YOU were abducted by aliens?" It wasn't that Ripp didn't understand him, but the concept was impossible for him to grasp. Why would the aliens abduct Johnny? It didn't make any sense.
"Yeah."
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Then it dawned on him. "They didn't... pollinate you, did they?"
"No. It wasn't like that."
"Then what?"
"It's a long story."
"Okay, well let's get a coffee or something..." There was no question of whether he wanted to hear it.
Johnny felt bad for doubting Ripp's loyalty to him, since it was clear that he was the always there, ready to support him. He was just waiting for the word, any sign that Johnny needed help. Johnny didn't often let on that he needed anyone's help, stubbornly insisting on doing things for himself. Johnny didn't call on Ripp's help as often as he could. He probably didn't lean on him nearly as much as he should. He needed someone to hold him up, especially now.
Ripp noticed that Johnny hadn't moved, and instead continued to slump in the same spot. "Johnny, are you sure you're okay?"
"Not the best night of my life."
"I'm so sorry, John. Come here..." Ripp engulfed him in a hug.
Ripp was the only person who ever called him John like that, unless they were saying his full name in a formal setting. Even his mother preferred to use Johnny Smith when she was chastising him. The way Ripp said it, it wasn't formal at all. It was somehow even more casual than saying Johnny, and more intimate. He liked it. It was like proof that Ripp knew something about him that nobody else did, or that he saw something different. Something more.
Really, Ripp was just lazy, and reduced everyone's name to one syllable, or maybe it was just what he was used to with his own family. Yes, family. They were like family. All three there, like one happy family. Johnny wanted that to be true. He wanted that family, desperately. Not a family that he had been born into, but one that he had chosen for himself. One that had chosen him.
He hugged him, and Johnny found himself buried in the curtain of Ripp's hair. It smelled nice. Like oils, and sleep, and faintly of some fruit-scented conditioner that was Ripp's sole cosmetic enhancement.
He kept expecting Ripp to say something, but he didn't. He just ran his fingers through the short hair at the back of Johnny's head. It sent a tingling feeling down his neck.
Johnny felt his body relax with Ripp's familiar touch. For a brief moment, the worries of his life were forgotten.
As he held him, Ripp felt the need to come clean. He couldn't keep the truth from Johnny. It was Johnny. His Johnny. Maybe he would understand. It wouldn't be so hard for him the understand that, right? They were all so close. All three of them, so intertwined. Johnny deserved to know the truth.
"Johnny, I kissed Ophelia."
"What?!"
"I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it."
"You kissed her?"
"Yeah, I -"
"I'm going to kill you!"
Johnny was on him before he even had a chance to worry about it, and Ripp was somewhat surprised to find himself fighting back.
It wasn't so much a fist fight as a grappling match, with them rolling around on the ground, twisting each other's limbs into odd angles, like an angry pretzel.
It ended, predictably, with Johnny on top.
Ripp was pressed into the floorboards, with all of Johnny's weight bearing down on him, and Johnny staring defiantly into his eyes. Ripp hadn't had a prayer of a chance against him. His lithe, compact body was designed for that very purpose: to win. Johnny had put a lot of effort into it, but he was working with the right materials. His size was deceiving. Tall and thin, like a gangly teenager, but no part of Johnny's body was wasted. Compared to him, Ripp felt like a sack of shit.
Ripp just looked up at him, ready to take whatever he'd get.
"How could you do that?"
"Easy. How could I not do it?"
"Phi isn't just one of your conquests, Ripp."
"I know. She isn't... She's special. She's Ophelia."
"Well, you can't have her. I won't give her up."
"Well, no... I know that."
"Then what?"
"I don't know."
"I'm not going to just step aside and let you have her, okay?"
"I don't want you to do that. She loves you. You love her. You're happy. Why would I want to fuck that up?"
"Then what? What else did you expect to happen?"
"I don't know, Johnny. I didn't think. I just wanted to kiss her."
"Well, we can't both have her."
"I don't know... Why not? Why couldn't we just share her?"
"You're out of your fucking mind."
"Am I?" He asked it like a real question, since he wasn't entirely sure himself. "You want her to be happy, don't you?"
"I don't see how that has anything to do with this. She is happy - she's happy with me."
"But she wants me too."
"That isn't true." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Why don't you get the fuck out of my sight?" Johnny said, with pure menace. "I want you out of here."
"But Johnny..."
"I don't want to look at you anymore. I don't ever want to see you here again."
"John..." Ripp was pleading, sobbing the word.
"Just. Get. Out." Johnny gave Ripp one last little push to the boards, as he launched himself to his feet. He left him there on the balcony, unable to find the strength to pull himself up.
"Johnny," he moaned, "Johnny, no... please..."
Johnny walked into Ophelia's room. She was still sleeping.
He took off his clothing and crawled in next to her, spooning into her back, and kissing her neck.
"Ripp..." She began, then paused, waking up. She reached her hand back to feel his smooth face, and ran her finger along the tip of his nose. "Johnny?"
"Yeah. It's me."
"Oh. I..."
"Shhh... just lie here for now, okay? We can talk about it later." She silently agreed, and he moved closer.
She knew that they would have to deal with this, now that it was obvious that something had happened, but she wanted to have another few moments to collect her thoughts, and to feel Johnny's body next to hers.
She drank in the sensation of him, hoping her body would find the answer that her mind could not. She hoped for a sign, some leap of the heart or yearning in her limbs that would signal her choice, but none came. There was a fire burning inside her, but the flames leapt at both sources of fuel. She burned just as brightly for both of them.
Ripp had gone downstairs, but he hadn't left the apartment. Instead, he wandered aimlessly through the rooms, touching things, and sitting on chairs, then standing up again.
He went into Johnny's bedroom and looked around. It was tidy and efficient. It was just like Johnny. Straight-laced, purposeful, perfect Johnny Smith.
His attention turned to the framed photo on the wall. All three of them, crammed together in a photo booth, somehow finding a way to share a space that was meant to accommodate no more than two. It was ironic, right? No, perhaps not. Johnny always told him that he used that word incorrectly, and it made him sound stupid. It wasn't irony, it was just typical. It was the story of their life together. It was a symbol of their greater challenge.
They were three people, and there was only enough room for two.
But why not? Why couldn't they make do with the room they had? There was Ophelia, who had enough room in her heart to accommodate both, and they would see to it that she was never alone again. She would never again feel the pain of abandonment. They both cared for her with dogged devotion, and she deserved that. And they, him and Johnny, well, they cared for each other too. In many ways, Ripp cared for Johnny most of all. Couldn't Johnny see all of this? They had fit into that photo booth, hadn't they?
Johnny would never understand what had happened between him and Ophelia. It was his own fault. Johnny had seen what he was like with other women, so how could he believe him when he said that it wasn't like that this time? But it wasn't like that. It wasn't about sex with Ophelia. Not that he'd turn her away if she wanted that, but he'd be happy enough to just hold her, and be close to her. If he could have that, it would be enough.
Okay, so he did want to fuck her too. He couldn't deny that. He'd ravage her like a wild animal if he could. He wanted to see her face, so beautiful, twisted in an expression of frenzy and bliss. Her skin glistening with sweat. He wanted all that. Fuck, did he ever. He wanted it badly, but he also wanted to slowly, elegantly make love to her. He wanted to kiss her deeply and endlessly. He wanted to do it all day, every day. Just soaking in her radiance.
It was different with her. Very different. With Ophelia, he felt like he might actually be a good person. Like he wasn't lacking anything. The space in his heart that felt empty was filled, and for longer than the usual ecstatic ten seconds.
There was a word that described what Ripp was feeling almost perfectly, but it wasn't something that he was ready to apply to himself. He had only just let himself even think it.
That word was love.
"Do you love him?"
"Johnny..."
"Well, do you?" She could see that the real question was who she loved more.
"Johnny, you know that I love you more than anything."
"But do you love him? Just answer my question."
"Of course I love him. Don't you? It's Ripp. He loves us too."
"That's not what I meant."
"That's love, Johnny. That's what we're talking about, isn't it?"
"That's different."
"Is it?" She looked at him. "When you really look closely at it, isn't it much the same? It can be hard to see where one might end and another begins, don't you think?"
"Then it's true?"
"What's true?"
"That you're in love with him too? You love Ripp?"
"I didn't say that."
"Not in as many words, no..." He turned to look at her. "But you meant it, didn't you?"
"Johnny..."
"Just tell me."
"I don't know."
Johnny looked at her, but said nothing. He was expectant, waiting.
"Maybe I do. I don't know. I do love you, Johnny. That's something I do know."
Johnny remained silent, and she could see his thought reflected in his face. A shifting plain of emotions, all very difficult to read. Finally, he spoke.
"How did you kiss him?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did you do it? Did you kiss him the same way you kiss me, or was it different?"
"I don't know. I guess it was different."
"Better?"
"Oh, Johnny... no. Not better, just different."
"I want to know. I want to know how you did it."
"I don't understand..."
"Show me."
"What?"
"Kiss me the way you kissed him."
She kissed him, as if it were the first time she'd ever done so. She tried to imagine that their roles were reversed, that it was Johnny who she'd finally been able to know intimately for the first time, and Johnny kissed her back with an intensity that she hadn't seen in him in a long time. He kissed her as if he had something to prove, but there was also something else. The thought of her with Ripp was making him erratic, but he didn't seem angry with her. Quite the opposite, he seemed excited. He seemed to be seeing her in a new light.
He began to remove her clothes.
Ripp entered the bathroom, and heard them through the wall. He wasn't trying to listen in, but it was unavoidable.
"I'm done with waiting," Johnny said. "I want to be with you, Phi. I want to be with you right now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Very sure."
"Johnny..." As their lips met, her voice trailed off into a utterance of pleasure.
Ripp quietly stepped out of the bathroom, and walked to his bedroom. He wouldn't listen to them. He couldn't intrude on something like that.
But even in his own bedroom, he could hear them. He stepped out onto the balcony, but he could still hear them.
Breathing, panting, murmuring, the sound of flesh on flesh. Whispered admissions of love, and then louder statements of the same thing. Louder proof of the physical manifestation of that love.
How was it possible that he could still hear them? Even with his hands over his ears, he could still hear them. Faintly, but still there.
As much as he would have liked to be part of it, and had even been an unseen witness to their moment, he wasn't a part of it.
He was standing there, alone, feeling sorry and embarrassed for himself.
Their first time. Together.
For the first time in his life, Ripp envied that moment, and how beautiful it would have to be, and how he would never know.
Ripp soon found himself in Jaxy's kitchen.
"God, Ripp. You look like shit."
"I feel like shit."
"What's is going on?"
"I fucked up. Really bad."
"How so?"
"I kissed Ophelia. And then I told Johnny all about it, like the fucking idiot that I am. Now he hates me."
"Oh, honey. That's not good. Well, it was only a matter of time, really. Any asshole could see that you're madly in love with her. At least you were fucking honest about it."
"Like that matters. Like Johnny will thank me for being honest. My life is going to hell."
"Join the club." She walked to the sink and washed a couple of dishes, and then continued. "I think that Zoe might be fucking Gunnar."
"What?!"
"I know. Makes me want to fucking hurl my guts up."
"Wow... Gunnar? Really?!"
"Well, I don't know, but it's very suspicious. Ever since he moved out. She's been sneaking around. I don't know. It's weird."
"Yeah..."
"That's not the worst of it either."
"What?"
"Well, he's fucked off and left the band too."
"What?!"
"Yeah, he fucked us over big time."
"What about our big break?"
"It's over. We're done. He fucked us sideways up the ass."
"What are we going to do?"
"What can we do? Tell them we're up shit creek without a paddle, and apologize, I guess. Look for a new drummer..."
"Fuck. We're never going to find anyone as good as Gunnar. It made everything else about him almost worth it."
"Almost, but not quite."
"Yeah, he was a fucking tool."
"Never trust a man without a chin, Ripp. Never fucking trust him."
"I just can't believe he'd do that!"
"Really?" Jaxy walked to the other side of the room. "Now, see... I can easily believe it. He's the world's biggest douchebag."
"It's just... God! Why does everything have to have to be shit?"
"Facts of life, honey. It's ALL shit. Life sucks, and then you die."
Jaxy approached the bar and picked up a bottle.
"Look, Ripp. There's only one thing to do at a time like this."
She opened the whiskey, took a mouthful straight from the bottle, and then handed it to him. "We'll start with this. Then we'll figure out where to go from here."
Ripp said nothing. His actions spoke his agreement.
Ophelia took a bath.
She wondered where Ripp had gone. She worried about him. She hoped that Johnny hadn't been too harsh with him. If anyone should take the blame, it should be her. She was the one who invited it. Ripp wouldn't have done that if she hadn't wanted him to. Surely, Johnny knew that as well.
She thought about what she had just done with Johnny. It had been wonderful. She had known and loved Johnny as much as she possibly could, with both her mind and her body. He had come undone, and she had been the subject of his mad, reckless lust. The act was both tender and violent. The centre of all life and death.
She did worry, though. How much of Johnny's decision had been determined by Ripp? And why, after doing something so intimate with Johnny, was she still wondering what it would be like to do the same with Ripp?
Maybe Olive had been right about her. Maybe she really was just a whore.
In a way, Ripp had also been there, with them. In what Johnny had said, and in how they had acted, Ripp's presence had been very much felt. Even then, in such a personal moment between the two of them, the third had been there.
The door creaked as it slowly opened, and Johnny poked his head into the bathroom.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all. If you can find enough space..."
She watched as he removed his clothes without a hint of insecurity. Each article dropped to the floor, one by one, revealing his pale green skin. It was beautiful. She realized that she had never really looked at him like that before that moment. She had seen him without clothes, a little here and there, but he had never stood before her like that, with all of his body on display as a single entity. His greenness fully revealed. It was really something to behold.
He noticed her looking him over and he smiled. "Are you checking me out, Phi?"
"Maybe."
"What's the verdict?"
"A+"
His smiled widened, and he lowered himself into the water.
"Well, you're not so bad yourself." He settled himself, trying to avoid the tap and still leave Ophelia enough room. "How do you feel?"
"Very well. You?"
"Great. I feel great."
"Any regrets?"
"Not one. I'd do it again."
"So soon?"
"No, I mean I'd do it again for the first time. No hesitation."
She smiled and said nothing. She looked at him for a while, with a thoughtful expression. He could tell that she had something on her mind, and he knew what it was.
"Johnny, we need to talk about Ripp."
"I know."
A/N: This chapter was only meant to have two parts, but this section outgrew the maximum size allowed for a livejournal post, so I had to add a third part. This sort of leaves you hanging, but the next part shouldn't be too long coming. This seemed like the best place to make the break, before things started to pick up, and it leaves a couple of characters to be contained in the final section.
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 01:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:04 am (UTC)It seems to be a good time for updates. I'm still typing up my comments for madame_ugly's latest offering. Talk about a lot to take in!
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:31 am (UTC)First off, you're getting really good with your shots. I don't how much is made possible by the camera mod, but A++++++++++.
At first, I thought that Johnny was going to take in what he was told in the spaceship, and then make the choice to be with Jane. Now, thou, I'm not so sure.
I find it extremely annoying that Johnny seemed to forgive Phi, but not Ripp. If I'm not mistaken, they were both involved in that kiss, not just Ripp. I can understand that hearing it from Ripp's mouth with his reputation, he'd get upset, but he doesn't deserve all the rage.
I can't help but wonder why exactly Johnny finally gave it up. The fact that it took Ripp butting in a bit can't be a good thing. Was he afraid that Phi may not want him anymore? Or that if they didn't lose it together, soon she'd lose it to Ripp?
Ripp finally thinks the "L" word. About damn time. Why is that the people in love can never tell, but everyone else already knows? If he's finally thinking it, then watching Phi and Johnny will be that much harder.
I'm think this is all the quiet before the storm. Obviously, Phi and Johnny need to discuss things, then Ripps needs to get to talking too. Will there still be a trio after all the dust has settled? Maybe. Will things ever be the same between the three again? I highly doubt it.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:05 pm (UTC)It's interesting about Johnny. As he finds a reason to lean in one direction, he finds another, more compelling, reason to go the other way. The abduction has given him more reason to want to do his duty for his species (being given more information, and a significant role, appeals to Johnny's personality... he's always wanted to be a hero, as his Maxis bio says). But being abducted has also made him realize how much he wants that sense of home that he's been feeling for Ripp and Ophelia. Then that side of it gets a little more complicated, and fast.
Johnny only heard what Ripp said, that HE "kissed Ophelia" and that was what made him react so violently. Ripp framed it as something that he was responsible for, and Johnny would naturally believe that. Then he reacts to Ripp's boldly stated assumptions that Ophelia loves him as much as Johnny. By the time he even starts to implicate Phi in the whole mess, he's already gotten the anger out, so the sadness and disbelief can kick in. He's a lot less likely to be angry at Ophelia, anyway, thinking that she's delicate and not wanting to push her affections away from him. After the abduction, Johnny was already shook up, looking for reassurance, so he's seeking comfort from Phi. If they were fighting, he wouldn't get that. He's feeling a little desperate, and he wants things to be the way they were. He's pushing it from his mind, really.
There is that sense that Johnny felt the need to assert himself in the face of Ripp's intrusion, but that wasn't the only reason he chose that moment to finally let himself give it up. The abduction was a big factor too. He's feeling very shook up, and all the things he's believed in all his life are seeming much less significant. Things are changing for him, so he feels the need to change too. He also needs reassurance in that moment, and he needs to feel proof of Ophelia's love. He needs to exert his own will. It's a lot of different things coming together, but Ripp did play a significant role there too. He needs to feel that he has something with Phi that Ripp does not.
The L word is a big hurdle for Ripp to get over. It's a scary thing, and for Ripp, it's something that he feels could easily go wrong. He's very skeptical of love, even as he desperately wants to be loved. Having someone love him is all Ripp has ever really wanted, but he's afraid to go there, because he didn't believe that it could ever really work out.
There will be a little more of a storm in the next part, in certain ways. Johnny and Phi will do that talking, but unfortunately for Ripp, he's going to focus on drinking for now. That, while not an excellent idea, will bring about its own revelations.
You're right that things will never be quite the same after the dust settles. How could it be?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:03 am (UTC)Just amazing.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:06 am (UTC)Ok, it's an out of order comment but:
*SNORT* Damn right, Jax. Don't trust a chinless douche nozzle like Gunnar. He's plowing your girlfriend and all you have is that awesome pinup girl calendar, a bottle of whiskey and the "on morally shakey ground" Ripp.
(really, that calendar is awesome, close up please?)
I must say, I'm a bit frustrated with your kids again. Phi gets off scott free? Ok, she does admit she's to blame but those two numbskulls (said lovingly) don't even THINK to blame her even the littlest bit? *headdesk*
Nice fighting pics (and the tub pics too, glad to see you got them to work). Did you do the fighting/tub stuff POST FT? Tell me, is it a ton harder to accomplish stuff with FT in?
*snicker* I see LJ got pissy with you, too, hmm? It nearly imploded when I tried to make my last post all one. I think I heard it LAUGH at me.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-21 02:49 am (UTC)That calendar came from MTS2. It's included in this great pack.
Yeah, Ophelia gets away with murder. It must run in the family, I guess. I think a big part of it is just that Ripp and Johnny see each other as the bigger, uglier, more obvious target than Ophelia, and they are the ones who are caught more directly in the conflict. It's like rutting season. The bulls don't blame the female for going into heat, and sitting back while they fight over her, but they waste no time in locking antlers with each other (yeah, my terminology refers to moose, by the way, so imagine Johnny and Ripp as a pair of bull moose *snicker*).
I'm not sure I fully get it yet myself, but I just felt that Johnny wouldn't be angry with her, or he wouldn't show it, at least. That's just the way it played out in my head, so I went with it. I think part of it would have to be that he doesn't want to push her away, since Ripp is just right there, waiting. I'm sure he is angry and confused, but that's how he's dealing with it. Or maybe he wants to believe that it was all Ripp's fault. Ophelia wasn't exactly jumping up and down, saying, "blame me," and it's easy to blame Ripp.
The fight scene would have been impossible without FT. I used the FT animation box for that scene. The sports animations are great for action stuff. I'm a little amazed that the timing worked out so perfectly for me. I really liked how that came together.
The tub scene required some photo editing touch up. There was no way around it. But the problems were minor, so it was an easy fix.
I'm not having such a hard time with FT. Most of these scenes were shot post-FT. Once you get used to the new items and what they do (I still miss InSIM), it's not so bad.
That happens to me every now and then with lj. I only break chapters into parts because that happens. The worst part is, I might be typing a section and then hit "save changes", only to lose it all because lj doesn't like it. It's annoying. At least this time, I was working from something I had written on paper.
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Date: 2008-05-21 02:26 am (UTC)I'm kind of upset that Ophelia didn't get any "scolding"(I can't think of a better word) from Johnny. I'm not trying to point fingers, but Ophelia definitely is guilty in the situation.
The fight was really nice, it's great what you can do with moveobjects on, Ophelia juggling is still my favorite. :D
"What?!"
"I know. Makes me want to fucking hurl my guts up."
"Wow... Gunnar? Really?!"
C'mon, Zoe, if you're going to cheat on someone, cheat on someone...with a chin and doesn't have a weird ponytail...and that doesn't smell of douchebag?
Ripp, why do you make me feel so bad for you? Poor baby, I want Frances to give Ripp a big hug. Why Frances? Frances is a hug machine, that is why.
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Date: 2008-05-21 06:38 pm (UTC)Not to give anything away, but Ophelia might get that scolding before it's all over. Johnny hasn't asked her for much detail about the incident yet.
Thanks. I like how the fight scene worked out. I was dreading that scene, since I find a lot of attempted moveobjects action scenes fall short of their intended impact, but that FT animation box was so appropriate for what I wanted. My original idea was to somehow remove an "attack" from the dust cloud, and isolate a frame of it, but that would have been too violent. Johnny wouldn't fight Ripp the way he fought Tank. Even in a state of rage like that, he'd be careful not to break him up too badly.
*snicker* Zoe could do MUCH better than Gunnar. Almost anyone could, really, but Zoe is hot, so she really has no excuse for stooping so low.
It's hard not to pity Ripp in this situation, even though he brings a lot of his troubles on himself. He's sort of lost and helpless, when it comes down to it. He finally gets a little bright spot and then everything blows up in his face.
You want Frances to give him a hug, huh? *snicker* He does seem to like to offer his "services" to men from the Grunt family, doesn't he?
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Date: 2008-05-21 02:39 am (UTC)*collects some thoughts*
I got to admit that I'm really, really suprised that Johnny stayed as cool as he did. I don't see him as the sharing type so something's got to give...
Wow. Just Wow.
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Date: 2008-05-21 07:06 pm (UTC)Thanks. :)
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Date: 2008-05-21 02:49 am (UTC)Thank you for being a great distraction while I am supposed to be doing my essay on Blaise Pascal. Now, I have a lot to say, but I really need to finish up! :P
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Date: 2008-05-21 06:06 pm (UTC)Anyway, I had to read this over to make some things finally sink into my head because I was kind of half into it/half not at the time I was reading.
But I can tell you one thing, there seems to be little suggestions here and there that really make me think that pretty soon they will have a non-traditional relationship somewhere in the future, with Ripp suggesting that they share Phi, Phi not being able to tell Johnny that she doesn't love Ripp, and of course, the way Johnny responded to Phi saying that he loves him too. (Well, I know it was a different kind of love that she was talking about, but it just kind of made me wonder...)
And then there was just something about the detail you put into describing how the scent of Ripp's hair was, and Ripp running his fingers through Johnny's hair that made me just want to scream at them "MAKE OUT!" And the part when Johnny ended up on top of Ripp like that really had me thinking, even though I KNOW it was such an inappropriate time for me to be thinking such dirty thoughts. :P
I like that even though Johnny was upset about Ripp sleeping with Phi, he still told him that he was abducted. It makes me think that they can't ever be mad with eachother for very long. But oh my God, if I was Ripp, I would have freaked out after seeing Johnny in that chair after getting out of Phi's bed like that. It's a good thing Ripp's so laid back about everything.
And then we get to Johnny and Phi actually doing the deed! I just knew it would happen soon, and even though I'm glad they finally did have sex, the reasons why is just terrible. Sure, they love eachother. But I feel like Johnny was doing it just so Phi couldn't lose his virginity to Ripp first.
But LOL to Ripp hearing the details in the bathroom again. I just knew that would happen! Poor Ripp though, he finally admits he's in love. That really got me kind of teary eyed, because I have definitely been in that sort of situation before.
I'm glad that Ripp has Jaxy to go to with his troubles, though I'm really not liking the way she copes with things. Poor Jaxy, I had a feeling that Zoe was doing something like that. Not with Gunnar though, but I did think that she was doing someone on the side by the way she always acted when Ripp was around. Like I said before, I love how Gunnar is always an asshole. But anyway, them not having a drummer anymore makes me wonder if that "mystery sim" you showed us before on the update about Jaxy's hair will be joining the band. From what we saw of her, she sure did look like she would fit right in!
All in all, it was a great update... I'm dying for MORE!!! And since you left off with such a cliffhanger when we last saw Frances, I'm really hoping that we will see him again soon.
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Date: 2008-05-21 06:59 pm (UTC)You wrote an essay on Pascal Curious? ... no wait, my mistake. *snicker* Did that come to mind all the time while you were writing it?
You're picking up on all those little suggestions, aren't you? The fact that maybe it could work out for all of them, if they could get past the obvious obstacles. We see that Ripp would share her, but Ripp isn't exactly a poster boy for monogamy, so it's easier for him to embrace an idea like that. We see that Ophelia is torn between the two of them. We see that Johnny wants to keep his happy little family, but he doesn't know how to deal with this new development. Johnny would be the one who has the most influence on the outcome.
Those intimate moments have always been there between Ripp and Johnny, haven't they? I did want to show that reaching a high point before they fought, and even the fight was more intimate than most. And, you're right. Johnny did open up to Ripp about the abduction, and it does show their underlying bond. They do forgive each other, but this time, it's a little bigger than most other fights.
That's not the only reason that Johnny ended up having sex with Ophelia, but it did factor in, and you're right about it not being a good thing. Johnny felt desperate to take things further, and reaffirm his role in Phi's life, but he's really adding to the intensity of the overall situation now, isn't he?
Yeah, Ripp is good at "accidentally" overhearing intimate moments, but this time he both wanted to hear, and wanted to avoid it at the same time. It had to be hard for him to take. After realizing that he really does love Ophelia, he starts to see that maybe he's allowing himself to do the equivalent of stabbing himself in the heart, if Johnny intends to push him completely out of him life and away from Ophelia too.
Zoe has always been a little promiscuous, before she started seeing Jaxy, and the open relationship was always a possible source of conflict between them. We don't know if it's true yet, so we;ll have to hear what Zoe has to say about it.
You've made some very prescient comments. I don't mind telling you that the mystery sim really is intended as the future drummer, if I stick to the plan. I'm glad you thought the sim seemed liked she'd fit in with band, because that's so true it's almost funny. I'm dying to show my hand where that's concerned, even though I had intended to wait a while... I'm really impatient, so I'll probably have them put a rush on finding a replacement, after things blow over (or up) with Jaxy and Zoe.
The other thing that you seem to have sensed beforehand are the whereabouts of Mr. Worthington. I do intend to work him and Tank into the last section of this chapter, since I did leave them hanging, back in chapter 24.
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Date: 2008-05-21 07:17 pm (UTC)Yep, the intimate moments have been here and there, but this chapter really made it come out for me in full force. I know Johnny has the most influence on the outcome and that it is bigger than most fights, I still can really see it happening sooner or later! (And your insane sims keep showing in your extras that they would like to have it happen too *snicker*)
Yay, I was right! :) I actually had a feeling before this chapter that she had something to do with the Shifting Paradymes. I didn't really want to say anything about it because I didn't really have much of a reason to think that besides "she looks like she could be in the band". Your readers seem to be impatient about a lot of things too, so it's all good! ;)
Oh, okay. I thought that you might have him in the next section. Of course I can't wait!
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Date: 2008-05-22 01:37 pm (UTC)That's part of what makes the whole thing interesting, isn't it? This might be a fight that could tear them apart, but they still have that very deep connection. Johnny can throw Ripp out in a fit of rage, but would he be able to keep him out? Would he want to?
If I was strictly following the behaviour of my sims, these three would have like a bazillion kids by now, probably. *snicker* I do let their behaviour influence me, and that's why we have them in this triangle right now. It's hard to ignore the chemistry between Ripp and Ophelia, or between Johnny and Ophelia (and Johnny and Ripp too, if they were given the chance). I was playing them just last night, and they were all dancing in Ophelia's room. I just let them go, and it went on for several game hours. One would ask one of the other two to dance, and the third would just hang out, waiting, then cut in and dance with one of them, and on and on like that... Ophelia was asked to dance most often, and she was always the one being asked. Those boys are really something. I could just imagine them tossing little insults at each other. "You call that dancing? Here, Phi... come dance with a real man." *snicker*
Yeah, who needs patience? I have some good ideas for future relationships between characters, and I'm just going to jump in headfirst with a lot of them. At least to get them started. I have to tell you, I am DYING to introduce that new character, and reveal a few of my intentions with some of the other new characters. Just DYING. I have to write and play faster. (Yeah, I'm out of my creative block, it's safe to say.)
I'm sure that many readers will be happy to see Frances resurface. I think you'll find the resolution to be... interesting.
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Date: 2008-05-22 04:31 pm (UTC)Well, not only was Pascal into math, but also was a inventor, philosopher, and a child prodigy who was on the same level of and was acquainted with other great minds of the era at the age of 14. Even though he lived in the 1600s, he had a prototype for a calculator. Most interesting thing though, was the way he viewed religion. The last few years of his life (the guy was constantly sick and died at the age of 40) he dedicated to the studies of religion, and sought out an explanation to defend the Christian faith. Here's where it becomes kind of unlike the Pascal Curious we know and love... As Pascal believes that "there is a logical explanation for everything", THIS Pascal became a religious fanatic and basically his explanation for the existence of God was that "It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason." Also, he had a few books made out of his notes published after his death, but they were so disorganized and messy that it took many editors to figure out what went where.
So, after that rambling, back to the conversation...
I thought that the strange triangle was brought on by their general horniness in game! :P I could so see the little insults happening between them as they fight over Phi. You with Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia makes me really tempted to have my own triangle some day in my story. Several, actually... Hmmm.
I'm with you on the DYING to get characters into a story. My alien boys Hector and Balthazar are basically impatient as well, so they've been popping up everywhere in my extras and my "Very Curious Experiment". As much as I'd like to get them in Immortal Beloved soon, I'm afraid I have about 2 or 3 more entries to go before I get to them. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a creative block at the moment and it's taking me FOREVER to even get the text for the next one up, and I haven't even started on the pictures. Sometimes, I wish the thing could just write itself. It's nice to hear that your creative block is gone! Maybe that will inspire my creativity to get in gear soon, especially now with classes over.
Everyone loves Frances! ...Interesting, you say? *ponders what that might mean*
reply 1 chapter 25
Date: 2008-05-21 06:06 am (UTC)Me: FUCK!
That was a cool surprise. I thought we'd see Johnny's reaction to seeing them in bed together, but I liked this much better! Johnny's a restrained guy, so I loved his cool seething greeting and that he takes Ripp outside to "discuss" the situation.
I thought Ripp was being a bit unrealistic arguing the she's just as much my friend as she is yours, though. It's always been Johnny&Phi and Ripp, hasn't it? Isn't that why Ripp's been plowing through the female student body at LFT? Ophelia's intentions towards Johnny seemed pretty clear and committed there, they've been more than just friends for a while. Ripp and Phi are just beginning to see their friendship as something more. But I see Ripp's point that he's always been there as well and she's not Johnny's exclusively.
I did love his confession that if Phi wants him to do something, he's going to do it. It really shows how much he loves her.
"Well, one of us ought to, don't you think?"
That line rocks. Perfect Ripp comeback.
It does make me sad to see them fighting over this - over her. She'd never want that, and they're both hurting as well. GAH! The tragedy of triangles!
"None of your business! I don't know every detail of your comings and goings."
God damn it, Johnny! I hate you so much right now... grrrr.
Oh thank god he told him. I was so ready to smack my screen.
"YOU were abducted by aliens?" It wasn't that Ripp didn't understand him, but the concept was impossible for him to grasp. Why would the aliens abduct Johnny? It didn't make any sense.
Hee, I like this total WTF moment.
"They didn't... pollinate you, did they?"
I tell ya, I can see Johnny's expression in the next pic and I'm just sitting here, bracing myself.
Ah, okay, I figured it was going to be NO, but I enjoyed my mini-suspense moment. :)
Oh wow, I loved Johnny's reflections on Ripp's loyalty. They can have their spats and very nearly come to blows but in the end they're friends before rivals.
... Wait. Strike that.
OMG. Okay, head spinning. I was all "aw poor Johnny" then "sweet, Ripp's comforting him" then "Uh, that might be a bit too much comfort there Ripp..." then "Oh hells nah, he didn't just blurt it out like that!" then I kind of burst out laughing because that shot of Johnny flinging himself at Ripp is awesome. The whole crash to the deck was amazing, I love those shots.
Oooh, I also loved how serious it got as the ultimate question popped up.
"You're out of your fucking mind."
"Am I?" He asked it like a real question, since he wasn't entirely sure himself.
"But she wants me too Johnny."
That is one wicked slap in the face. Probably not something Ripp should have pointed out himself.
reply 2 chapter 25
Date: 2008-05-21 06:07 am (UTC)"Ripp..." She began, then paused, waking up.
HOFUCK.
"Shhh... just lie here for now, okay? We can talk about it later."
Plus plus! I love that Johnny didn't react to that. He took the blow of her remark and pulled her closer. Shows how much he loves her.
She burned just as brightly for both of them.
And there's where the problem lies.
Aw, the photo booth picture of the three of them! So cute.
somehow finding a way to share a space that was meant to accommodate no more than two.
You're sooooooooooo making me want this to work for all of them. ;)
Ripp's ponderings over how they all fit together was so sweet and touching. I'm all teary.
Argh. Johnny's HIM vs ME is making me grrrr again. Oooh, but wait. The thought of her with Ripp was making him erratic, but he didn't seem angry with her. Quite the opposite, he seemed excited. *perks up*
Ah, the good ol' bathroom again - hee! I love Ripp's spying-but-not-trying-to-spy ploy.
He wasn't trying to listen in, but it was unavoidable.
Especially with his hand cupped against the wall.
For the first time in his life, Ripp envied that moment, and how beautiful it would have to be, and how he would never know.
Aw. Poor Ripp. I really thought they might somehow pull him into the mix, but I think Phi and Johnny deserve a first time for themselves.
Eee. Jaxy. Her kitchen is cute - love the calendar! I love how she's so casual with Ripp when they're discussing such serious topics of the heart.
"I think that Zoe might be fucking Gunnar."
Now here's where I have to remind myself that this isn't Gunnar from Peculiar. Because I was all - WTFH?! for a second there. Yeah, wrong persona. This is the Gunnar who passed out in the sorority sister's bed because she wore him out too quickly. Maybe Zoe's just giving him tips on stamina.
Oh, now I know Zoe's not sleeping with him if he fucked the band over! There's no way she'd put up with that and sneak behind Jaxy's back to be with him. Maybe Zoe's off trying to round up a new drummer.
"Never trust a man without a chin, Ripp. Never fucking trust him."
HA! Cracking up. But dammit, Jaxy's such a bad influence on him. I hope Ripp doesn't get wasted and end up in a bad funk.
Aw, Ophelia in the tub lingering over her feelings.
In a way, Ripp had also been there, with them. In what Johnny had said, and in how they had acted, Ripp's presence had been very much felt. Even then, in such a personal moment between the two of them, the third had been there.
I really liked that. He might not have been there in the sense Ripp would have liked to have been there, but he was still there. ;)
Here's my gripe about the censor blurs. I wish they would stay on the bits they're meant to block and not like... cut off half their face in the process. ;P Phi and Johnny's playfulness in the bathroom made me smile, though.
"Johnny, we need to talk about Ripp."
"I know."
Oooh, can't wait to find out what comes out of this talk! Such a HUGE trio chapter, I adored this and just spent at least two hours poring over it all, lol. Very entertaining!
Re: reply 2 chapter 25
Date: 2008-05-22 06:49 pm (UTC)That would have to be a blow for Johnny, to see that as possible confirmation of Ripp's claims. It does show how much he loves her that he doesn't want to blow up at her, but he also really wants that moment there, with her. He needs that comfort, after everything that has happened to him.
You want it to work out? Well, I guess I am really dangling it in your face, aren't I? We'll see, we'll see... these sorts of things are rarely easy, but that doesn't mean they're impossible.
I was looking forward to using that photo of them in that scene. A photo booth photo can really summarize their dynamic quite well, I think.
Yeah, Ripp insists that he doesn't TRY to listen in, but we know better. He has to be feeling very confused by the whole situation, both wanted to listen and be a part of the moment, and desperately trying to escape the fact that he's excluded from it.
One of the great things about Jaxy is her frankness. She's so crude, but she's always honest, and she really is quite sweet underneath it, most of the time. She's calls Ripp "honey", but in the same sentence, she'll call him an asshole, or something worse. What you said about Zoe is interesting too. Would she really mess around with Gunnar, given that he's really messing with the success of the band in a big way? She might be up to something else, but we can't be sure.
Yeah, my Gunnar is a dick, but he's not scary like Madame's Gunnar. Just don't trust a man without a chin. ;)
Jaxy and Ripp together, drowning their sorrows, is never the recipe for a good time (well, temporarily, it might be, but it can lead to destruction). They both have some self-destructive tendencies like that, so it's not a good combination during a time like that.
I have the same issue with those censor blurs. That one scene REALLY tempted me to get a hack that removes them. I could do that, but I try not to do anything to drastically change the aesthetics of the story, like get new defaults or something like that. I suppose I could remove the blur, but I also like having it for certain things. It can be funny.
This was a big chapter for the trio, and we'll have more of it in the final part, along with a couple of other things.
Thank you. I really feed off your enjoyment of the story. It's so much more fun to concoct these plots if I have people to follow along and pick up on all those little details. It's very encouraging.
Re: reply 1 chapter 25
Date: 2008-05-22 05:03 pm (UTC)Oh, I'm glad you thought so. I like the idea that Ripp sort of thinks he can get away with it for a second, but he quickly learns that he's wrong. Johnny already had enough time to walk home and walk in on them, turn around, and go think it over. I also like that we don't know how he really reacted, there in Ripp's room, alone. I wonder if he cried... I'd imagine he'd only do that if nobody was watching, but he was probably more in shock than anything else (yeah, Johnny kept it secret from me too).
Ripp's arguments aren't necessarily good ones. He probably sees the situation differently than Johnny does. He is right that they have always been friends first, and the relationship between Johnny and Ophelia is just another layer on that, but he has to be aware that he's on the outside there. He's just prone to exaggeration and delusion. Ripp's testimony isn't usually very reliable.
Ripp really would do anything for Ophelia. When it comes to the people he cares about, he can be almost obsessively devoted like that. I have no doubt that he really would jump in front of a bus for her, if it came to that.
I like that comeback too. It's so Ripp. It's a pretty dirty jab at Johnny, and you can tell it really gets to him.
Johnny almost slips back into his bad habit of shutting people out there, doesn't he, but he chooses to be honest with Ripp about the abduction. Then Ripp also chooses to be honest, with disastrous results.
I'm so pleased with how the fight turned out. I'm glad you laughed, because I find that first shot with Johnny diving through the air to be pretty funny. I love how that animation worked there (it's diving for a goal in soccer), with Ripp bracing himself, and how they end up in a heap on the floor, with Ripp's arm around the rail. When that worked out like that, I was so pleased.
It was definitely a bad move for Ripp to point that out to him, and that's what really puts Johnny over the edge and leads him to throw Ripp out. Not just the fact of it, but how confident Ripp is about it. It has to be, like you said, a slap in the face.
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Date: 2008-05-21 08:32 am (UTC)Your story reads like a novel, full of emotions that are highly felt deep inside my mind and soul. I never have thought Strangetown could move me. You make this place fascinating. I absolutely love the trio John, Phi and Ripp. I usually play Veronaville or Pleasantview.
The fight scene in this chapter on the balcony seemed a bit intimate to me on some level. Maybe because the way you worded it. They were not punching each other's lights out, but a bit of wrestling and ruffin'up and because like you said, two bulls fighting for the female.
I believe that Johnny went all the way with Phi, not only because of Ripp, but because of everything else that's going on with him. What if he chooses to be with Jayne? We do not know. We don't really know what really happened/or was said to him when he got abducted either, though we can speculate. I'm just thinking he wanted his first time to be with the woman he truly loves. They are still young*adults* and are learning/figuring out what they truly want in life or otherwise. That could take as long as in the ages of 30's or 40's. But, according to this story, they may have to make their decisions even faster yet!
I do remember Nervous saying Johnny does not know what is coming to him.
I love Jaxy's kitchen and thank you for the link to dl the calendars and the dl for the cartoony picture of the trio. That will go to a special sim of mine, for this story you have made is special to me.
Thank you.
JoVonn
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Date: 2008-05-21 09:16 am (UTC)This was absolutely wonderful. From Johnny's angry face on the chapter teaser/front page, to the fight, to Ripp's retreat to Jaxy's and the bathtub scene. I'm not entirely coherent, I'm still feeling giddy from reading :)
Poor Johnny, this really wasn't his best night or morning. I've been wondering how you'd write the (inevitable) confrontation between him and Ripp (yes, I have too much time on my hands) and Johnny waiting for Ripp in his room was just perfect. I really do love their scenes together and their dialogue is both funny and fitting. And I love that Johnny matches the house *lol*
"I don't know... Why not? Why couldn't we just share her?"
Well I know I kinda want them to *grin* The trios relationship is getting more and more entageled though and the situation more explosive as their feelings for each other get more into the open. Come on Johnny, you wouldn't mind some Ripp action yourself! I was grinning and cringing through all of their scenes.
He kissed her as if he had something to prove, but there was also something else. The thought of her with Ripp was making him erratic, but he didn't seem angry with her.
Oh my, how delightfully unhealthy! *fans self* And this, of course, was a favourite (or, like I would say in Norwegian/Swedish a høydare):
"Never trust a man without a chin, Ripp. Never fucking trust him."
*snort*
I keep repeating myself here, but I love Ripp and Jaxy together as well.
Looking forward to see what direction Phi and Johnny's conversation will take. Also, what will Johnny tell about his abduction and to whom? And is Zoe really fucking Gunnar the Chinless? (Btw, they have negative chemistry in my game while Zoe and Jaxy have three bolts after some fiddling with their turn offs ;)
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Date: 2008-05-21 11:03 am (UTC)And Gunnar really is a tool. *snort* Loved Jaxy's line about never trusting a man with no chin!
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Date: 2008-05-21 03:51 pm (UTC)And here I hangs.
Oh My. My, oh my, oh my.
That's how coherent I was the first time I read this. Let's see if I can do a little better now.
Johnny doesn't doubt Ripps loyalty to him but he still turned around and kicked Ripp out.
Poor Ripp. Dammit, you almost brought me to tears! :(
Poor baby, Ripp. I can understand, he had to tell Johnny. It would have come out sooner or later and better sooner then later because it would have looked like he was trying to hide it, but, all the same, Damn, Ripp! Couldn't you keep one little secret? And here you had me thinking they'd done the whole 'kiss and make up' thing and maybe they would have.
I hope Johnny reconsiders. I hope Ophelia, when she realizes Johnny kicked Ripp out, will talk some sense into the thick green skull of his.
Of course, to be fair, Johnny's got a lot to think about also so it wasn't really the best time for him to 'catch' his best friend and his girl sleeping together.
I was reading your comments to music_simbol about Ripp wanting love and fearing to achieve it at the same time. It's hard to admit something could be yours if you've always felt it's been held out of reach. Plus, if you actually achieve it, what then? Falling in love can be scary and so many ways, especially for someone like Ripp.
The pictures as so great and as always I love the facial expressions you managed to catch. I don't think I've ever seen Johnny quite so angry (as he's usually fairly easy-going), or quite so dejected looking.
I can not wait for the rest of this. You must finish it.
*prepares to camp out on lj until an update appears or she has to go to work.* :)
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Date: 2008-05-21 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-22 09:27 pm (UTC)*Sighs* I can be so clueless sometimes, lol!
Anyway I'm glad I found it! Now where to start...
I think the way the Johnny/Ripp/Ophelia thing was handled was perfect! Johnny was mad, but intrigued too! And it caused him to want to step out of his personal box, which is good. But I'm still thinking there's a lot of unresolved stuff there and I'm hoping they can all come together somehow. Gawd is that wrong of me to want them to be a threesome? I can totally see it with them. Love can be complicated sometimes!
And so Gunnar's gone and left the band. And I was laughing my arse off at Jaxy like always! Man she has such a colorful vocabulary, lol! I love it!
Aw, crap... dang these kids, lol! Always wanting to, you know... eat and stuff. Sheesh. I suppose I can't get away with putting a dish of dog food out like the sims do, lol! Anyway, it was a wonderful update and I'm glad I didn't miss it totally!
((hugs))
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Date: 2008-05-22 09:36 pm (UTC)There was a line somewhere that made me think Johnny might like it too in fact. Hmm... "The thought of her with Ripp was making him erratic, but he didn't seem angry with her. Quite the opposite, he seemed excited." The thought of her with Ripp made him EXCITED?! Oh man, that's great.
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Date: 2008-05-24 11:09 pm (UTC)“There was duty, on one hand, but there was also love. His father was right. Love was something that you had to grow.
He had grown it, and he was growing it still.
Johnny Smith walked home.”
Gorgeous.
I hate the Johnny/Ripp fight. I know it’s inevitable, but… I hate how this is probably going to affect them.
The one problem I see with the whole trio working as a…trio is that I think Ripp loves Phi most. I think Ophelia loves her boys equally. And I think Johnny loves Ripp about as much as he loves Phi. But Ripp…he loves Johnny, but is it as much or even close to how much he loves Phi?
That scene on the balcony where Ripp and Johnny are hugging and Johnny is taking time to take in all that Ripp is? It’s … adorable. And really breathtaking how close they are. How Johnny, stick-up-his-ass Johnny, is comfortable and happy and a lot less afraid when he’s near Ripp. I just… how can the trio ever break apart? They work best together. Johnny clucks his tongue and Ripp make them laugh and Ophelia keeps them moving forward and together always.
But then Ripp talks about kissing Phi and the moment is broken.
Really great action shots and then the ones of Johnny holding Ripp down are also just…great. You’re very good at getting interesting poses and faces from your characters.
Johnny…you broke Ripp’s heart…the trio… D:
And Ripp realizing that he LOVES Ophelia is just… Oh, Ripp.
Oh and “In many ways, Ripp cared for Johnny most of all.” means that I can retract that thing from earlier about Ripp maybe loving Ophelia more than Johnny. I think the love between them is fairly equal in the end. But it’s hardly easy to accept where their lives have been heading. I mean, it’s not exactly the social norm. Though, to be fair, the three have never really been normal.
Phi loves Ripp and Johnny! LOVE. OMG this is just…the best chapter ever (except that Ripp is now SAD and they might break apart!). Johnny just needs to GET IT. A-and now the Phi and Johnny sex scene and baby Ripp who doesn’t care that they’re fucking, but just wishes he were in there too. Just wishes to be a part of that and oh, Ripp!
And then there’s sad Jaxy and traitor Gunnar and drunk, broken Ripp.
I think Ophelia gets it for sures. Now Johnny needs to get it too. And Ripp needs to realize that he’s wanted and needed.
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Date: 2008-05-25 12:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-25 12:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-20 10:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-20 10:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-26 01:58 pm (UTC)They were three people, and there was only enough room for two."
Had to quote that whole paragraph, because it was great. I didn't know that cute photobooth picture would come with such great story. <3