Strangetown: Chapter Twenty-Five - part two

[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.

Comments

[music-simbol.livejournal.com]

Just when I'm about to work on a Valenzuela update, you go and update. So, now I MUST read!!!! Everything else can wait!! :P

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

*sound of jaw hitting floor*
Just amazing.

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

(first comment? could it be?)

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.

[dothesmustle.livejournal.com]

Johnny reacted so harshly to Ripp, but I somehow saw that coming. Johnny wants to believe that Ophelia would never do that and that she would never have feelings for Ripp. Poor Johnny, right after being abducted, he comes home to see Ripp and Ophelia sleeping together.

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.

[amaryssobellus.livejournal.com]

Holy SHIT. HOLY SHIT.

*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.

[xel-squirgle-ox.livejournal.com]

"Never trust a man without a chin." -Hahahaha. Boy do I love how Gunnar is always a douchebag.

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

reply 1 chapter 25

[franwi.livejournal.com]

"Good morning, Ripp."
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.

[simsbarbie.livejournal.com]

Though I was excited when I saw this chapter up, I also was bracing myself from what happened in the last interesting/heart stopping chapter. It took me about 20mins before I started to read this episode and each picture thereafter, gave me pause, depending on what was going on.

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

[muslemura.livejournal.com]

Now I need a cigarette. And I'm not even a smoker.

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 ;)

[imsothenetgirl.livejournal.com]

I have never been so utterly unable to choose who to root for. I want everything to work out for everyone, exactly the way they want it but I know that's not possible. What to think, what to think.

And Gunnar really is a tool. *snort* Loved Jaxy's line about never trusting a man with no chin!

[indigoleo.livejournal.com]

This sort of leaves you hanging, but the next part shouldn't be too long coming.
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.* :)

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

This update was amazing. The intimacy between Ripp and Johnny, the way he reacted- classic Johnny. I do still feel bad for him, but I forgive Ophelia. Will he be able to? Wow, I really thought he was going to return with an alien!baby!. But oh well. I am still in shock, so the comment is all disjointed and stuff, but yeah. Wow.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Okay now how in the world did I miss this? And I'm so stupid... you were even talking about the next part, and replying to comments, and etc... and I still didn't cotton on!

*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))

[squirrel-tamer.livejournal.com]

I wonder what the aliens offer was…

“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.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

God I love your story!!! :D Johnny and Ripp fighting, and Johnny and Opheila finally being together....and Ripp feeling left out....SO AWESOME. :D And then he goes to Jaxy and finds that is life is even more out of control. Very nice. :D

[kin-thalas.livejournal.com]

With your own words: Ripp, you fucking idiot! Being honest is a virtue, but this time I´d kept my mouth shut.

[foxy-princess.livejournal.com]

I was very vocal throughout this update! Darn that Johnny for messing up my Ripp/Ophelia pairing... lol

[pnkpnthr334.livejournal.com]

My gosh, another amazing update! Your writing makes me want to redo my first time and have it be like that!!! Damn. :)

[fireflys-locket.livejournal.com]

"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."

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