These Are Not My Beautiful Stories

 

Summary:

The chapters within are outlines for both future stories I’ve got planned (in the case that I never get around to writing them) and stuff I’ll probably never do

Clique spy story

Chapter Text

This is loosely based on statuscrawler’s Wanted but Claire works with the good guys here.

Title: The Eagle Remembers.

Setting: November-December 1992,India and later Kazakhstan.

Ships: Massie Block/Griffin Hastings (past),Massie Block/Cam Fisher,Claire Lyons/Layne Abeley,Kristen Gregory/Derrick “Derrington” Harrington.

Premise: Not quite a full year has elapsed since Christmas 1991,and the great nations of the world have convened a global conference in New Delhi (because reasons) - a sort of latter-day Yalta or Potsdam conference to chart the course of the post-Cold War world. Al Gore was recently elected POTUS alongside some moderate Democrat (Vander Jagt? Nunn? Sarbanes? Kerrey?) and he sends his presumptive Secretary of State nominee,Len Rivera,former US rep for (some NY district or other) to be the US’ representative to this conference. On final into the New Delhi airport,however,someone with a SAM shoots down Rivera’s plane,killing all aboard (no Clique characters on it besides Len,tho).

Enter the Eagle’s Gaze Protective Society (hereafter EGPS),my equivalent of the BPS-6 from Wanted. Led by Viet vet Griffin Hastings,one of the best in the biz,the EGPS (est.1983) is an organization even the most blatant of terror groups fears,because when they fight,they always win. Hastings’ ex and deputy,Massie Fisher,is the only woman in the group and probably the most feared of all (her father William used to be the Secretary of Defense - it’s rumored he bankrolls the EGPS).

I didn’t write out a full outline when I came up with this a few months ago but here’s what I had:

• The EGPS learns from a disgruntled CIA plant (a female agent - I was thinking Carrie Randolph) that Smersh was behind the attack on Len’s plane - they’re out to reestablish a rump USSR in Central Asia 
• In a parallel plot,Kristen is an astronaut who’s about to fly on the last DoD mission of the Shuttle (OTL STS-53, dunno what it’d be here),and a domestic terror group is plotting to sabotage the launch - EGPS’ domestic division,led by male!Dylan Marvil,is assigned to take out this threat
• Smersh has a splinter group from EGPS,led by a minor character from Clique canon (I was thinking Kemp Hurley might be a good fit for this role). Upon the foiling of the New Delhi plot and the end of that arc (I didn’t have anything worked out for that),they make a last ditch attempt to muddy things up by shooting down the launch of a “super-RORSAT” reconsat from Baikonur on a Soyuz rocket - Massie personally takes them out with Cam and Claire’s assistance.

Aaron in Westchester: A Character Study

Chapter Text

Putative title: see chapter title

Time: February of an unstated year in the 2000s

Place: Westchester County

Ships: potential Aaron Rose/Kristen Gregory, Aaron Rose & Layne Abeley (after he discovers that they’re second cousins)

Premise: So there’s a bit in the fourth Gossip Girl book,when Blair’s books-only stepbrother Aaron Rose and Serena van der Woodsen are dating,where he basically hides out in Scarsdale with some of his emo pals. Here he decides not to return to NYC because while he loves his dad,Cyrus Rose is overbearing even if he means well,Eleanor Waldorf views him more as a thing to be put on display than a real person,and Blair is constantly ticked off at him.

Meanwhile,it’s the winter of the Pretty Committee’s 8th grade year at OCD. Massie’s left for England,Alicia became the alpha but then quietly abolished the rankings because she’s nice now,and she’s tentatively elevated Olivia and another girl (Becca Wilder?) to the PC.

Outline (so far as I’ve got one):

• Aaron takes a walk one day to clear up his mind for new music ideas:somehow he ends up at the Westchester Mall and decides to have some lunch
• He sits a table or two down from the Pretty Committee at the food court,notices them,Dylan decides to bridge the gap and make conversation with him
• A long expositional conversation follows with Aaron telling his story and Claire telling that of the PC

An excerpt from an RPF AU I’m doing

Chapter Text

Mo shrugged a Gallic shrug as Kelly adjusted herself on the steps. " I respect Peter Hepburn. I respect his vision. And I respect his courage to continue to do the kind of work he knows will never bring him the big money or great fame he so desires. It's a strange fortune,being someone like him."
"But he seems to live so well - he spends so much *and* he knows Shirley MacLaine. I'd give anything to know her."
This earned her a scoff from Mo. "My dear Kelly,Peter's money's just the last scraps of a niggardly inheritance. His mother Jane was a suspicious woman. She left them - him and Lisabeth - what I call a 'distrust' fund. I'm glad you never met her: she was a harridan and a harpy to the core. It turned out with her that knowing all the major stars and producers of around 1947 was no substitute for actual parenting."
He paused briefly to relight his cigarette.  "I daresay Lisabeth's broken that cycle,as you may have observed. The instant she could she cut Jane off-" - he snapped his fingers - "just like that,made her live in a kind of dower house at the back end of the estate:it's a cabana now. She died there of alcoholism on a warm night in '76: I was the last to see her alive."
"Go on", an intrigued Kelly replied,scanning the room for a sign of Tom.
"Howard was a friend of a friend of mine from Northwestern University:he'd gotten out to LA some years before I did and he took me on as more or less the family doctor.

TUE excerpt 1: Massie on the trails

Chapter Text

And why should Jackie worry? Her family had been practically Niskayuna royalty since before either Kendra or William were born. The Dyers lived in a mansion at the west end of Nisky,an 8,200 square footer with a Victorian aesthetic,three living rooms,and a courtyard at the back like at Dana’s home. While Massie's own mansion was big,it at least resembled a regular house:the same could nawt be said for the Dyer monstrosity. 

But then a lot of Nisky girls and guys live like that,don't they?, she thought. We Clifton Park people like our luxuries,but we like them understated:Nisky kids tend to go all out.

A Degrassi thing

Chapter Text

Hey,Caitlin! How was Christmas?
It was great,Snake. My Uncle Will and Aunt Jenny came in from Edmonton,and I hadn't seen them in six years. My cousin Caroline and her husband Martin were there too.
The one who was pregnant at your family's Canada Day party?
Yep,she's had her baby since.
A boy or a girl?
A girl,in August. Her name's Eleanor but everyone calls her Ellie. She's sooooo cute.
I never knew Caitlin Ryan to be the coo-over-a-baby type.
If it's cute I'm excited about it,Snake. So I heard you asking Derek and Tessa what the big secret was about Raditch and Keenlyside,and I might as well tell you. The school's kinda raising a cadet unit.
A Cadets Canada unit?
Well,it's not,like,mandatory,and it'll be more of a citizenship/community service-focused unit with a bit of military on the side,but yeah,it's happening.
Is it an army,sea,or air cadet unit?
All three as I understand,but as I said military isn't the biggest focus. 

A sequel to the above

Chapter Text

"Whoo-whoo", Erica insisted painfully as her training rifle clattered to the floor. Heather rushed to her twin's side,holding Erica in a bridal kind of position. "Major Thompson?"
Ev clattered up to them,examined Erica with her eyes,and gave Heather The Look. "I think she's about to go into labour." 
As if to accentuate her statement,a thin trickle of water was pooling on the floor around them:already Simon's boots were damp.
"St.Michael's Hospital is fifteen minutes away - Walfish,can you get the jeep?"
"On it", he replied in a confident tone,but Ev wasn't finished. "This girl is Leo Farrell's granddaughter,Walfish - see if you can't get some spare cars and bikes from the motor pool as well,'cause given their family money they have some importance here so we might as well make it a motorcade. Training's done for tonight - we're all accompanying Erica to the hospital. On the bounce,cadets!"
So it was that fourteen minutes later at 8:47,following some of the most frantic sessions of post-training cleanup the 25th had endured yet,a veritable caravan of cars and bikes roared out of the back end of Fort York Armoury into the gathering night,bound for St Michael's Hospital,with a heavily pregnant Erica Farrell at the literal and symbolic center of it all.

 TUE excerpt 2: Julie and Nadia at Normanside

Chapter Text

Oh,I get it,you're talking of intermarriage. That doesn't happen all that much with our own young suburban heirs and heiresses,but it has happened before and likely'll happen again. The trends point,as elsewhere,to love matches: any intermarriage of our kids will be usually started wth "nudges" on the parental part,like party invites or preferred seating at club events and such.
Any potential examples with Claire's peers?
Cam Fisher may be only 12 and not his family's heir,but he'll be getting his own sizable inheritance and he's handsome enough that girls are already taking an interest in him.
Who,besides my Claire?
Kristen Gregory's caught his eye more than once,they used to be on the same swim team. Layne Abeley's a good friend of his,I think Allie-Rose Singer was his first kiss,his family lives next door to the Bassetts so maybe Krista Bassett's interested in him,I wouldn't know. But if you asked Jaclyn Ryan,she'd tell you her Olivia's the girl for Cam.
Really?
She and Angie have been nudging them together for a couple years now. Olivia'll be getting a pretty good inheritance as well even though she's not the Ryan heir and I guess what their moms are trying to do is "pair our spares". I mean,why not do something like that,deed them a nice mansion or mini-mansion somewhere like here,Saratoga,Westchester or the Philadelphia Main Line or someplace,give them a relatively low-pressure luxurious lifestyle,maybe with him doing sports and her teaching or being a professional fashionista or something? Pretty ideal life if you ask me.
Me too,Nadia.

TUE excerpt 3: Cam and Derrington at Slice of Heaven, taking about Massington’s wedding

Chapter Text

If it were totes up to me,it'd be a nice lil' ceremony at St Edward the Confessor,family,friends,the Pretty Committee,a news crew from WNYT or Town and Country TV: after all both of our fams are Catholic. But Kendra Blake,bless her dear heart,wants to rent the CIC for the wedding.
The CIC? I don't follow,Der. What does a combat information center have to do with you and Massie's wedding?
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,dummy! The "mother church" of the whole freakin' diocese of Albany! That's how high the Blakes aim.
Heh,is she gonna insist on Bishop Drezner officiating?
I hope not.

Avengers:Greenwich lore: Arthuriana

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for  notes.)

Chapter Text

Artyr mab Baradoc (known as Utr Pendraig,”the great dragon-like lord”) mab Macsen, Lord of the War-Chiefs of the Brythonic folk (472-504), King of Dumnonia and High Lord of Loegria from 465 to 504, victorious in many battles, merciful and beneficent in peace. He wed Findabair daughter of Donnchadh of the Venedoti.
Medrawd mab Llud mab Gwrhyr, King of Dumnonia from 504 to 528, maternal nephew of Artyr as the son of Anna his sister. There is a long-propagated,scurrilous rumor that he came to the crown by killing Artyr but this is untrue. Artyr died in battle against Modredus,a Saxon lord who claimed the sub-Thamesian lands for his own,and he and Medrawd were conflated by later authors. Artyr had already named Medrawd his heir around 490 owing to his infertility.

 

In 506,two years after Artyr fell in battle against Modredus the Saxon and his nephew Medrawd came to the Dumnonian throne,Findabair his wife was wedded to Clothar,the son of Panta the Eorl of Benoic,whom men called “Lance” or “the Lancer”. Her cousin Bedwyr,the companion of Artyr,who at the last had committed his king’s sword to the sacred lakes,stood in place of her long dead father Donnchadh. Of Artyr’s other realms,he had had the lordship of Dyfed,and this Medrawd committed to Gareth his brother,and of Longtain in Loegria which Gwalhauet the tall prince was given as wergild because Brannor his father was killed in the wars….(Strange’s note:here the account is fragmented)……Ghilleadh,that most innocent of Artyr’s companions,was brought to Sarras in the south of Gaul for the healing of his great hurt,and there he experienced a vision of the One True God and His angels,and at Easter in the year of Christ 497 he passed from this world,and Peredur his kinsman had him buried in the gardens. And Peredur had enough grief that one year later to the day he willingly surrendered his own life to God,and to Bors alone it was left to return to his own country…..

Notes:

Character equivalents:

Artyr - King Arthur

Baradoc - Uther Pendragon

Findabair - Guinevere

Donnchadh - Leodegran

Medrawd - Mordred

Modredus - also Mordred

Llud - King Lot

Gwrhyr - Gwrhyr Gwalstat, here presented as Lot’s father

Anna - Morgause

Clothar - Lancelot

Panta - Ban of Benoic

Bedwyr - Bedivere

Gareth - need you ask?

Gwalhauet - Galehaut

Brannor - Brunor

Ghilleadh - Galahad

Peredur - Percival

 

Names I haven’t used yet:

Emrys Moridunius - Merlin Emrys

Mawgan Tud - a combination of Morgan le Fay and Morgan Tud (Arthur’s court physician in the early Welsh tales)

Galwyn - Gawain

Gefferen - Agravain

Gweheres - Gaheris

Penllyn - Pellinore

Gyffroun - Griflet

Palomides Hierosolymacinus - Palomides

Sanguineus Hierosolymacinus - Segwarides and Safir,combined

Hircanus Hierosolymacinus - Esclabor

Gwrnan Beligwaedd - Gornemant

Gwrlais Post Kernow - Gorlois

Marcus Cunomorus - King Mark

Drystyn Kynwallan - Tristan

Esyllt - Iseult of Ireland

Ousilla d’Laïs - Iseult of the White Hands, here presented as Hoel’s daughter

TUE excerpt 4:after the Massington wedding

Chapter Text

Olivia looked over to where Anna Percy,having changed out of her bridesmaid dress,was doing crowd control as best as she could by directing people to the cathedral's various exits. "Yeah,that's the Lady Chapel exit,that's a fire exit...."

"Anna!", she hissed, "Claire and Landon need your help to coordinate some details with the Wolferts Roost servers. I'll have my mom take over here." Anna accepted and moved off to where Claire,Landon,and Strawberry McAdams stood in a knot by the St.George Chapel. "What's the issue,guys?"

"The issue",Strawberry snapped,"is that the dessert waiter's mother just died. He's named a stand-in but the stand-in's a newbie who's way more comfortable on drinks duty,and we think you could do it. You interned in food preparation at the Lake George Club as a teen,didn’t you?”

 

Clique in Cape May outline

Chapter Text

Ships

Claire Lyons/Cam Fisher

Massie Block/Derrick “Derrington” Harrington

Alicia Rivera/Landon Crane

Dylan Marvil/Kemp Hurley

Kristen Gregory/Layne Abeley 

Olivia Ryan/Todd Lyons

Skye Hamilton/Chris Plovert

Dempsey Solomon/Becca Wilder

Chris Abeley/Fawn McDougall

Kori Gedman/Sadie Meltzer

 

 

Outline (it’s a single fic here,no series)

1. 7th grade (August) - Lyons arrival,welcoming party

2. 7th grade (August-September) - shopping trip

3. 7th grade (September) - first day at RMT

4. 7th grade (September) - after school,Claire meets Layne

5. 7th grade (September) - sleepover at Massie’s

6. 7th grade (September) - Massie’s crush on Chris Abeley

7. 7th grade (October) - classes/PC montage

8. 7th grade (October) - homecoming 

9. 7th grade (October) - Halloween party

10. 7th grade (November) - classes/PC montage,PC discusses Claire being a member

11. 7th grade (November) - Claire’s early pledge tasks,origin of Glambition

12. 7th grade (November) - Thanksgiving

13. 7th grade (November-December) - Claire’s later pledge tasks,Glambition party

14. 7th grade (December) - field trip to Annapolis,Glambition incident

15. 7th grade (December) - Glambition fallout,the Blocks’ charity auction 

16. 7th grade (December) - Claire’s induction into the PC

17. 7th grade (December-January) - Christmas break

18. 7th grade (January) - Alicia and Olivia win fashion design contest,trip to NYC

19. 7th grade (January) - A+O discuss forming their own clique,they do so at end

20. 7th grade (January) - A+O clique fallout,Claire’s uncertainty,she meets Cam

21. 7th grade (January-February) - A+O make up with the PC,Olivia is inducted at Dylan’s suggestion 

22. 7th grade (February) - Sweethearts Dance at Congress Hall

23. 7th grade (February-March) - classes/PC montage,introduction of the key plot and Skye

24. 7th grade (March) - the PC follows the trail of the key

25. 7th grade (March) - Claire gains the key from Olivia,beginning of friendship between Olivia and Todd

26. 7th grade (April) - Easter,spring sports

27. 7th grade (April) - Cam and Claire’s first date

28. 7th grade (May) - tests,the PC formally takes possession of the bunker room

29. 7th grade (May-June) - the last few days of school

30. 7th grade (June) - Skye moves up to LCMRHS,the summer begins

Upstate Elite:There’s A New Name In School, chapters 2-3

 

Summary:

Massie Blake: With her glossy brunette locks and laser-whitened smile, Massie is the alpha of her clique and she’s got a major in on the social scene at Acadia Middle School in Clifton Park,New York (“we offer private school level education on the public dime!”). Massie knows you'd give anything to be just like her…..
Dana Marvil: Massie's old friend who divides her time between haut couture and hijinks.
Alicia Rivera: As sneaky as she is beautiful, Alicia floats easily under the radar because of her looks and brains, and she’d love to take Massie's throne one day.
Kristen Gregory: She's smart, hardworking, and will insult you to tears faster than you can say "my haircut isn't ugly!"
Olivia Ryan: You’d be forgiven for thinking she was an airhead,but anyone who knows her will assure you that she’s nawt.
Enter Claire Lyons, the new girl from Florida in Keds and two-year-old Gap overalls whose family is staying in the Blake guesthouse and who doesn’t quite seem to be Clique material. But with a little help from all kinds of people,she just might come up smelling like Chanel No. 19. . . .

it all began with texts

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for  notes.)

Chapter Text

C:>iridium

Stand by one...Connection complete.

Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.

Log in at 2:17:35 pm on 8/12/2005.

kuh-laire: hey,massie,idk if you remember me,but do i have some exciting news!

massiekur: if it’s about your folx moving up here,claire,save it. my folx told me this am. had 2 miss shelby wexler’s party 2 get outfits for when u guys move here. that’s not for like another week,isn’t it? and it’s only been 5 months since we talked. biggest news is mom’s welcoming a new little block in jan 06. don’t know if boy or gurl yet.

kuh-laire: omg! u oughta introduce me to your cool friends! i think i remember u talking about kristy (?) and i think dana as well?

massiekur: u mean kristen. she’s the soccer player,kind of a geekazoid 2. shen offered her some athletic scholarships to quote “make her school experience better” unquote.

kuh-laire: shen - that’s the school you guys go to,right? shenandoah or something like that?

massiekur: close, it’s shenendehowa. no idea what that means - some first nations thing or other,i guess. three elementary schools,one middle and high school each. i should warn you tho,we’re not exactly urban glam in clifton park, more country club chic. when u guys arrive im taking u to either clifton park center or crossgates in albany for a shopping spree.

kuh-laire: oooh,nice! i hear lululemon is popular up there,right?

massiekur: this spring it was all my other best friend alicia would wear,lol! shes fannish, that means fake spanish. her dad changed his name from rivers to rivera so her mom’s fam would ok their marriage.

kuh-laire: jeepers,is that funny or what!

massiekur: it’s kinda a sensitive subject with her.

kuh-laire: still,it makes 4 a cute love story.

massiekur: don’t i wish!

kuh-laire: so, who else at this school should i keep my eye on?

massiekur: layme…..excuse me,layne abeley might be ur speed. she’s a geek and kristen is cousends w/her - that means “cousins & friends”.

kuh-laire: abeley? as in the guy who arrested saddam in the gulf war?

massiekur: that’d be her dad,actually! he’s nice,a little beefy tho. her brother chris is an absolute god,however. u need to meet him,claire! he’s musclebound for days.

kuh-laire: hubba hubba! btw,i have a cousin who lives there - the daughter of my dad’s younger sister. do u know christina mcadams by any chance? that’s her.

massiekur: you’re strawberry’s cousin? my condolences. i mean,you kinda hafta be rude 2 be an alpha,but im practically a saint next to her! she’s not always bad but she can be kinda a bitch.

kuh-laire: believe moi,i know. her family sometimes comes to orlando for the summer. i thought i was the only one who called her “strawberry”!

massiekur: well,you’re not,haha. ttyl - i’ve gotta go see alicia. see you when you get here!

kuh-laire: deal!

kuh-laire ended this conversation at 2:24:10 pm.

 

———————

C:>iridium

Stand by one...Connection complete.

Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.

Log in at 3:15:42 pm on 8/14/2005.

skyelark : yo, claire! it’s skye hamilton, massie’s dance bff—heard you’re moving to clifton park next week! ehmagawd, i’m so psyched to meet you! massie spilled about your orlando roots and that you’re christina “strawberry” mcadams’ cousin, lol. ready for shenendehowa’s fabu vibes?

kuh-laire : omg, hi skye! massie mentioned you—dance queen, right? i’m totes pumped to move, but drama’s got me nervous, haha. what’s shen like? massie said it’s all country club chic, not orlando flash.

skyelark : haha, strawberry’s an LBR sometimes—love her, but she’s extra! shen’s the best, claire-bear, no orlando neon needed. it’s rule 13 commons code—think $20 thrift tees, $50 soccer games, not $200 miami club flexes like the “money” class. we’re “wealth” class, old money but chill, $50 bazaar vibes, not westchester $1,000 snobbery. massie’s taking you shopping, right?

kuh-laire : yup, clifton park center, $300 spree! massie said you’re all about dance—tell me more! and what’s this commons code?

skyelark : ooh, you’re in for a treat! commons code’s our shen heart: like, i wear $20 thrift leotards for shen east’s dance team, not $200 lululemon like alicia, lol. we do $15 grange goods snacks at rehearsals, not $100 caviar. keeps us affluenza-free, unlike those wannabes with $80,000 cars. dance team’s my jam—i’m choreographing a fall show, $50 thrift costumes, all rule 7 creativity. you gotta join us!

kuh-laire : dance sounds fabu! i’m no pro, but i did some jazz in orlando, $30 classes. who else is on the team? and, like, who’s cool at shen?

skyelark : jazz? you’re so in, kuh-laire! team’s tight—rule 4 sisterhood. there’s irene hamilton, my lil cousin, she’s 10, a future star, $15 thrift tutus. then olivia ryan, artsy vibe, $20 thrift sketchpads—she’s always doodling during breaks. olivia’s got this spark with cam fisher, soccer hottie, $30 thrift jerseys. they’re, like, rule 2 love-first waiting to happen, mark my words.

kuh-laire : cam and olivia? massie mentioned them! cam’s “fishy” charm sounds cute. any tea on them?

skyelark : haha, cam’s green eyes are hawt , but he’s all commons code, $50 soccer camp vibes, not $200 nike flexes. olivia’s his artsy match, always at $50 shen art fairs with layne. they’re not official yet, but give it a few years—total rule 2 energy.  shen’s full of love vibes, like me crushing on kemp hurley, dance team’s tech guy, $40 thrift hoodies. he’s no chris abeley muscle-god, but he’s my kinda nerd.

kuh-laire : ehmagawd, skye, you’re spilling all the tea! kemp sounds sweet—dish more! 

skyelark : lol, kemp’s a gem—sets up $100 dance lights, all rule 5 authentic. we’re not a thing yet, but i’m manifesting, rule 2 style! throuple’s just a vibe—shen’s open-hearted, not like westchester’s $1,000 gatekeeping. other cool peeps: dana marvil, redhead, sassy, $30 thrift gloss—she’s massie’s bff, total rule 1 joy. kristen gregory, soccer geek, $50 shen scholarship—she’s tight with cam. avoid strawberry’s alpha shade, but massie’s got your back.

kuh-laire : dylan and kristen sound fun! and as for christina—i called her strawberry in orlando, too. any tips for shen survival?

skyelark : you’re already strawberry’s cousin, you’re golden! tips: keep it rule 5 real—$20 thrift skirts, not $200 gucci like the “money” class. try to vibe with us at $50 shen dance practices, not $200 albany bars. laugh with dylan, kick balls with kristen, sketch with olivia. massie’s your alpha, but i’m your dance sis, rule 4. come to my $50 welcome pizza party at shen east when you land—deal?

kuh-laire : deal, skye! you’re, like, the sweetest! ttyl—gotta finish packing!

skyelark : later, claire-bear! shen’s dance floor’s waiting!

kuh-laire ended this conversation at 3:22:19 pm.

——————

C:>iridium

Stand by one...Connection complete.

Welcome to Friendster. Your handle is kuh-laire.

Log in at 7:08:53 pm on 8/17/2005.

strawberryalpha: yo, claire, it’s christina—yep, strawberry mcadams, your cousin. massie and skye won’t shut up about you moving to clifton park. gawd, orlando’s so last season, but shenendehowa’s my turf. ready to play in my sandbox or you still stuck in mickey mouse land?

kuh-laire: omg, christina! hey, strawberry —haha, didn’t expect you to hit me up! i’m super psyched to move, like, next week. massie and skye are so sweet, but you’re the queen, right? what’s shen like? spill the tea!

strawberryalpha: queen? try alpha , claire-bear. shen’s my castle—country club chic, not your orlando flip-flop vibes. our little commons code keeps it real: $50 thrift skirts, $15 grange goods snacks, not $200 miami bling like the “money” class LBRs. i’m “wealth” class, 7,000 sq ft mansion, but i slay $100 lululemon, not westchester $1,000 snobbery. massie’s shopping spree better get you shen-ready.

kuh-laire: totes, $200 clifton park center haul! skye said you’re extra, but i’m used to your strawberry shade from orlando summers, lol. what’s the shen social scene? who’s your crew?

strawberryalpha: shade? puh-lease, i’m an acquired taste, cousin. shen’s a jungle, and i’m the lioness—rule 4 sisterhood, my way. my crew’s tight: kemp hurley, counselor’s kid, $40 thrift sweaters, all brains and heart, but don’t bore her. then jamie marvil, dana’s sis, newsie wannabe, $50 thrift mics—she’s loud but loyal. we run shen middle, $50 soccer games, not $200 albany club trash. 

kuh-laire: kemp and jamie sound cool! massie mentioned dana, too—redhead, sassy? and skye’s got this dance team i might join. any tips for not, like, crashing your jungle?

strawberryalpha: dana’s a riot, $30 thrift gloss, rule 1 joy—my kinda beta. skye’s dance team’s legit, $50 thrift tutus, rule 7 creativity, but she’s fierce—don’t step on her toes. tips? don’t be an LBR, claire. ditch orlando’s $100 neon tanks for $20 thrift tees, it’s more authentic. hang at $50 shen bazaars if you can and don’t fangirl over chris abeley’s abs—everybody does, but it’s tired. + he has a girlfriend already,she’s a sophomore like him.

kuh-laire: haha, chris abeley’s muscle-god status has been noted to me by massie! she and skye mentioned cam fisher and olivia ryan, too—soccer guy and artsy girl. they cool?

strawberryalpha: cam’s “fishy” charm’s overrated, $30 thrift jerseys, rcommons code to a fault. olivia’s artsy, $20 thrift sketchpads,bit of a geek, but sweet. they’re glued at the hip, like, love-first vibes waiting to pop. maybe you’ll crush on one of ‘em, who knows? just don’t try stealing my spotlight, kuh-laire—i’m the real alpha, nawt massie, and shen’s my show.

kuh-laire: no spotlight stealing, promise! cam and olivia sound fun—maybe i’ll sketch with olivia. and, like, what’s this social list massie and skye keep mentioning?

strawberryalpha: gawd, you’re curious! social list’s the “wealth” class code—a few different rules, no penalties, keeps us from turning into albany trash. rule 2’s love-first, like my parents’ $50 thrift dinners. rule 4’s sisterhood, my crew’s vibe. 

kuh-laire: okay, i’m ready to learn! i wanna fit in, not flop. you gonna be at skye’s pizza party when i get there? we could, like, reconnect for real.

strawberryalpha: skye’s pizza bash? ugh, fine, i’ll show—$15 grange goods slices better not stain my $100 lululemon. we’ll reconnect, but don’t expect me to go soft just ‘cause we’re cousins. bring your a-game, claire-bear, and maybe i’ll let you sit with my crew if the pretty committee doesn’t want you. ttyl—gotta prep for shen’s alpha reign.

kuh-laire: deal, strawberry! i’ll bring the a-game. see you soon!

strawberryalpha: whatever, kuh-laire. don’t mess up my shen.

kuh-laire ended this conversation at 7:16:27 pm.

Notes:

Yep,Dylan’s name is Dana here.

 

meet the kendra krew

Summary:

Kendra Blake has some news to share - well,she does: the other ladies just wanna gossip.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for  notes.)

Chapter Text

Friday,August 19,2005

1:40 p.m.

Saratoga National Golf Club

It was often said that in Clifton Park,as in any good suburb anywhere,there were two kinds of upper class people. The first kind had money: these were the types who were flashy about it,the people who bought imitation A-frame or Scottish style McMansions in the Michaels Group developments in the eastern part of town (which had once been Halfmoon before its annexation ten years ago or thereabouts),who drove Infinitis and Tesla T-2000s down the streets hoping that somebody would notice them and give them a backpat for having such in toys. They were the ones who ate out at every tony restaurant the Capital Region had on offer and then went to Chatter or Facerange to complain about how they suddenly couldn’t afford their HOA dues or their second kid’s college fund, and usually they were the ones who after a few years could be counted on to move to someplace like Albany or Troy or Niskayuna, someplace where such trashiness was encouraged,even celebrated as a way of life.

The second kind had wealth as opposed to mere money: these were the people whose families had been in Clifton Park since one of the three booms of the 1850s,the 1890s,and the 1940s. These were the people who had family-owned behind-the-scenes seats at SPAC or who made regular donations to the Shenendehowa coffers. These people could actually afford to live in their McMansions (or,in some cases,regular actual-factual mansions). They were usually bankers or accountants or doctors or lawyers or even people who simply managed old family fortunes,people who knew the time-old adage about money talking and wealth whispering,and they made it work to their advantage. They were equally comfortable at Balenciaga launches or school bazaars, benefit balls or Bunco nights - in short,they were rich but still relatable.

One such among these was Jaclyn Ansell Ryan,a stocky,pretty blond woman,about forty,possessor of an interesting pair of inclined eyebrows and a sharp wit who on this bright day was wearing a pea-green pantsuit with matching loafers,the latest in J.Crew’s summer catalog. She was the unofficial president (but then,had there ever been an official one?) of the Excalibur Court and Environs Literary Appreciation Society, which is to say it was a book group for bored housewives. Sure,there were exceptions:Jaci herself was a real estate agent (as was Lorraine Delacorte),Amy Deery was the youngest Deputy Town Supervisor Clifton Park had ever had (and looked to be headed for her boss’ position),Marsha Gregory was deputy head nurse at Albany Med and would probably be running the hospital in a few years,Nadia Rivera had been a model and nowadays was an artist,Merri-Lee Marvil had her news show,Jo Hearland ran a home decor company specializing in shiplap,Tessa Hurley was the High School West guidance counselor,Chloe Gedman was a video game graphics designer,Lisa Dalton taught acting classes,Natya Hamilton co-owned a dance studio with her husband,Erin Malone and Johanna Abeley ran a photography business,and Christina Weezer was a noted mystery novelist. But the rest of the ECELAS was composed of housewives - people like Kendra Blake,Stacey Plovert,Eloise Wilder,Janae Singer,Cara Higgins,and Amber Sprout who lived off the money their husbands made. These were the women Jaclyn usually focused her mental energy on,seeing as they could always make time for her and help select their next read. 

This month their read was the second Space Odyssey book,a suggestion that surprisingly had originated with Kendra: apparently she and 2012 actor Roy Scheider were related through her Waldorf relatives. Jaclyn had to admit to herself she liked it better than the original 2001: the stakes felt more human and less cosmic,something she could at least partially identify with. Seeing the movie in 1984 had been her first “real” date with Victor,at least their first date unconstrained by familial expectations of what “proper girls” did and didn’t do (which in Jaci’s opinion was just hogwash: a) it was the eighties now and girls did as they liked and b) unlike the Ryans,the Ansells were new money and so they didn’t really know what they were talking about). Another tie they had to the movie was closer to home: Madolyn Van Anda,the unofficial secretary of ECELAS,had been in the movie herself back when she was Madolyn Smith,playing Scheider’s character’s wife.

TANNISTANNISTANNISTANNIS

The sound of voices perked Jaci up as the other women entered the room,the distant sound of golfers barely making an impression on their lively chatter. She moved aside a little to allow Nadia to sit in her accustomed spot equidistant from a fan and the TV. In one corner Madolyn was talking up one of the club busboys - “Listen,you gotta position this table this way,it’s always how we’ve done it!”

”Penny for your thoughts,Jace?”,Merri-Lee asked with a smirk on her pretty face: she repositioned her dark brown bob as she spoke.

”I wish. Kendra told me yesterday she had some news to tell us.”

”Hopefully it’s not about the Lawrie middle son,because that little piece of gossip has run its course,baby.” Jordan Lawrie,second son of a newly prominent local family,had recently come out as nonbinary,raising a share of Clifton Park eyebrows though their parents had been supportive of their choice.

”I don’t think so,Merri-Lee. More and more people are progressive these days than not - surely as a journalist you’ve noticed. You’ve covered pride parades and the suchlike.”

“And I’ll be covering more now that Morning Moxie has a fifteen year contract!”,Merri-Lee replied joyfully,naming the morning news show she hosted on WNYT 13. Her reply attracted the attention of some of the other members. “Congratulations!”,Jo Abeley grinned at her while Maria Randolph enveloped her in her arms. As Jaci looked on,pretty Angie Fisher added her thin arms to the hug. Oh,what the heck,might as well do so too,Jaci thought,and the deed ensued.

Their reading selection for the day (the next to last chapter,in which the Russo-American crew of the Gagarin rescues the Chinese crew of the Tsien from the chaos caused by Jupiter becoming a star) went by quickly:evidently the ladies were eager to get to the gossip session that ECELAS meetings invariably devolved into,and Jaci had to admit that she was no exception. Marsha led the gossip sesh today with some item about the Santangelo family out on Leuconia Court….apparently the dad’s brother was facing jail time for insider trading? Jaci could understand:the Great Recession back in 2001 had done such a number on the financial system that it still wasn’t quite fully recovered in some places. Elizabeth Lawrie (mother of Jordan) contributed a bit about the head gym coach at Orenda being arrested for MSAM distribution and Vanessa Pincher told them about the new Kirna Zabête opening on Broadway in Saratoga (which proudly marketed itself as the local equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive). Before anyone else could add anything,though,Kendra cleared her throat.

”Ladies,ladies,if you could focus yourselves on me for a bit,I’ve got some major news to share.” She straightened herself as the women turned to look at her.

”After reviewing about a dozen different candidates for the CFO position at Blake C&T,William’s found the perfect candidate for the position.”

”Who?”,Laura Coyne asked with a hint of curiosity in her soft but deep voice.

”His name is Jay Lyons,he’s an old friend of William’s - well,of both of us,he and William attended the University of Madison together,and I used to go out with him before I met William - in fact I introduced Jay to his current wife,who at the time lived in the condo next door to me. One of us at least might already know him” - here she tipped her head to Merri-Lee. “Did he work your flight,Merri? I don’t remember off the top of my head.” Merri-Lee had been a spaceflight observer on the first Shuttle mission of 1997,a Spacehab flight that had required an emergency visit to the Mir space station after its atmospheric supply had been contaminated - all the Shuttle’s air had been vented to space after the docking and the air supply had been refilled from Mir’s onboard consumables.

”Yes,he did,Kendra - he was the test director for that launch.” Merri-Lee proceeded to explain what that was to the other women and they returned to their gossip.

TANNISTANNISTANNISTANNIS

”So when do they get here?”,Tessa asked Kendra a little later as the group chowed down on finger sandwiches and pasta salad in the club’s Prime Restaurant. The vaguely elfin brunette was always a stickler for introducing new people to Clifton Park and she was confident she could have Mrs Lyons falling in love with the town in a week.

”They left Melbourne - that’s where they live in Florida - about seven this morning (they called earlier from Savannah) and they should be here Sunday afternoon assuming nothing major happens”. Kendra smoothed out her sundress,picked up her phone,scrolled for a bit and eventually came to a newspaper photo showing a smiling trio in front of a school flagpole. “That’s my most recent picture of them. It’s from when Claire won a local spelling bee in February.”

The people in the photo,Tessa had to admit,were handsome enough: Jay,although he was balding and had the beginnings of a paunch,looked a little like someone’s father from a Norman Rockwell painting with his loose collared shirt,a KSC lapel pin on the right flanked by embroidered Shuttle patches. Julie was a pudgy,pretty blond with a blowout and a blinding smile whose checkered skirt Tessa recognized from a recent spring collection by Tarquin. Claire was a younger version of her mother,a thin blond girl with bangs,somewhat muscular limbs,and a sweet little smile whose taste appeared to run to checkered shirts and the type of Keds her Kemp usually wore to school.

”Do you think we ought to have a welcoming party for them,Kendra? It’d seem like the right thing to do.”

”Will and I want to wait until they’re a little settled in here,so maybe a month or two. Certainly before I give birth,though”,Kendra smiled as she stroked her belly. 

Notes:

Worldbuilding:

Yes, the second Space Odyssey book takes place in 2012 instead of 2010 in this universe. Deal with it.

Kendra was born as Kendra Blair Waldorf,a medium-close relative of the famous New York family: her folks were more upper middle class and she grew up in Worcester,Massachusetts. Blair exists in this timeline and she is Kendra’s second cousin and also her goddaughter. She and most of the Gossip Girl crew graduated from Shen in 1998 (Jenny was Class of 2001) and someday I might write a prequel series about their adventures.

The Pretty Committee girls literally have a classmate named Debby Weezer: Christina is her mother. Jaci is Olivia Ryan’s mom: the other women with canon ties mentioned are the mothers of Charlie Deery,Kristen Gregory,Alicia Rivera,Dylan Marvil (well,here her name is Dana),Kemp Hurley,Kori Gedman,Nikki Dalton,Skye Hamilton,Layne Abeley,Massie Block (Blake here),Chris Plovert,Becca Wilder,Allie Rose Singer,Alexis Higgins,Heidi Sprout,Carrie Randolph,Cam Fisher,and Ahnna Pincher respectively. (catches breath)

I urge all of you upstate gays and gals to try out the Saratoga National course someday.

Next chapter we meet the Lyons clan - the first half of the chapter will be from Claire’s point of view and the second half from Massie’s. A general note here - except for Kristen’s little “Glambition!” project (which we’ll see in the second book of this series,per the additional tags) and some movie-only events like Claire first meeting Dana at the mall (Crossgates Mall represent!) and Chris Abeley accidentally knocking Claire over with his skateboard,the plot of this book will generally follow The Clique. There’ll be some additional plot points like Claire getting a student mentor (*cough*Fawn*cough*) and Kendra introducing Judi to the local ladies.

Editing this further with my outline for the next four chapters:
Chapter 4 - August 21,the Lyonses arrive,Claire meets Massie,room tour,Massie tells Claire about the Pretty Committee
Chapter 5 - still August 21,dinner,small talk and exposition
Chapter 6 - August 22,Massie on the Gallman Farms trail (Waterford? Malta?),scene with Chris Abeley,more or less as in the book and movie but of course she already knows him,he tells her about him and Fawn being together but she’s plotting……
Chapter 7 - August 23,Claire and Massie mall trip,they pick up Olivia and Strawberry,at Crossgates Mall they run into Dana and Merri-Lee (and possibly Jamie as well to satisfy the tag I put up)

More worldbuilding:

Chatter and Facerange are this world’s version of Twitter and Facebook respectively. Friendster (from the last chapter) is a kind of MySpace with BBS influences,and other social platforms that we’ll get to know over this series include Jobhub (LinkedIn),Palantir (YouTube),and Pictogram (Instagram). The technology level of this universe’s 2005 is generally around ours in that year,slightly ahead when it comes to social media. The Internet is here called the Infonet but it’s still known as the World Wide Web.

Geopolitically there are some differences too,mainly amounting to the Soviet Union still technically being A Thing. Since the New Union Accords of 1989 it consists of Russia proper,Belarus,Georgia,roughly the northern fifth of Armenia,and some concessions like the 75 year lease of Sevastopol from Ukraine or the 300 year (!) lease of the Baikonur area from Kazakhstan. Most people in 2005 call it the “Union State” from the Accords.