Chapter notes for "The House On Avian Way" start right now! Today we get the prologue, and chapter 1.
Prologue:References, etc:
- "Beetlejuice" in various forms is referenced throughout this fic, since both the film and (to a much larger extent) the soundtrack were a huge inspiration. In fact, as mentioned, a lot of the fic was written
to the soundtrack. The film, soundtrack, and animated series are referenced many times.
The entire scene is written, and (more or less) paced, to the opening title theme from the "Beetlejuice" soundtrack. If you listen to the theme while reading this scene - well, it won't match up perfectly because the scene doesn't take a minute and a half, or however long the track is, to read; however, it's meant to approximately follow the sequence.
As we find out later, this scene takes place in 1951 - not that I have anything to link it to that year beyond a few vague hints: "the modern wing-tipped shoes" in Richie's apparel being the biggest one. Also, their names - Stella and Richie - are names I associate more closely with the 50s. Though I think "Richie" is linked to the 50s for me more because of Stephen King's "IT" than any real popularity of the name at that time.
Richie's manner of speaking, also, deliberately emulates Beetlejuice in the animated series.
Chapter 1:
References, etc:
- No references in this chapter!
I'm lame. I totally like the juxtaposition of everything going dark and then the room being flooded with light. I'm not sure how clear it is, however, that this is the same room.
So, here we follow the proper format for a ghost story/movie: start with a mysterious, scary or at least chilling sequence to get everyone's attention, then drop down to a quiet and slower-paced opening with a few hints of spookiness thrown in. Mwahahahaha! I love you, ghost stories!
This is probably the first fic that really brings up the fact that Beth is a skilled seamstress, although I established it back in "The Bride Wore Black" (honest!). It also comes up more in "All About Elizabeth", that never-ending monster of a fic. (Almost wish I'd never even started that one by now because it will NEVER BE FINISHED!).
Don't actually know where LP-as-handyman came from; he's a mechanic, not an electrician. [Edited later to add: Actually he's not even a mechanic! XD He's a pilot, but regardless, he clearly has a working knowledge of mechanics - so I can call that canon.] But we can always chalk it up to him trying to impress Beth with his manly knowledge of... everything that can be fixed with a toolbox.
Note my subtle attempts to timeline, when I mention that last year at Halloween Beth had not yet moved in. TWC4 takes place in October and TWC5, in November.
I am not sure, but I think this scene between LP and Beth owes some minor details to Kim McFarland; early in our correspondance when I was writing the first drafts of TWC, she said something about how she could just see LP helping Beth moving furniture and her serving him lemonade, etc... It seems to have resurfaced as LP moving stacks of fabric and Beth serving him iced tea. *g*
Okay, the lengthy introspective part from LP about Beth took a lot of rewriting from me. As of now I still haven't written the ending of AAE, and although I know how it will end, it's hard to reference something you haven't written yet without being either too vague (so no one knows what you're referring to) or too blatant (so there's no point in writing the actual scene you're referencing). I hope I struck a good balance, mainly talking about things that will not be within AAE itself but come in between that one and this one.
Of course the downside in putting all this out now is that it's total spoilers for the ending of AAE, if that kind of thing matters. But it's the getting there that's important, right? ...Right?
Trying to write a dream sucks. I have never been satisfied with what I've managed, and that goes for this one too.
That covers it for this time... tune in next ... uh, day. ^_^
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