like a super ball in a small room

Willie here, probably one glass of tea over the warning line, yet again.

I think we ought to allow some real time for the characters, including Ignatius, to develop before the death. We might still want to put things all in retrospect- Maybe Jen's character is telling the whole story after the fact.

Jen, I think you are more likely to travel in relation to the Eye than, oh 99 percent of the population. It is what makes you great, but many lesser souls would not do so.
Let's each try to come up with a unique, plausible reason for our character to go to the funeral. Better, come up with two, in case somebody else thought of your first choice. Impulsiveness is acceptable, if your character can afford impulsive behavior.

I believe my primary character is Ignatius Katz, aka Jeff Miller. Ignatius the poster is decribed a little bit elsewhere. Jeff is probably in his forties. Could he have late-stage ALS? I don't think he'd be able to post independently. I do not think he commits suicide per se, but he should die with the mouse in his hand, which kind of eliminates auto-erotic strangulation, I guess. Anybody know of a disease or ailment that will kill you in six months, won't make you too weak or crazy to work a computer, and when it works, really works? THAT is what Jeff has. Jeff did moderately well in High school- solid 1200 SAT stuff, but his father, who was a factory guy, was ambivalent about college. Jeff fell in with the wrong crowd early- philosophy and literature majors and figured out, if the education he wanted wouldn't get him a job, he really didn't need to pay to read books. So he worked at a place that was opening up- a guy named J. Peterman and his relatives, mostly, selling these cowboy coats and boots and stuff in the mail. Jeff never cared much about clothes, but when the company began selling women's stuff, he took advantage of the emp discount and bought some things for his mother. He left when X happened, but he remembers JP personally and liked him. He has a younger brother who is gay. Gay is not so bad. It beats complete social and occupational immobility, which is what Jeff recognizes he has. He does not see himself as abnormal or mentally ill, and before the diagnosis, had no notion that he was sick. He is just unlucky and lacks confidence. When somebody sent him a copy of the 40 year old virgin, he realized that his life was a little like that- only without the part about getting laid. He is aware that women do not find him physically attractive and circumstances have prevented him from the kind of long term exposure that allows you to overcome the physical. Maybe he confides to one girl who he was close to earlier in life about his postings on the Eye and she conveniently visits his family the day after his death and remembers. Because he is not paranoid, he has his eye password saved in his browser, or on a card tacked to his bulletin board. That could be his introductory scene. She might still think he is cool (because he is) but she forgets about the Eye until she goes to visit his mother.

The funeral gets delayed a little while, by the way, because his parents have to figure out about the gay brother, whom things have been a little strained with. That stretches the usual into-the-ground-in-two-days into dead on monday, buried on Friday or saturday- JUST ENOUGH TIME FOR FIVE WACKY FRIENDS TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE.

Ignatius Katz, a reference definitely to Ignatius Reilly of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, but also to Katz as in Krazy Kat- I just googled Ignatz Katz and was gratified to see the squeeze (i.e., us) in the top three entries. Krazy Kat had Ignatz Mouse, but I still think Ignatius is better. Maybe he starts as Ignatz and becomes Ignatius, like Shibboleth did. Maybe someone praises his "saintly" behavior and he changes his name in gratitude.

So Ig-Jeff has a scene in his parents' basement, where he computes all day, a scene at some coffee place where he tells his old high school friend that he is not likely to get another job ( doesn't tell her why) but also tells her how much fun he is having at the Eye. which she promptly forgets. And he has several postings that he reads aloud. Since he is smart, he probably flirts with Olivia and Jen and he returns KindLee's generous praise with warmth. Any one or all of them might turn that into a reason for a small crush, or just a nice feeling about him and a hope that he has a good life.
Which he doesn't tell them that he lacks.


And he has the scene where he conks, looking at the words
"Ignatius Katz, what do you think"


What does everybody think of the honor roll gift certificates? Necessary? Distracting? I think we need to get as much humor into the funeral scenes as possible. If a lot of unknown people are wearing Peterman clothes it might help. Of course, maybe they all bought at the liquidation sale. This is good material for the women I think. You know

MissIve and Kindlee approaching the cemetary.
M "Okay, so who is going to be here from the eye?"
K "I don't know. Olivia, maybe? Who can say?"
M "Well, it would have been good if we had some recognition signal, you know, like that nose thing they do in The Sting. I guess it would be too much to ask for all fo the Eye people to wear dusters."
And then they walk up and it looks like a lot of people ARE wearing dusters, but it is just a canvas tent.

I don't know...

See youse
WT