The time has come, to allow for another glimpse of the process it took, in creating the latest installments of Chapter Twenty-One of Rage in Hell.
The chapter took much longer than I would have liked, but that was mainly because I struggled so terribly with the creation and introduction of Jermaine Jackson's character. In particular, while I love Michael and Marlon Jackson, I cannot say the same for Jermaine. He's mostly annoyed me over the years, even if he is a pleasant crooner. If it wasn't for him being bound by blood to MJ, I'd regard him much as I do someone like Iggy Azalea:
But I digress, as I so often do.
PART ONE of the chapter opened up with a very troubled and frantic Vylette pretty much breaking into Jackson Manor, slipping in through some open doors. (Try that stunt now in 2015, leave a door open and find a homicide scene in the morning!)
Vylette makes a beeline up to Michael and finds him smoking a ciggie and wearing a luxurious black and white robe.
After much hinting and broad begging to elope, following her mother's less than desired reaction to the engagements, Michael calms his frightened sweetheart and puts her to bed. (A very scandalous move, considering the two aren't yet wed. It's 1931, shacking up was frowned on, before everyone but the Westboro church got liberal. LOL.. )
The story picks up in New Orleans, with Michael having it out with a receptionist on the pay phone.
And I'm going to the pains to explain what a pay phone is because I've had several readers ask what it was. In a time before everyone was strapped to an iphone and left their land lines at home, if a call was needed in public a person would enter one of these, deposit a nickel, dime or quarter, and place a call.
Michael is now dressed respectably in a brown suit:
While Vylette is cool in a blue and teal number, based on an actual outfit Myrna Loy wore.
I follow dozens of Myrna blogs so I never run out of clothing ideas. (I just have to keep in mind that I made Vylette bustier than Myrna, and consider how garments with hang. Myrna was B-cup in real life--don't ask how I know--Vylette is a D-cup in my mind.)
After a hearty breakfast in which Michael warns of Jermaine's conceited ways and threatens a man for sniffing at Vylette, they proceed on to the train depot where Michael has a conniption over his brother's car.
I literally wanted to make Jermaine as conspicuous as humanly possible. And that showed in his car. At first I wanted him to have a Duesenberg, but I backed off , as I'd likely have Michael buy one once married. Instead I settled on a Rolls Royce. (In real life Jermaine does drive a white Rolls)
But I went over the top, with it in maroon and gold (bronze)
And his car is a combination of two.
The body of the car is based on this. It's a 1929 RR Phantom I. This is the first of the now famous Phantoms. I wanted a touring car large enough to carry JJ and 6 to 8 children at a time.
The paint job is based on an actual Rolls:
This is a 1938 Rolls Phantom II. Of course this make is too late for my story, but its real! LET THAT SINK IN.
Seething, Michael escorts Vylette to the train, where she sees Jermaine's personal train car.
It's blue, with his name inscribed on it.
And I went all in with the interior.
I actually at first chose a different interior, but again, I saved the more opulent car for Michael. The above pictured is actually Queen Victoria's--as in Queen of England--private train car. Wait till you see Michael's a few chapters from now, it'll be a LULU!
It's Vylette's first real glimpse of how exactly rich the Jacksons are and how differently they do live as Michael and Marlon are a bit more pared down.
On the platform Michael is overrun by his nephews, whom I based on the actual 3T as children. I literally had to change nothing, other than having TJ snaggletoothed, as I felt it was cuter on a 5-year-old.
3T in my story.
I ran into a problem with Jermaine's children. 3T are relatively light-skinned, because their mother was and I really wanted to show different shades as far as complexions in the Jackson family, like real life. Unfortunately, Jermaine only has one darker skin daughter, because the rest of his family is a rainbow coalition thanks to his many interracial martriages..
But Jana and Jessie are supposed to reflect Jermaine's marraige to Hazel Gordy:
Thus, I invented his daughters
Jana Jackson
Jessilynn Jackson.
And off the top, the girls are tiny versions of their father, complaining of appearances and not daring to show their faces when less than perfect. This will be a running theme throughout their arc in the story.
Then, the man himself, Jermaine arrived. In particular my friend Ebonie said she had trouble picturing the pool blue suit, mustard accessories and marbled leather shoes. Eb, this is for YOU:
Ii based his outfit solely on the fact that Jermaine does not dress like a normal human...
He's always extra with his shit...and I'm going to have fun.
PART TWO begins with Michael admiring Vylette as she naps in her underwear and tries to sneak a peek at her pale body, while being caught by Vinnie.
I'm anal; I included the undies.
Once she wakes, Vylette dresses in a lavender lace dress:
Based on this, minus the jacket as this is a late 30s dress...and a new diamond bracelet.
Because I like spending imaginary money.
While primping, she's joined by Lorraine, who wears a revealing dotted dress, mostly to show off her body in front of Hannah.
The two argue and I made mention of that trying time of the month, which is how ladies' troubles were referred to in actual Kotex ads from the 1930s.
After a bit of shit talking, I brought in Hannah. And as a constant contrast she's a bumpkin next to the modes of fashion Lorraine and Vylette are evolving into.
The mustard calico dress.
And Lorraine braggy and flashy to the point Vylette wants to slap her and takes a nicer approach.
The girls proceed down to the Solarium, where they meet up with the rest of the Povah girls, also in calico dresses, clashing with the new frocks the Jackson girls and Vinnie wears.
Lorraine is still showing her catty colors, and smokes in front of the children, suprising them, and using Jermaine's case and lighter.
Its in the Solarium that Hannah reveals her wishes to be courted by someone, like the elder girls are, but has no idea who she'd like...until she sees Jermaine.
Jermaine as he appears in the story.
Instantly, scrawny Hannah glows and it doesn't help that Jermaine is a natural flirt.
A new argument errupts when he tells Hannah she looks like Jean Harlow, which is fighting words to Lorraine who says if Hannah resembles Jean then she looks like actor Wallace Beery:
Jean Harlow
Wallace Beery
The chapter ends with a fed up Marlon tossing Lorraine in the pool to cool her off, causing a spectacle and drawing laughs. While everyone else enjoys, Vylette hopes he doesn't break naive Hannah's heart.
But I have loads more ideas for the story and potentialy one that will not only upset the Jackson family, but likely everyone else in Rainelle Parish.
STICK AROUND! MORE IS ON THE WAY!
