Easter Eggs, Hints, Red Herrings, Tributes, Inane Trivia and Other Randomness
in the fanfic "Hot Air"
Introduction
Every time I write a story, I put in a whole bunch of random "inside jokes" that only I know about, and then wonder if anyone will notice them on their own. Well, for this story only, I'm including this break down of some of the more interesting easter eggs. Not your cup of tea? Heck, I'm not holding a gun to your head, don't read the thing. But if you enjoy getting inside an author's head, are wondering how many HA! episodes I deliberately referenced, curious as to whether I know how much that one line sounds like something from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, wish you knew where I hinted as to who Syl, Les or the Doctor was or just plain hoping for a few laughs, plough right ahead. This is long and I make no apology for it. Those who read it straight through are probably like me and wishing it was longer. The rest of you can feel free to skim – I've listed it by chapter to make that easier. ~PJ
Let the Randomness Begin
How long is this thing anyway? Hot Air is, according to my word processor, 55,808 words -- 122 pages, not counting disclaimers and author notes.
Like a balloon? I thought up the title long before I had the story complete in my mind. In fact, I didn't figure out what the heck "hot air" even was until about three or four chapters into it. Much less why it was the title of my story.
Let's talk about your wordiness issues… As I've said before, this entire story was originally just an introduction to the next story (Ice Water) – and was planned to be about two pages long!
I like the blue silk ones the best. Pyrus Japonica is the name of my favorite flower, a huge red thing with loads of petals, also known as the Japanese Quince. In the Victorian Language of the Flowers, it means "fairie's fire". I'm the only Pyrus Japonica I've ever seen online anywhere, so if you know another PJ from somewhere, it's probably me.
Initial this… Ever notice that Hot Air and Hey Arnold! have the same initials? Coincidence.
Prologue
Hot Air on the silver screen? At one point I decided to make HA into a Flash movie. I even storyboarded the prologue for it. What's stopping me? The fact that I can't draw in Flash.
Picky picky… Helga's watch should really read in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit, but I've never been good with judging metric so I cheated.
Das reference Helga's rat phobia is a reference to Das Subway. Incidentally, my little sister owns three rats, and they're so cute, like itty bitty dogs. Seriously, they walk on leashes and everything. But they're not really into chasing cats.
I knew I shouldn't have started in the middle! One of the reasons I don't mention Helga and Gerald's names here is that I had no idea it was them when I first wrote it. When I finally decided it was them, I accidentally left in the "I knew we shouldn't have taken this job!" line, so I had to work that into the plot later on, rather sloppily I might add. Whoops. Guess I need a Beta.
Why does Hot Air glow? Again, I wrote this before I figured out what Hot Air was. In my original idea, the glowing green tubes were toxic waste. Why? Not a clue, it just seemed like a good idea at the time.
Hints anyone? It is possible to guess right off the bat who these two shadows are. The rat thing gives Helga away of course. Gerald is slightly harder, since one's first thought might be Arnold. But really, does Arnold do one-liners? Hardly. It's gotta be the future talk show co-host. :)
Chapter 1
In Which Gerald Decides To Make Some Changes in His Life
In which PJ finally flips… By far the hardest part to writing these chapters? The titles. I had to change each one about four or five times, and I'm still not happy with some of them.
Most diverse menu Ox-tail soup and ostrich steaks are available at South African restaurants, in case you'd like to try them. I've had both, and they're really good.
The numbers never lie Gerald and Ginger are seated at table forty-three. Now, we all know Gerald's number is thirty-three. Something is wrong. Obviously, he's added too much to his life – and that too much is Ginger. Yes, I'm stretching it. I told you these were inside jokes.
Yadda yadda yadda Ginger calls Gerald "Gerry" right after he uses the "it's not you, it's me" line. That's right, Seinfeld lives on.
Sugar and Spice Ginger is of course named for her red hair. And temper, I might add. Also, I liked the way it sounded with Gerald.
These "friends" of yours…are they visible? "…friends…slightly psychotic acquaintances…same thing" is a quote my friends and I say to each other. Rather often, actually.
Why New Jersey? I have a friend who lives "as close as you can get to NJ without falling in the river" so I know something about the state, and I don't know anyone who lives there. And it's a boring state, that is, not DC or California or something else everyone knows about. It was either that or Idaho, but I don't think Idaho really exists. I mean come on, who have you ever met from Idaho? Can you even think of a city in Idaho off the top of your head? (Boise doesn't count, I think it really is in France anyway.) I firmly believe that "Idaho" is actually some sort of space void entirely populated by potatoes, with possible random visits from aliens.
Breaking your own rules… "Never date your boss." Of course, Helga is still technically Gerald's boss at the end of the story.
Male mail "American Express bill…I may have won a million bucks…application for an American Express card…" A Douglas Adams bit. In The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, the main character receives in the mail a letter threatening to take away his American Express in the same post as an application for the same card.
By the way, somewhere in this chapter is a clue for a major plot point in the third – that's right, third – story in this series. No kidding.
Heh heh. Yeah that's right. The guy who's going for coffee's name is Joe.
Life imitating art "He had never realized that a desk job was so…boring." Written at my own desk job. Ick.
Twitchy Simon's eye twitch comes from my friend Steve's eye twitch, which I always found fascinating. Not that he'll ever read this, but still.
Beautiful endings I needed a name for a medical/chemical export/import company. "Med" is taken. "Chem" is taken. So Ical it was. I tend to pronounce it "eye-cal".
Female dogs and other fun things to write People have asked why Helga is so mean at first. Well, first of all we meet her when she's all worked up about a stupid paperwork thing Phil has done apparently just to irritate her. She's been on this boring undercover position for what, six months now? And suddenly an old childhood friend shows up. Coincidence? She doesn't know. He could be the enemy, and in fact at first she's sure he is. So she goes back to her old stand-by mask, the bully. It's not who she is, but she sure is good at it. And if Gerald had been there totally innocently, what would he have done? Just avoided her. The fact that he didn't set off all sorts of warning bells in Helga's mind. Hence the panicked 3am phone call to Moria.
On appearances. Most of the grownup versions of HA! characters in here look very similar to what they did in Married. Gerald also reminds me a bit of Will Smith, but that's another story. Helga has killed the unibrow but refuses to pluck any more than necessary, bushy eyebrows are fine with her. And she's good looking but not super-model-Helga. Helga's suit here is like her president outfit, minus the huge pink bow. She doesn't wear pink bows anymore, though she did all through high school. Arnold's the obvious exception, he's not kid-with-long-legs nor the lounge lizard. He's Arnold the Arteest. Imagine that as you will.
Incidentally, Gerald is attracted to Helga the moment he sees her, as seen by the automatic straightening of his tie. Before he realizes who she is of course.
Chapter 2
In Which We Meet the Pink Nazi, and Gerald Discovers Surprises Tend to Come in Pairs
Grandpa? Why is Phil's name Phil? I don't know. He wouldn't tell me.
Why isn't Helga running the Beeper Empire? This will possibly be discussed in the next book. If not, then the next.
A clue, a clue! In Helga's note, she refers to Gerald as Tall Hair Boy (despite his now cropped locks). This is a prior hint as to who PB is later in her email.
"Yes Mrs. Pataki," was originally a typo. When I saw that the errand boy had said it, I toyed with the idea of her really being married, but decided on the ruse instead. 'Sides, "Mrs. Pataki" sounds more intimidating than "Ms. Pataki".
Tiny clue to another plot point in book three also in this chapter. Yeah I'm big on plotting ahead.
Bring me the head of Willy the mailman! "Cubeville" is a Dilbert reference.
12 Angry Helgas Helga's aliens-in-her-nose thought is similar, though not quite the same, as the line she has in False Alarm.
Yet another reference… Stinky says Arnold lives a charmed life in Monkeyman.
And another… We find out how much Grandpa can bench press in Parent's Day, of course.
And yet another… Of course, the Nadine/PK and Sheena/Eugene pairings are from Married. Such a great episode.
For those of you who noticed the pause Arnold takes when he "finds out" Helga is married, yes he has quite a few thoughts to think about that. No, they are not all good, nor are they all bad. Yes, something obviously happened with the whole Arnold/Helga thing. No, Gerald doesn't know the whole story. And no, I'm not going to talk about it anymore right now. Remember, Hot Air was a Gerald story. If you're very good maybe I'll tell you what happened later.
Chapter 3
In Which Mysteries Abound Freely
Phil the amateur "If I didn't know better I'd say this place was amateurly booby trapped." It was. Phil wanted to be warned if someone else was in the building.
Eh? Ok, the run-down of the Ical break-in: Phil got there first. He booby-trapped the building then took his time checking out Helga's office and setting up a keycatcher. (He considered a phone tap as well but opted not to press his luck, he knew Helga fairly well by then.) As he was on his way to Gerald's cubicle, he heard Gerald downstairs. Quickly, he hid in his office down the hall. Helga entered the building around here, but she also heard Gerald and decided to go around a back way instead. Gerald then came in and searched Helga's office. Phil came out, thinking Gerald was gone, put the keycatcher on Gerald's computer and went back down the hall. But Gerald heard him as he left. Gerald went to check out his cubicle just as Helga was coming up the side stairs. He hid but she saw him anyway, hearing at the same time the guard coming behind her. So, Helga ran down the hall, knocking a trash can over on the way and successfully distracting the guard from Gerald, who left soon after. All in all, the only one who really got anything done that night was Phil.
Blissful The picture in Helga's office is Edward Hopper's Summertime, otherwise known as the picture on Dr. Bliss' wall in Helga on the Couch. It also hangs in my living room. (I love Edward Hopper. Very strange man.)
What's with the bear? Get used to the flashback thing. Ice Water is full of it. And why is it that they always put such ugly animals in those claw games, anyhow? More on high school and various relationships therein in the next few books, btw.
PB=Red Herring Possible "PB"s include Phoebe or Phil Briteon.
For the two people who wanted to read Harold's proposal, yes it may possibly fit into a future story. We'll see.
Helga's drawer Any writer knows that you need to have notebooks around in case your muse slaps you at work. Helga is apparently no exception. And get used to that photo. It shows up quite a bit more. It was taken on an interesting day.
Chapter 4
In Which Gerald Fights the Evil Laser Printer, Helga Plots, Arnold Paints, and Phoebe Finally Makes an Appearance
Printers and other evil monstrosities The IE666 is named for obvious reasons. Say "IE" out loud at the top of your lungs and then add "666" like the coroner in the Hey Arnold Movie and you'll have a pretty good idea of what I think of printers.
And your lucky number is… And of course, the printer gives only Gerald error 33.
…and Gog and Magog I blame Og for all my computer problems, Pog for printer issues, and Cog for car breakdowns. Don't ask me why, I don't know.
I am Thelma… Gerald's "percussion therapy" conversation is partially from Space Cases, one of those really great shows that Nickelodeon cancelled. I have almost all their episodes on tape.
Back in the lab Phoebe's lab won the Viksten Science and Technology Grant. Apparently the bicycle shop paid off.
Best Friends Major tip-off that Helga isn't married here – sure, Helga isn't the greatest at keeping in touch, but don't you think she'd manage to let Phoebe know?
Speaking of tip-offs A little thought (ok, maybe a lot of thought) about what Helga is up to added to the bonus info here that she used to live in Virginia (CIA headquarters is in Langley, Virginia) and remembering that Gerald said the anti-terrorism division was a joint-effort might just lead you to understand what Helga is doing in New Jersey.
Chapter 5
In Which Questions Are Answered. Some of Them Anyway
The joy of having a boss I hope ya'll enjoy Moria and Simon, because there's going to be a lot more of them in the future.
Just a thought Anyone know what Simon's last name is?
But Virginia! Breakfast is bacon! When Helga realizes she's late for work, she says "Cripes!" This is a tribute to Wolf from the wonderful mini-series, The 10th Kingdom.
Runaway Bus No, Helga nor Arnold ever told Gerald why Helga suddenly showed up to help save the neighborhood. He may find out later.
Seems like I'm missing something… What Gerald forgot to remember at the end of the chapter was that he hadn't asked Helga about the keycatcher he found.
Chapter 6
In Which the Title of This Fic Actually Comes Into Play
Stay awake… Helga stabbing herself with her pen was inspired by a deleted scene in Heartbreakers, where Sigourney Weaver stabs herself with a fork to stay awake.
Plot hole number 23… How did Gerald get Helga's cell number? Erm…maybe Phoebe…except he hasn't talked to her…or Moria maybe for some reason?
What have I got in my pocket? The full text of the Yiddish joke Gerald tells is something like this:
Me: What hangs on the wall, is green, wet and whistles?
You: No clue.
Me: A herring.
You: What? A herring doesn't hang on the wall.
Me: Hang it there then.
You: But herrings aren't green!
Me: Paint it green.
You: But it's not wet!
Me: It is if you just painted it.
You: But, but herrings don't whistle!!
Me: I know. I just put that part in to make it hard.
Another stupid random joke like that:
Me: I bet I can make you say white.
You: Ok.
Me: What color is your shirt?
You: Uh, green.
Me: See, I told you I could make you say green!
You: No you didn't, you said you could make me say white…oh.
Flawed thinking "They're smuggling the contents of Gerald's head?" This joke is the sole reason I decided to name this fic Hot Air, far before I had worked out the plot. Well I think it's funny anyway.
Luddites in the real world "It's just evil medieval-aged laser printers that hate me I don't like." After I told my roommate Teri that she really couldn't handle computers (I don't even have the heart to tell you what her computer had done to her) she said something like this to me. Hey, I give credit where credit is due.
Chapter 7
In Which Someone is Excited, Someone is Sad, Someone is Frightened, and Someone is Bad
Just for the record Arnold is excited, Phoebe is sad, Helga is frightened, and Gerald is bad. Ok, not really bad, he just breaks a few rules. But "Someone is a Rulebreaker" doesn't fit with my cool little rhyming scheme.
More on Arnold What happens when a miracle-worker loses the source of his power? Arnold hasn't really lost all hope, he's just a little depressed and, not that he would admit it, slightly bored with his life. (He's also lost a few other things that he doesn't realize, but are quite important.) It seems that exciting things happen to everyone but him lately. Don't worry Arnold, you'll have your share of adventures in the next stories. Although once you have them, you'll probably wish you could go back, lol.
Something to think about You know, Simon and Moria never did explain why they were missing for so long. That will probably come up again later.
Tea vs. Coffee, the Deathmatch I am a die-hard tea-drinker. (Twinnings Earl Gray, mmm) I hate coffee. Coffee is evil. Everyone in my family, plus my three roommates are all die-hard coffee-addicts. The conversation between Gerald and Helga has been repeated in my life many, many times. Which is why Gerald is outnumbered in my story – both Helga and Phoebe drink only tea. Arnold still prefers hot chocolate. :)
Black marks I'm not sure, but my bet is that the majority of Helga's code-breaks have had to do with either a) not doing the paperwork, or b) ignoring authority, with a good amount of c) Unnecessary Emotional Emasculation of Jerk-wad Coworkers thrown in.
But they make me feel like family… Dr. Colic's excuse of having a big family thing is of course totally bogus. He just had to make an in-person report to Brazil.
Flowers and other reasons to live I'm big on the language of flowers from Victorian times, so pretty much anytime you see a flower in one of my stories, you can bet it means something. In the picture everyone will grow to know and love by the end of this series (or ignore and hate, depending on the person I suppose) there are a number of interesting flowers. Arnold has two rosebuds, white and pink. He may not realize it, but that symbolizes both a dead love and a hopeful love, slightly ironic choices for him. Helga's lily just means purity, but she chose it for a different association. And finally, Sheena's wild daisies and Queen Anne's Lace are a special meaning for me. I wrote that part right after something had just happened to me which basically broke my heart, and I associate Queen Anne's Lace with that experience. Wild daisies mean "I will think of it." Just a little memento for me.
Chapter 8
In Which Helga Gets Chewed Out, And Gerald Gets Help
Gerald Perry Gerald's "Good choice then." is inspired slightly by Matthew Perry's "Well then obviously you made the right choice." when Bruce Willis explains that he either had to kill him or the other guy he just shot in The Whole Nine Yards.
And another number alert Apparently, even Mr. Smith knows that Gerald's number is 33.
Enter Dr. Colic The tall man, of course, is the not-so-good doctor's first appearance.
Chapter 9
In Which Our Little Team Gets Back Together
Pumpkins and puddin' Don't worry, any Stinky fans out there. He'll show up again.
Just a note Parade balloons scare the bejeebuz out of me. Arnold's painting at this point gives me the willies.
Chapter 10
In Which Phil Attempts to Redeem Himself
A natty natty dresser Of course, Helga's known Gerald looks good in a suit even since her dream in Married.
FGWK The Fat Guy With Kittens will show up again, I enjoy writing him. As a side note, he's related to someone we all know and love, who hasn't shown up yet but may later. (No, not Curly or Brainy, that'd be too obvious.)
Pod Person Helga Phoebe's Hare Krishna line is another tribute to that wonderful episode, Helga on the Couch.
Yeah yeah, he looks great, typical This is how I tend to picture Gerald after near-death experiences – coming out in a suit, driving a Mustang. Heh, I love it. And yes, eventually we will hear what happened, or rather didn't happen with Gerald and Phoebe in High School as well as the Arnold/Helga story.
Bad Guys Don't Smuggle in Health Drinks I want a bumper sticker that says that, just to confuse people. :)
The clothes make the man…dead The valet's uniform includes a red shirt for a reason. In old Star Trek episodes, the "normal" crew, ie not the stars, would wear red shirts and were there pretty much for the sole purpose of being eaten/killed/maimed/destroyed by whatever alien life form the crew had just found. The life span of one of these guys was something like 5.3 seconds after getting on the screen. (One might wonder where all these extra crew members were coming from, but then one would be questioning the wisdom of Star Trek.) Therefore, often in Sci-Fi circles people who die right after your heros meet them are called "Red Shirts".
Plot hole? What plot hole? So…where in the explosion did Gerald manage to get back the Mustang's keys which he had given to the valet? Erm, maybe the force of the explosion rocketed them towards him, and he scooped them up right before they ran away? Yeah, that's it…
Chapter 11
In Which We Get a Bit Mushy
Unidentified Flying Plants The reason Phoebe's computer system can't identify the plant substances in Hot Air is that it only has a database of North American plants. And most of the ones in Hot Air, as you may have guessed, are from the jungles of South America. (Hence the location of the camp later on.)
You're a smooth one, Dr. Colic… Edward is pretty slick, horribly intelligent, and he also knows Phoebe very well. A worthy villain for Ice Water, I believe.
Unknowing help Although he's started by helping Phoebe. His using the word "concentrate" set her off thinking about the concentrations of plutonium in the plant samples. Pure coincidence, of course, but amusing none the less.
A hint… As always with my mystery characters, it is possible to guess the Doctor's identity. For example, in this scene Dr. Colic has to duck under Phoebe's doorway, and he's the only male doctor in this story. Any other tall doctors come to mind?
The Atlanta/Delta Airport Atlanta is an awesome city, but it really is the busiest airport in the States, and not, unfortunately, the largest. Rather crazy at times. Delta takes up an entire terminal for itself, it's based there. Dave Barry tends to crack jokes about it.
It's, um, a really big plane Although Delta does do direct flights for Paris, Toronto and London from Atlanta, I doubt very much that it does for Tokyo. Tokyo and Atlanta are pretty much on the exact opposite sides of the globe, most jets need to stop and refuel somewhere. (I don't remember how many hours the flight is, but the number coming to my head is something like 15 hours? Dunno.)
Grandmothers and twenty-somethings I knit, and it's true – I am no longer allowed to bring knitting needles on airplanes, sigh. Metal ones obviously, but now they even take away plastic and bamboo sometimes.
Gate 23 So now Gerald must be missing something in his life. Any guesses, heh?
Exceptions to rules Gerald and Helga did not have plane tickets yet, in case you were wondering. They got past security by showing their badges instead.
Phone calls and lack thereof Apparently, Simon and Moria are missing again.
"Doesn't sound as cool." The real reason it's called Hot Air.
Lab explosions Helga said that random comment about not wanting to read about a lab explosion, well, randomly. She said it and I wrote it down without thinking about it much. I was rather amused when this prompted people to freak out when Grandpa told Arnold about Arnie later. (Thinking he was going to say Phoebe had died.)
Why does Mr. Smith whisper? Simple. You can't identify a whisper. If you speak in a normal voice, no matter how much you disguise it there's always the possibility someone will hear something they recognize. With a whisper, if you do it properly, you can't even tell the gender of the speaker. No kidding.
Chapter 12
In Which the Jungle Beckons
Poor Smitty I tend to feel sorry for Mr. Smith whenever he has to deal with Gerald, lol.
Luncheons I love writing the lunch scenes, everything seems to flow really easily there. I generally picture Rhonda dominating the conversation, with Nadine holding her in check when necessary and everyone else interjecting various one-liners. Rather like one of Rhonda's parties.
The Fuzzy Menace One of our cats at home is horribly afraid of lint. Of course, he's afraid of everything. He tends to spend much of his time running around the house meowing to himself. We think he ran into a few too many walls head-first as a kitten.
For the two or even three people who want more of the Pataki's, yep they'll be showing up again in one form or another, I'm sure. I for one am just glad I got out of writing Helga's explanation of why Olga couldn't call her for so long.
Steve Irwin? Ok yes, so he's white. And Australian. In my opinion, if you wear kaki shorts you look like the Crocodile Hunter, I don't care who you are.
Dreams I'm sorry, I just had to get that black outfit from Married in there somewhere. It just makes me laugh.
You've got a contact "She gonna carry a red carnation in a copy of Anna Karenina or something?" In the movie The Shop Around the Corner (which You've Got Mail was based on, go see it if you haven't, it's better and it has Jimmy Stewart in it) Jimmy Stewart is supposed to recognize the girl he's been writing letters to by the red carnation in her copy of Anna Karenina.
Speaking of lost luggage The last time I went to Tokyo I had to live out of my handbag for four days. Oy.
And another clue Now to me, a forty-ish mysterious woman with short brown hair in South America just screams Stella in a Hey Arnold! fic. But, as several of you have mentioned to me, her attitude towards Helga does tend to throw people off. Which I did on purpose of course. :)
Chapter 14
In Which Death Interrupts
Pinky? "Nezume" means "mouse" in Japanese.
More excuses… Gee, I wonder where Dr. Colic had to get to this time?
Ok, but save me a seat on the bus The "little sprinkles" doughnuts are a mild reference to Phoebe Breaks a Leg.
For future reference Syl's "grand tour" line is from Olga's Fiancé.
"She could practically be your mother!" Or your best friend's mother, as the case may be.
Violent Attraction Gerald's line about women reacting in anger is, unfortunately from that incredibly stupid movie that I can't believe I watched, Evolution.
Chapter 15
In Which Syl Has Some Explaining To Do (yes it's an I Love Lucy chapter! …or not.)
Standard equipment Boy would I like to have the contents of Mr. Smith's box. The transmogifier is from Calvin and Hobbes, and the denerualizer is from MIB. And really you shouldn't go anywhere without chewing gum and aluminum foil.
Ricky Martin and other reasons to ban radio waves The pop station in the middle of the jungle isn't too far from the truth. I've been in the middle of a third-world culture on the other side of the world and heard Britney Spears coming from the bazaar tents.
Yet another clue "What a conniving, crafty little…" This line was intended as a pure hint. It's the same thing Helga thinks about Arnold's mother in Missing Pieces. My apologies to Poison Ivory.
A quick explanation As you may have figured out, Mr. Smith gives Stella information on how things are going back in the States. The reason she's crying in this chapter is that he just told her about Arnie's death, who was after all her brother's son (for the purpose of this story anyway).
Chalk up another one Yet another tea-drinker only: Stella.
Hello Empire Records, open 'til midnight. What? Midnight! "Why are you hiding your phone from us El?" "Don't call me El." "Why, is that a fake name too?" -- this whole bit here is inspired from Empire Records, where this bit is played out: "Why are you here Warren?" "Don't call me Warren! My name is not…Warren!" "His name's not Warren?" "His name's not Warren." "I thought his name was Warren?"
Heh heh Can't you just picture this conversation?
Arnold: You mean…you met my parents?
Helga: Erm, yeah. I guess so.
Arnold: What were they like? What did they say? What did you do? (etc.)
Helga: Um, well, I sort of gave your mom a bloody lip…
Lord of the…ok Lady of the…well never mind "I'm here to protect you, whether I like it or not." Sounds a bit like Aragorn's "Frodo, I swore to protect you." eh? "Can you protect me from yourself?"
It's a quote. Only without the quote. Phoebe's "It's a bomb. Only without the bomb." line is what Basher says about the pinch in Ocean's 11.
MIB (quote) II Agent L is the girl partner's name at the end of the first Men in Black.
Oh, and by the way… In my Author's Note at the end of this chapter I stuck in some fake chapter titles. Well really, they were a pretty good indication of what was to come. Consider:
16: In Which We Finally Get to the Prologue -- well, we did.
17: In Which Nothing Important Happens. Nope, Nothing at All. – ok, a bit of sarcasm here it's true. This *was* the chapter where Helga and Gerald got started after all.
18: In Which Phoebe Discovers Common Ground With Stinky -- Stinky is, according to Harold in Big Caesar, "psycho". Well this is the chapter where Phoebe has that creepy dream. (for more on that, see that chapter in this FAQ)
19: In Which I Stick Everything Important I Forgot to Put in Another Chapter -- This actually took me two chapters, but hey, I forgot a lot of stuff, lol
Chapter 16
In Which Helga Baits, Arnold Sinks and Gerald's Hooked
What's in a name? Elle Woods is from Legally Blonde. I find it amusing that Helga's calling Stella this.
Random advice They say that one of the best cures for depression is to start doing something, especially something for someone else or something with clear results. So Arnold's on the right track.
Chapter 17
In Which Gerald and Helga Spend Some Quality Time Together…In Prison
Counting relationships Gerald's "two real relationships" are of course Ginger and Phoebe. He's not sure either of them count because Ginger was, well, Ginger, and he and Phoebe were never officially dating.
Speaking of which, if you rearrange the first letters of Helga's boyfriends ever so slightly, you can make a certain football-headed name appear. Just a bonus Easter Egg.
Chapter 18
In Which We Have the Calm Before the Storm
Ever been cubed? To understand Phoebe's dream a little deeper than the obvious (the theme of danger, someone close to her hurting her, etc.) you must first understand the "cube" personality test. Here's how you do it:
1) Close your eyes and imagine a desert. Take a few moments for it to sink in.
2) Now, imagine a cube in the desert. Where is it? What does it look like? How big is it? What kind of material is it made of? Any other details come to mind? If it seems important to you, make a note of it.
3) Next, place a ladder in the desert. What kind of material is it made of? Where is it in relation to the cube? Is it well-made, roughly constructed, barely hanging together? Does it lean against anything or away from anything? What else about the ladder is noticeable?
4) Last, add a horse to the desert. Where is it in relation to the cube and the ladder? What kind of horse is it? What color(s)? Is it well-groomed, shaggy, wild? How big is it? Is it doing anything in particular? Does it have a saddle or bridle on, and if so what do they look like? Also note anything else important about the horse. When you have the full picture of desert, cube, ladder and horse fixed in your mind, you're done.
To understand the test:
The cube represents yourself. Its size is the size of your ego. How close it is to the ground represents how "grounded" you are in reality. (Someone who buries their cube in the sand wants security desperately and is very focused on day-to-day living, whereas someone whose cube is flying ten feet in the air isn't concerned with "mundane life" at all, tending to spend their time in a fantasy world and often shirking responsibilities.)
The ladder represents your friends. If the material of the ladder is different than that of the cube, you like to have friends who are different from yourself. Is it leaning against the cube? Your friends depend on you, or you want them to. The distance the ladder is from the cube represents the distance you prefer to keep between yourself and your friends.
The horse represents your lover (or a lover you would be attracted to if you don't have one currently). A pony means you have a childish lover. The distance between the horse and the ladder and cube is the distance you keep between your lover and your friends and yourself.
Beyond those basics, you have to look at universal symbols and symbols that are meaningful to you. A universal symbol would be one that anyone could recognize. For example, my friend had a horse that was white with a black mane and tail. White is traditionally a symbol of purity and innocence, whereas black is usually evil or impure. So he wanted a lover who was essentially good…with a bit of evil in them, lol. On the other hand some symbols only you can recognize. My sister put a lizard on top of her cube. If you didn't know her, you might think up all sorts of things that the lizard might represent. But for her, she just put the lizard there because she loves animals and felt that you couldn't have a desert without lizards. So putting it on top of the cube only meant that animals were very important to her.
So, Phoebe's dream. Her cube is very small, transparent, resting on the ground, and tinged pink at the edges. It is also empty. She hears a horse whinny in the distance, but no ladder is in sight. A possible interpretation of this first part of her dream is that her self-esteem is very low, so much so that she almost feels invisible – her only identity seems to be located with Helga. She is a practical person by nature and not necessarily depressed right now, but she is empty, and she knows it. Her current lover is pretty much out of the picture, or will be soon.
However, Phoebe is not as alone in the desert as she thinks she is. There are three people there, her subconscious is trying to tell her. One means to do her harm, but the other two – they are the key to her escape.
Of course, this is only one explanation. There may be others. And in case anyone was wondering, here's my cube: I have a cube about the size of a breadbox, and it is usually on the sand, though it tends to suddenly rise up about four feet in the air or so. You might say it bounces, lol. Inside it is a golden spark that dances and flames and reflects in the curves and dips of the rough glass the cube is made of. The ladder, made of rough wood, is about a foot away or so, leaning away from the cube and meshing with the horse. You almost can't tell the one from the other. It's not put together very well, and looks as though it might give splinters fairly easily, but then again it is also well-used, and may be stronger than it looks. The horse is a pinto, slightly on the shaggy side, with a bridle though he jerks about as if to throw it off. He seems rather restless, tossing his head and snorting, but there is nothing holding him there. He could leave anytime if he really wanted to, but doesn't. Actually he might just be trying to get closer to the cube, but the ladder is in his way.
Heh, make of that what you will.
Chapter 19
In Which the Storm Breaks
More interesting hints in this chapter, as far as the rest of the series goes.
Temple of what now? Gerald's leather jacket line is from both Monkey Island (1 through 4) and Indiana Jones.
Would that be strawberry or grape? Miles' "in a jam" line stems from the firm belief I hold to that all fathers are the master of corny sayings.
Chapter 20
In Which We Wrap Up a Few Things and Unravel Others
The rest of the story Yes, we'll hear more about what happened to Stella and Miles all those years ago later.
Waiting for the paper napkins to be loaded is a Douglas Adams bit. He wrote about a space flight on a dead planet, where the passengers were put on life support and hibernation status for millions of years while the robotic crew waited for lemon-scented napkins to be loaded. When the crew was told that there was no longer a civilization on the planet to *make* napkins, they responded that there probably would be one in another couple billion years or so, lol.
Plot hole? What plot hole? So…when did Syl have time to write this letter, anyway? Possibly while driving? Or maybe she stopped in the jungle after seeing Helga take a bullet for Les to write a letter before running off to find them, lol. Well, we'll just say that Gerald took the wheel for a bit and Helga slept on the way to the airport. Yeah, that's it.
Epilogue
Background characters For those of you who are obsessed with Nadine (you know you are), she'll be appearing quite a bit more in the next story.
(Whew! 16 pages of freaking notes! I must be out of my mind! ~PJ)