Julia chaney & Mrs Turner

Come and lay with me 💤

Send me a ship for the ship bingo chart: Bobby Catesby / Julia Chaney ( We Happy Few )

Ooo okay this one is really interesting and I have Thoughts™

Bobby Catesby, also known as the Shady Dealer, is the funky little guy who sells you black market good from a dumpster in the Village. Julia Chaney is the Wellette who tried to make her own homebrew drugs, screwed up the chemistry, and ended up murdering her entire household in a drug-induced violent outburst. 

Julia buys the bulk of her chemistry ingredients from Stewart Adams’ shop, but there are bound to be things even he can’t get his hands on. I could see her going to Bobby for anything she couldn’t get the chemist’s. 

One of the more interesting points about Julia is that, from her notes, she can surmise she’s trying to cook up a homebrew Sunshine due to the price of buying it direct from Sally. While Bobby sells some of the stuff himself, it’s likely around the same price as Sally’s (if not marked up). 

There’s an implication there that Julia Chaney was either off her Joy or trying to be. While it’s unclear whether it’s a conscious choice, or if she started having a poor reaction to Joy and was trying not to be sent off to the Garden District, I find the later more interesting. But regardless, the fact remains that for whatever reason Sunshine has become a necessity in her life, and her pockets aren’t very deep.

I could see her going to ol’ Catesby’s dumpster shop now and then for ingredients and for any odds and ends she can’t acquire elsewhere. They strike up little conversations and a friendly sort of fondness grows between them. They’re both Wellies with a touch  more self-awareness about the state of things than their neighbors, but neither are willing to give up the minor comforts of the Village to give up the Joy act and go full Downer. 

While they don’t ever speak about it bluntly (they are still Wellies), Bobby becomes someone Julia can talk to about her minor grievances with the state of the world. There’s never enough to eat. Toxic fumes blocked the way to her friend’s house and she missed her Rummy game. Her husband has been more and more insufferable the longer she’s been on the yellow pill. Has he always been like this? It’s better than being alone and, without her allowance from him, she won’t be able to scrape together enough for food, much less Sunshine. And then she’ll be off to the Garden District or taken away by some doctor. 

Every time she visits, Bobby always manages to get a sale out of it, even if she’s just stopping by for a chat. He is running a business after all. But he does enjoy their little chats and gives her a special deal if she’s having a particularly bad day. 

Julia’s a bit more fond of him than she should be, considering her husband. While nothing would ever come of it, their feelings towards each other aren’t romantic, but aren’t strictly platonic either. He’d cut her even more of a deal on sales if he could, but then he’d be making no profit at all and he does have a business to run. 

The last time Bobby Catesby sees Julia Chaney, she in good spirits. She doesn’t want to spill the beans, but she does let on that she got her hands on something that is sure to turn things around in her life (Sally's chemistry notes). No more penny pinching for Sunshine in her future. He tells her that’s brilliant news and cracks a joke about how he hopes this doesn’t mean he’ll be losing her as a customer. She says if it all works out, she’ll have the means to be his biggest customer yet.

They wish each other a lovely day and a promise to chat again next week. 

Next week roles around and Julia hasn’t stopped by the dumpster shop. Another week the same.

Word on the street is that the Chaneys have gone on holiday and the Mrs. is to blame.