Melody of Rain
Since folks wanted me to continue a little more with the story, I did with a set of prompts that seemed perfect for it. Again, thank you @Aditus
Playing with the music theme, I wanted to flesh out Brad's character a bit more. Brad is an independent non-identifying queer blind male pianist, which I think fits him more than anything else. A free spirit yearning for human connection. Most people with full abilities can have connections easily, while disabled people have to
Chapter 2 is here
I wanted to thank the readers, again, for joining me in this story. I honestly didn't think many people would be interested in this kind of story. GA is not AO3, there's fan-fictions and historical fantasy, but they are localized to select topics and genres. I have yet to see any East Asian Fantasy story, nor fan fictions from popular non-western stories on GA. I hope I am opening people's minds and eyes to the vast cultural landscape of gay fiction from a different corner
It's a fan-fiction story and a passion project. I usually don't write fan-fiction or historical fantasy for that matter, but the idea came to my mind rather quickly after I was able to read through Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. The idea of a powerful gay martial (warrior) god from the Chinese Taoist immortal pantheon caught my attention. Later the same day, I was in a conversation with my father discussing classic Chinese literature, and he pointed out that Sun Wukong's (Son G
After watching my most recent gay Anime binge, Heaven Official's Blessing, and starting on the books in the same series, I've begun to get a bit more philosophical about gay romance, when confronted with such a slow burn gay romance that allows me to deconstruct what gay romance is.
My forays into various stories and books revolving around gay relationships from mundane high school boyfriends to intergalactic soap opera power couples has given me some food for thought, I've also compared
My latest short story That's Where You'll Find Me plays with the concepts of identity, reality, and memory. As many readers know, I am a fan of science fiction and these themes were made famous by authors like Philip K. Dick among others. Yet, I wanted to bring my love of science fiction into contemporary gay fiction.
For me, I wanted to create a short story based on the concept of framed false memory from the perspective of an LGBTQ victim, who was traumatized and brutalized into forgettin
One of the sad truths about being gay and single, it's hard to have a relationship with a decent guy. Sex is a few clicks away, but someone who wants to talk, make dinner together, or walk around the streets is harder to come by. Then, when you do find those kinds of guys, there's a fatal flaw with them: they enjoy sneaking kisses in back alleys (Uh, it's dark and the dumpster reeks), they blow out your tastebuds with some kind of pepper since you told them you enjoy spice (I like spicy, but God
The Epilogue is now live, here are some notes:
Thanks again for all the readers
-Not everything is perfect in the world, good people have to continually struggle, but I wanted to leave a sense of progression
-We met Mr. and Mrs. Brooks for the first time, they are very down-to-earth people with personal touches. I wanted them to act as foils to Gaston family
-Gary Gaston isn't the only member of his family with a cruel streak, remember the sister I mentioned from Chapter 9, I
Chapter 20 is now live, here are some author's notes
-I left a bunch of Easter eggs throughout the story, the lack of cameras at handicapped entrances, the trip to New Hampshire, and so on. Well, it all pays off in the chapter
-Some readers will be asking, "Cats? Why are they torturing cats?", there was a few news articles about college kid torturing cats and I saw the Netflix documentary "Don't Mess with Cats", so I went there. Also, it is quite true that cats are killed by pounds, es
Chapter 19 is now live, here are some author's notes
-Well, Sammy turned out to be very helpful. In addition to being an upperclassman, barista, and bartender at night, he's got an unique background.
-I got the inspiration for this scene at Keller Hall from a combination of real-world events. A concept from the "January 6th" insurrection/riot in Washington DC was logistically how I organized the mob and invasion force within Chapter 19. The most violent groups relied on non-aligned gro
So like my current novel-length story True As It Can Be, I want to share some thoughts about the story I submitted for the Fall 2021 Anthology:
-I had a wild idea of trying an unusual combination of story elements:
a. A western holiday story with a gay wedding
b. A funerary rites exploration with commentary on little known details involved in Taoist funeral practices.
c. I also wanted to write a ghost story that starts off heavy with melancholy, but ends lighter with potent
Chapter 18 is now live, here's some thoughts
-Brad's freak out about his insomnia and growing sexual arousal are side effects of Methadone withdrawal. He's not crazy or unstable, Brad is trying to be responsible and protect Beau even if it means being distant from him. Beau understands that
-A tasteful sausage making joke Freud would be proud
-We get to see a Thanksgiving celebration
-Morris' dilemma is something a lot of heterosexual black males face. Having an unplanned ba
Chapter 17 is now live, Here are some notes:
-Yes, Brad and Beau needed a very good scene of exploring each other's bodies, then a bit of exploring pleasure
-I know there are gay/bi guys, and probably a few ladies on here, who know what I am describing through Brad's actions of breathing hot air down Beau's spine. It's not something seen or written about often, but it's a kind of sexual foreplay and stimulation itself. Not sure if there's a proper name for it, yet.
-Brad's desires
Chapter 16 is now live, Here's some author's notes:
-Thanksgiving is coming up, there's lots of planning going into the meal and other things coming to head
For those, who follow American Football, Thanksgiving day is well known for being a day of football games. Wonder how that will affect the plot? 😛
-The two foods I noted are both street foods of Japan and South Africa, both are deep fried items and would fit in the theme of comfort food, including Fried Cajun Turducken.
Chapter 15 is now live, here's some author's notes
-Finally, a direct confrontation between Brad and Gary
-Gary's recent moves weren't just random pieces of malice, they were all calculated plays after discovering Brad's presence on Campus, most likely Thursday night
-Brad through Cook called in his lawyer, Peter Brownlow, to assist in the legal issues
-Dean William Sikes is the husband of Melinda, older sister of Gary Gaston, and petty power broker seeking to become Presiden
Chapter 14 is now live, here's some author's notes
-Morris and Beau are still close friends, even if they're no longer roommates. Morris also recommends the same thing Brad did, Beau should attempt to hide from Gary Gaston.
-Yes, I am a fan of Squid Game and its social commentary on the moral relativism and money
-As for the library scenes, I've worked in a library before, when I attended university, so I know a few things about some oddities that are kept. VHS tapes probably stil
Chapter 13 is now live, Here's some Author's Notes:
-Some indirect inference on Brad and his mood shift as the effects of Methadone wears off. It's revealing a bit more about the man behind his initial appearance or foul moods, he's a very empathetic person, but it doesn't mean he's selfless.
-I indirectly revealed a major explanation in this chapter: Why are all the residents of Keller Hall there? The answer is simple: Each boy had felt a sense of abandonment
Francis- Was abandon
Chapter 12 is now live, Here's some notes:
-A look into Beau's work-study job at the University Library. While in Beauty and the Beast, the Beast gave Belle an entire library, Beau actually works in one and has access to a massive amount of books.
-Gary Gaston has returned and his next scheme has far-ranging repercussions
-Min's story is revealed. It's very tragic and he has a lot of guilt to deal with.
I was inspired by the story of former professional baseball player Kazuhi
Chapter 11 is now live, here's some author's note:
-Brad's beastly side is showing
-Despite how much emotional growth and progress is shown, there's still a long way to go for everyone
-Beau has an innate gift as a therapist and someone who can empathize with others.
-Brad is naturally intimidating and dominant, but he's not sadistic or selfish about it. Some gay guys are naturally very dominant by personality, but in this case, Brad is worried that his nature is linked to Ga
Chapter 10 is now live, here's some author's notes:
-Sunday around Keller Hall isn't a day of rest, there's a lot of personal and emotional things coming up
-Warren is mad at himself, not Beau. He's also still not a fan of Brad, because Brad hasn't yet acknowledged what he did to Francis. We and Beau all know Brad isn't a bad guy, but we also understand he's not in a good head space right now.
-Seeking forgiveness and reconciliation are difficult topics, while some people would ar
Chapter 9 is now live, here's some thoughts:
-Sleeping wrapped around each other in a bed, while one partner is interested in sex and the other isn't in the mood. Is it a sexual Snuggle? A non-sexual Cuddle? Or, is it a Huggle?
-Brad reveals a lot about himself in this chapter: He's driven to be the best, not out of obligation or parental pressure, he does it to himself. His fatal flaw is internalizing many things in his life.
-Brad's dog Cam gets a little backstory. It would have
Chapter 8 is now live and here's my thoughts:
-First I hope fans enjoy One Directions "What Makes you Beautiful"
-New South African Xhosa term
Uyakuthanda- He loves you
-Mrs. Angela Potter is a side-character just as much as any of the boys in the house. Her past is no less tragic, being an abused spouse who learned to rise above her abuse for her child and becoming a champion for others. I'm happy to explore a strong heterosexual female character
-We finally l
Chapter 7 is now live, here's some thoughts and commentary:
-A nice Brunch of Beignets doughnuts and Chicken Fried Steak, what can I say, I am sucker for southern comfort food.
-The package reveal is a neat little twist to explore character backgrounds and open up things.
-Chip's excitement over the new Pokemon games isn't completely fictional, they really are coming out on November 19th and pre-orders are already in. There's usually some Nintendo event that goes with these launch
Thanks to all the wonderful readers for recommendations and getting the story more readers views than I imagined, I am deeply gratified that readers enjoyed this story so much in recent weeks. For newcomers, you can catch up on the 6 chapters posted located here.
For Fans, I want to run a poll with you all this month to see who is your favorite characters in this story.
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I also want to give an individual shout-out to all those who have given me reactions or recommen
Well, Chapter 6 is now live. Here's some thoughts:
-One thing I've considered about Beau, if he's a modern gay character, he's most likely has had experiences with other guys. Our urges drives us into things that we may very well regret, especially in an environment where we can't really be free to find good relationships or sexual outlets. Fantasy heroines and heroic lover archetypes are usually virgins, who save themselves for the "right guy", but reality is, most of us don't wait.
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Well Chapter 5 is now live. I want to share some South Africa Xhosa translations with you all and thoughts:
"Hamba uyo bepha inja" = "Go and Fuck a Dog"
"Xolo" = "Sorry"
"Ndiyakuthanda"= "I love you"
"umncinci"= "Little One"/"Youngest"
"Intanda"= "Beloved"
"ihenyukazi"= "Whore"/"Prostitute"
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-For those wondering, I do enjoy Cajun Cuisine, the spice and sauces are some of the best representations of American combination cuisines. I've dined at Comma
