[DomLuka] ITFB Chapter 20

[Rabble_Rouser]

That's gotta be the best chapter in ITFB (at least so far) but I'm also one who would have liked to see Dennis and Owen end up together but I'm guessing that's unlikely. You can see the cracks in Dennis' armour widening with each passing day with Travis. Hopefully Travis can convince Dennis soon that he deserves to be happy so their relationship can move beyond sex and hanging out...

 

As for Owen, I want him to find a nice guy... and since Dennis is looking even more unlikely and Aiden doesn't look like he's even attempting to deal with his issues or at least let Owen know why the hell they broke up.

 

Unless things move quickly on the Owen & Aiden front, there might not be a happy ending for Owen.

 

Steve

[sat8997]

I don't really have anything to add to the discussion. I just noticed that I needed one more post to hit 500 and I figured since my first post was in Dom's forum, it should also be the recipient of such a milestone as my 500th.

 

 

 

Sharon

[Conner]

That was most assurdedly the best chapter yet! Thanks, Dom.

 

What I enjoyed most was watching and listening to Dennis unravel, and he did that for almost the entire chapter. Dennis has never been my fave character. I'm not sure when I actually started to warm up to him, but it certainly has a hold on me now. What cinched that was him saying that Leo had reason to behave the way he did. He acknowledged the hurt he has caused. Dennis may never achieve full redemption for his past behaviour - meaning that we can only change our colours so much. The strides he has made in this story are simply enormous. Most definitely, Travis and Dennis in the end.

 

When it comes to Aiden and Owen, I have absolutely no objectivity whatsoever. It shall be Aiden and Owen in the end, come hell or high water. I have never had a good grasp on why they broke up in the first place. All I've been able to glean is that the relationship got boring and Owen suggested that they might be better off separating and seeing other people, at least for a while. Aiden went with that.

 

I'm praying that Vic is right...

I think Owen kissed Travis more to prove to himself that he can look beyond Aiden. That he could be hot, and that he could be aggressive.

 

I believe that Aiden has a maturity and self-confidence that Owen doesn't have...not yet anyway. Aiden recognizes that Owen must go find that for himself.

 

Conner

[Jay]

No one has mentioned this exchange yet...

 

“At the last dance we were at together, you punched my date in the face,” she casually remarked.

 

Dennis frowned as he thought about it. “Owen. We weren’t there together.”

 

“No,” Lacy agreed. “But we could have been. You asked me, remember?”

 

Dennis looked at her oddly, wondering if she was attempting to get a rise out of him, but then shrugged one shoulder beneath the palm of her hand. “I think I told you that you were going with me,” he corrected. “You were smart to say no.”

 

Lacy grinned at him. “I think I like this new you,”

 

Someone other than Owen from the old crowd has finally seen the new Dennis. Will she influence the opinions of others?

 

And one other thing. A big party like that, Aiden should have been there. Did he see that Kiss?

[NaperVic]

And one other thing. A big party like that, Aiden should have been there. Did he see that Kiss?

 

It makes sense that Aiden wasn't there. It was Owen's big party and Aiden being there would just fluster him. And Aiden would have to have been invited, and I doubt Owen did that

[canundra]

Ryan suspected Travis and Dennis's "relationship", I wonder if anyone else did. I also wonder if Travis opinion of Dennis might change when he's told of the whole deal with Leo and Ben.

 

Judging my Travis' past reactions to things Dennis has done, I suspect Travis might be amused at the entire thing.

[glomph]

That was certainly intense. I agree that it was the best chapter so far. It seems like it will be the pivotal chapter in the story, too.

 

I was just relieved that Dennis didn't drive off suddenly, both angry and impaired. Traffic accidents as plot devices have been overdone, and would be sort of a cop out at this point. Everyone's not safely home yet, but I trust Dom will get them there.

 

It seems like more and more Dennis is becoming the character through whose point of view I'm seeing the story. I have very little in common with him that I can think of, so there is no reason for me to gravitate to him other than the tugs of Dom's writing.

 

Owen's kiss suited Dennis in a way. It helped solidify his thought that his evening with Travis was definitely not a date.

[Julian Charlie]

It seems like more and more Dennis is becoming the character through whose point of view I'm seeing the story. I have very little in common with him that I can think of, so there is no reason for me to gravitate to him other than the tugs of Dom's writing.

 

Thats the way I see it as well, Dennis is the one I like reading about and knowing about the most. I think this is more of his story, or at least the story I never got to read about after TLW.

 

Hmm? Is it me or have we not heard from Aiden for a while now? I was starting to finally forget about him. Kinda.

[Fishwings]

Thats the way I see it as well, Dennis is the one I like reading about and knowing about the most. I think this is more of his story, or at least the story I never got to read about after TLW.

 

Hmm? Is it me or have we not heard from Aiden for a while now? I was starting to finally forget about him. Kinda.

 

Agreed. To me, Dennis has more character and more of a past that grows on you while Aiden... well, eh.

[Guest raz]

All I've been able to glean is that the relationship got boring and Owen suggested that they might be better off separating and seeing other people, at least for a while. Aiden went with that.

 

I thought it was by Aiden's suggestion? I think I remember reading that Aiden thought Owen should venture off and date new people, not that Owen wanted to do that. Owen kept wondering where he went wrong, and that's when Travis suggested that Aiden could be bored and wanted to be surprised. Then it was made clear that Aiden was scared that Owen could be settling, and didn't like that Owen always brought up that he was less experienced. Or perhaps I just made all that up right now, lol.

[Conner]

I thought it was by Aiden's suggestion? I think I remember reading that Aiden thought Owen should venture off and date new people, not that Owen wanted to do that. Owen kept wondering where he went wrong, and that's when Travis suggested that Aiden could be bored and wanted to be surprised. Then it was made clear that Aiden was scared that Owen could be settling, and didn't like that Owen always brought up that he was less experienced. Or perhaps I just made all that up right now, lol.

 

You may well be right. Like I said, I loose all objectivity when it comes to Aiden and Owen. That would include my memory of their break-up.

 

Aiden's only played a very minor role in this story. When he does appear, he comes across as an insensitive blockhead. That irks me somewhat. I would guess that those of us supporting Aiden and Owen's relationship are still living "The Log Way". It works for me, that's for sure.

 

Conner

[NaperVic]

I thought it was by Aiden's suggestion? I think I remember reading that Aiden thought Owen should venture off and date new people, not that Owen wanted to do that. Owen kept wondering where he went wrong, and that's when Travis suggested that Aiden could be bored and wanted to be surprised. Then it was made clear that Aiden was scared that Owen could be settling, and didn't like that Owen always brought up that he was less experienced. Or perhaps I just made all that up right now, lol.

 

 

From ITFB Ch 15, we are hearing second hand from Ben that Aiden thought Owen wanted to see other people.

Ben nodded, and then suddenly rolled his eyes as he sat up in his seat. "Oh forget it. You're both my friends and I can't stand miserable people. Owen, I don't know if the two of you are ever going to make it as a couple. That would be up to you. But, what I do know is that you two should talk if you want to make it as anything. Aiden might want to explore seeing other people now, yes. But breaking up wasn't easy for him, either, and I won't let you think that it was the first thing on his mind when you split up. Actually, his biggest concern was that you were interested in seeing other people. I think he wanted to give you a chance to."

 

Owen nearly ended up on his feet, and might have if Ben hadn't been quick to pull him back down. "What? Why would he say something like that?"

 

"I guess that's how he was feeling. And that doesn't necessarily make him wrong, Owen. Why don't you calm down and think about it for a minute. You had a reason to think that you and Aiden needed distance to eventually close the distance... Is there any reason why he might have thought you needed to see someone else?"

 

With his eyes going uncontrollably narrow, Owen scratched at his chin until it went red, his hair until he began to pull at the short strands of it, and all the while held his breath as if it would prevent him from continuing down a train of thought that wasn't at all to be considered helpful thinking. Unfortunately, Owen lost his battle in the end when he blurted, "Yeah! Because he's an idiot!"

[Guest raz]

From ITFB Ch 15, we are hearing second hand from Ben that Aiden thought Owen wanted to see other people.

 

Yeah, exactly. Aiden assumed that Owen wanted to see other people, but that doesn't mean that that Owen really did want to see other people. Owen was surprised when he found out Aiden thought that's what he wanted, presumably because he just wanted a break from each other, not a break so he could go out and date other people.

 

Aiden's only played a very minor role in this story. When he does appear, he comes across as an insensitive blockhead. That irks me somewhat. I would guess that those of us supporting Aiden and Owen's relationship are still living "The Log Way". It works for me, that's for sure. biggrin.gif

 

I agree, deep down I still want them to be together. I just want Aiden to stop acting the way he's acting. But then again, maybe he as a point. In "The Log Way", he was the one that pursued Owen, and he's the one that made all the effort for them to get together. Maybe he just wants to see some of that in return. Perhaps he needs Owen to get out of his comfort zone and show that he's worth the risk just as much as Owen was worth the risk (of rejection, that is).

[writeincode]

O wow! AMAZING CHAPTER!

 

Lover's quarrels....

[bodgy]

OK, I'm a little tired now of this two character drama - I'm interested in what happens to them, but the other characters seem to have been put on the backburner for the moment.

 

I'm hoping at some stage we learn something interesting about Kyle. In the first chapter, I think it was, we get a very detailed description of how Kyle thinks and cares for his possesions. That doesn't seem to have really been built on as yet. OK, he does rock up at the hospital to pay the bill, but IMO that is what a very good and close friend is more likely to do than just someone who is friendly with people or part of the hangers on of the clique.

Edited June 20, 2007 by bodgy

[Philistine]

i agree with bodgy. as much as i like hearing about dennis, i would like to know what's going on with everyone else. and no, i don't mean just owen and aiden.

[writeincode]

Im soooo not caring about anyone else at the moment.

 

Denis and Travis are the only two important ppl in my dom-driven fictional literary world at the moment.

(of course there is a bit of Milo and Nelson floating amongst the atmospheric gases of such a world at all times...)

[glomph]

Aiden's only played a very minor role in this story.

 

It doesn't seem to me that the Aiden I remember from TLW has appeared in the story at all. Is there something he has said or done in this one that would suggest that he's the guy from the other story other than the name and a presumed past with Owen?

 

From ITFB Ch 15, we are hearing second hand from Ben that Aiden thought Owen wanted to see other people.

 

What they have appears to be a failure to communicate.

 

As readers, we don't know who actually said what to whom, or what either Owen or Aiden thought or wanted at the time of the breakup. Perhaps because of their love, each of them was willing to sacrifice his own desires for the perceived wishes of the other, mistakenly, of course, with the result that they deeply hurt each other. Is this Checkov or O. Henry: that is the question, maybe.

 

Or maybe not. Maybe they are just horny young guys who thought the grass might be greener elsewhere and didn't realize what they lost until later. But that's not the way I'm betting, especially since neither of them appears to have acted on that freedom other than the recent kiss with Travis.

[canundra]

Im soooo not caring about anyone else at the moment.

 

Denis and Travis are the only two important ppl in my dom-driven fictional literary world at the moment.

(of course there is a bit of Milo and Nelson floating amongst the atmospheric gases of such a world at all times...)

 

Haha. I Feel the same way

[lakini]

Haha. I Feel the same way

 

Exactly what I was gonna say ... I'm always interested in new information about Travis, and this chapter is really good for that...

 

So Allan is dead?! There go my hopes of them eventually reuniting ...

[Conner]

Exactly what I was gonna say ... I'm always interested in new information about Travis, and this chapter is really good for that...

 

So Allan is dead?! There go my hopes of them eventually reuniting ...

 

I think it's safe to say at this juncture that this story will continue to focus on Dennis and Travis. That's fine with me...provided, of course, that everything works out between Aiden and Owen.

 

I feel badly about Allen too. That's a bummer.

 

Has anyone figured out what Travis is trying to accomplish by supporting his former foster mom? He's not making a lot of sense there.

 

Conner

[canundra]

Maybe it's a guilt thing?

 

Or maybe deep down inside, beneath all the anger and hate, he realizes that she was the woman who took him in and cared for him, even if it was for a brief period of time before the other guy came in. I forgot his name.

[TerryTOH]

I tend to believe that, since Dennis and Travis both know Owen's feelings regarding Aide; Dennis, Travis, or both will attempt to get Owen back with Aiden - if only to preserve and propagate their own budding relationship.

 

Then again, you never know when it comes to Dom.

 

 

Terry

[Spacemat]

I really liked this chapter. I think Travis and Dennis make a cute 'unlikely duo' and I hope they do make it as an item. I like the fact that any potential relationship between the two is unsteady and uncertain, it's kinda boring when relationships form quickly and easily and everything is perfect.

[canundra]

So like, seriously going through withdrawal here. It's probably been only a few days, but it seems like weeks.