What is Eric's Sexuality?

[Benji]

Well, if that is the case, we won't survive as a specifies if the remaining 90% figure it out.

 

 

.........hell of a going out party though

[shadowgod]

I'm going to weigh in with open minded - sexually fluid.

 

I think it has allot to do with stimuli. In Eric's case constant stimuli. Sorta along the lines of variety being the spice of life. Sure it starts out as liking different women, branches into liking two different women. Eric seems to me a thrill seeker. Part of his "taste" for threesomes or moresomes is the feat de acompli, the reaction he receives. He is after all the middle kid.

However, as this event becomes a regular pattern, the attention he receives for it will dwindle and tapper off. Therefore,"Experimenting" with the same sex, I think is only a natural progression for him as he looks for a sense of thrill, the attention, with his encounters.

 

Though I may be over analyzing his psyche a tad It works though, he's a thrill seeker, a prankster and above everything else vying for his slice of the attention pie.

[Benji]

I'm going to weigh in with open minded - sexually fluid.

 

I think it has allot to do with stimuli. In Eric's case constant stimuli. Sorta along the lines of variety being the spice of life. Sure it starts out as liking different women, branches into liking two different women. Eric seems to me a thrill seeker. Part of his "taste" for threesomes or moresomes is the feat de acompli, the reaction he receives. He is after all the middle kid.

However, as this event becomes a regular pattern, the attention he receives for it will dwindle and tapper off. Therefore,"Experimenting" with the same sex, I think is only a natural progression for him as he looks for a sense of thrill, the attention, with his encounters.

 

Though I may be over analyzing his psyche a tad It works though, he's a thrill seeker, a prankster and above everything else vying for his slice of the attention pie.

 

 

................As I said before I see him as open-minded, never thought of him as an attention seeker but yeah that fits as well. I just thought the threesomes were an ego boost.

[C James]

I'm going to weigh in with open minded - sexually fluid.

 

I think it has allot to do with stimuli. In Eric's case constant stimuli. Sorta along the lines of variety being the spice of life. Sure it starts out as liking different women, branches into liking two different women. Eric seems to me a thrill seeker. Part of his "taste" for threesomes or moresomes is the feat de acompli, the reaction he receives. He is after all the middle kid.

However, as this event becomes a regular pattern, the attention he receives for it will dwindle and tapper off. Therefore,"Experimenting" with the same sex, I think is only a natural progression for him as he looks for a sense of thrill, the attention, with his encounters.

 

Though I may be over analyzing his psyche a tad It works though, he's a thrill seeker, a prankster and above everything else vying for his slice of the attention pie.

 

Ahh, Eric and the SPiCE of life.

 

Eric is indeed the middle brother. However, right at the start of the story, we had Eric mentioned by Chase as having a penchant for multi-way sex. Chase said something along the lines of Eric, a few years prior, decided to make his first time "special" by having.. a five-way. Jon, too, has a penchant for 3-ways, though apparently not so much as Eric does.

 

He's a teen guy who is in the unusual position of being able to have sex as much and as often as he wants, due to the groupies. Its a very different dynamic. He does seem to relish the accomplishment, though.

 

Perhaps I shouldn't mention this, as it could be seen as a spoiler.. But, when the Echidna is away, the goat will play! So, I'll say that we learn a great many things about Eric in "Don't Tequila the Eric."

 

[Benji]

Ahh, Eric and the SPiCE of life.

 

Eric is indeed the middle brother. However, right at the start of the story, we had Eric mentioned by Chase as having a penchant for multi-way sex. Chase said something along the lines of Eric, a few years prior, decided to make his first time "special" by having.. a five-way. Jon, too, has a penchant for 3-ways, though apparently not so much as Eric does.

 

He's a teen guy who is in the unusual position of being able to have sex as much and as often as he wants, due to the groupies. Its a very different dynamic. He does seem to relish the accomplishment, though.

 

Perhaps I shouldn't mention this, as it could be seen as a spoiler.. But, when the Echidna is away, the goat will play! So, I'll say that we learn a great many things about Eric in "Don't Tequila the Eric."

 

 

 

.............Well as we all know now, the answer of Erics sexuality is "Tri". I believe the goat came up with this after tring to open a bottle of tequila.

[rknapp]

I voted sexually fluid. He's straight, but I feel like there will be a time or two in his life where he'll have casual sex with a man and enjoy it, regardless of his BAL at the time (Blood Alcohol Level). Might not happen in the span of LTMP though.

[Benji]

I voted sexually fluid. He's straight, but I feel like there will be a time or two in his life where he'll have casual sex with a man and enjoy it, regardless of his BAL at the time (Blood Alcohol Level). Might not happen in the span of LTMP though.

 

 

.........For that matter the band could be "dis-banded" before Chase & Brandon are outted

[AFriendlyFace]

I'm going to weigh in with open minded - sexually fluid.

 

I think it has allot to do with stimuli. In Eric's case constant stimuli. Sorta along the lines of variety being the spice of life. Sure it starts out as liking different women, branches into liking two different women. Eric seems to me a thrill seeker. Part of his "taste" for threesomes or moresomes is the feat de acompli, the reaction he receives. He is after all the middle kid.

However, as this event becomes a regular pattern, the attention he receives for it will dwindle and tapper off. Therefore,"Experimenting" with the same sex, I think is only a natural progression for him as he looks for a sense of thrill, the attention, with his encounters.

 

Though I may be over analyzing his psyche a tad It works though, he's a thrill seeker, a prankster and above everything else vying for his slice of the attention pie.

This seems like an excellent assessment to me.

[AFriendlyFace]

I just thoughts that after the first few chapters of Changing Lanes this topic might once again be something worth discussing

 

 

 

I know I've spent rather a lot of time in this thread defending my supposition that Eric is "Sexually fluid/Open Minded", but given recent events I think I'm going to change that to straight up bisexual.

 

Anyone else want to change their vote, or perhaps hasn't voted in the first place?

 

Take care all,

-Kevin

[Cynical Romantic]

Eric has really taken on a life of his own, hasn't he?

 

I mean, he started off as just one of the brothers, the middle brother. He and Jon were the straight ones, Chase was the love interest, and Brandon was the main character. Eric could have easily been just an "also starring".

 

But, as characters will sometimes do, I have a sneaking suspicion that Eric crept up and constantly pestered CJ to give him a bigger role, a louder voice, more action. He just refused to shut up, and he absolutely demanded a starring role, stealing the show in the process so that now, he's basically the main character of this series. He's just one of those magnetic, larger-than-life, effervescent characters, maybe a bit over-the-top, but a lot like people we all have known at some point. He just has this energy to him, like a tornado, and when he gets going, all you can do is get out of the way... or watch.

 

What's his sexuality? I think that's incidental at this point. I like the "tri-sexual" description - he does seem like the type who will "tri" anything - but that's almost irrelevant. Eric's real lust isn't for women, or for men, or for anyone in particular, it's for life.

 

Eric is like a starving man at a giant buffet. He will attack it with vengeance and glee, sampling everything and often more than once. Even if he might prefer the chocolate cake to the onion soup, he just basically loves food. In much the same way, I think Eric just loves experiencing things, feeling things, taking risks, feeling the rush that comes from danger, or lust, or getting a little crazy... or drinking tequila.

 

He's basically Chase's opposite as far as that goes, and I don't mean a gay/straight kind of opposite. What I mean is, Chase is the kind of guy for whom love is real, and deep, and directed at one person at a time. Chase feels complete with Brandon. But Eric is just looking for the next crazy thing to do in his life. If Chase is an inch wide and a mile deep, then Eric is maybe a mile wide and an inch deep, and I don't really mean that as a negative. He's just... in love with everything life has to offer, and he allows that love to manifest itself as exuberance, and to rub off on those around him.

 

Just my $0.02.

[shadowgod]

My god woman I don't think I could have said it better. I love the buffet analogy, not to keen on the mile wide and inch deep reference though

 

and for what its worth, I think your two cents are extremely insightful

 

Steve

[Cynical Romantic]

My god woman I don't think I could have said it better. I love the buffet analogy, not to keen on the mile wide and inch deep reference though

 

and for what its worth, I think your two cents are extremely insightful

 

Steve

 

Heh, thanks. But less bowing down, more writing from you, eh? You've been leaving Cody hanging in the abyss between chapters 7 and 8 for far too long for my liking. (And yes, even 5 minutes is too long, IMHO).

 

One more observation about guys like Eric: When love strikes, it strikes hard... and usually without warning. Mostly cause it's so unexpected. And when that happens, look out!

[Tiger]

I propose a new poll!

[C James]

Eric has really taken on a life of his own, hasn't he?

 

I mean, he started off as just one of the brothers, the middle brother. He and Jon were the straight ones, Chase was the love interest, and Brandon was the main character. Eric could have easily been just an "also starring".

 

But, as characters will sometimes do, I have a sneaking suspicion that Eric crept up and constantly pestered CJ to give him a bigger role, a louder voice, more action. He just refused to shut up, and he absolutely demanded a starring role, stealing the show in the process so that now, he's basically the main character of this series. He's just one of those magnetic, larger-than-life, effervescent characters, maybe a bit over-the-top, but a lot like people we all have known at some point. He just has this energy to him, like a tornado, and when he gets going, all you can do is get out of the way... or watch.

 

What's his sexuality? I think that's incidental at this point. I like the "tri-sexual" description - he does seem like the type who will "tri" anything - but that's almost irrelevant. Eric's real lust isn't for women, or for men, or for anyone in particular, it's for life.

 

Eric is like a starving man at a giant buffet. He will attack it with vengeance and glee, sampling everything and often more than once. Even if he might prefer the chocolate cake to the onion soup, he just basically loves food. In much the same way, I think Eric just loves experiencing things, feeling things, taking risks, feeling the rush that comes from danger, or lust, or getting a little crazy... or drinking tequila.

 

He's basically Chase's opposite as far as that goes, and I don't mean a gay/straight kind of opposite. What I mean is, Chase is the kind of guy for whom love is real, and deep, and directed at one person at a time. Chase feels complete with Brandon. But Eric is just looking for the next crazy thing to do in his life. If Chase is an inch wide and a mile deep, then Eric is maybe a mile wide and an inch deep, and I don't really mean that as a negative. He's just... in love with everything life has to offer, and he allows that love to manifest itself as exuberance, and to rub off on those around him.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

Darn good call!

 

Yes. You're in large part right about Eric's beginnings. He was supposed to be a secondary character, like Jon, just with a few... quirks.

 

The first ten chapters of Changing Lanes were written years ago. That's why the character development is rather lacking in those chapters, plus they have some rough edges on the writing side. I did some reworking of it, but not enough.

 

Eric... Yes indeed, you have him pegged, spot-on. He really came into his own at the party at Jerry's house, where we saw, for the first time, his love of Tequila. You're right, he grew, very much so and very quickly, and soon he was not only my favorite character, but also he was taking on a far larger role.

 

As for Eric and Chase, the way I see it is that in SOME ways they are very much alike, but in other ways, they are opposite, or at least different. For example, Chase isn't into "playing the field" but Eric has shown that he is. They share a similar sense of humor, but Eric is the more extreem.

 

Indeed, Eric does love life, and meets it head-on, full-force. He loves it, as well he should.

 

I had no intentions of doing a sequel to LTMP until about halfway through LTMP, when I realized that the planned ending (Helen originally died, though the ending was similar) left Eric as a loose end (and there were others.). I considered some plot changes in LTMP, but nothing seemed to work, so Changing Lanes was born, with Eric as the central character. LTMP was about Brandon, mainly, and his road from joining the band as a deeply closeted roadie to walking out on stage, to an assembled press corps, hand in hand with his boyfriend, as one of the most famous people on the planet. That was Brandon's road. Changing Lanes is Eric's.

[Cynical Romantic]

That was Brandon's road. Changing Lanes is Eric's.

 

Oh my... between that and the title of this story, dare I suggest... spoiler?

 

the planned ending (Helen originally died, though the ending was similar)

 

Okay, truth time: I'm sure to get some hateful reactions for this one, but I'm going to suggest that it might've worked better in LTMP if Helen hadn't come through.

 

I'm not usually one for killing off sympathetic characters, mind you, and I like Helen, but in this case, I can make two arguments for it:

 

1) It would fit with the character growth that all the main characters show. Symbolically, Helen as their mother figure needs to step aside (so to speak) in order to allow the boys to grow up.

 

2) I think it would've rung a little truer... you basically set it up so that everyone assumed Helen was dead, and when it turned out she was fine, it came across as a bit too happily-ever-after, not very realistic. Okay, I know you were going for the happy ending, but I just didn't buy it for whatever reason that she'd make it through almost perfectly unharmed. (Mind you, maybe I shouldn't talk about suspension of disbelief in a story about nuclear weapons being manufactured in Queensland...)

 

Anyway, the point's moot, it's ancient history now, and I'm sure it will be useful having Helen as a character in Changing Lanes. Especially when she tries to de-tequila the Eric.

Edited August 13, 2008 by Cynical Romantic

[C James]

Oh my... between that and the title of this story, dare I suggest... spoiler?

 

ACK! Noo!! Don't say that, or our resident anti-spoiler Echidna will get me! (I live in fear of his very sharp spines!!)

 

All I meant was that LTMP was more focused on Brandon. Changing Lanes is focused on Eric. I didn't mean to imply they were heading for the same ending.

 

BTW, "Let The Music Play" turned out to be one of The Scar's lines, but Changing Lanes is more complex. We already know it's the title of Instinct's new album, but, it has other meanings too, and will be used several times, in different contexts, throughout the story.

 

CJ

[AFriendlyFace]

Eric has really taken on a life of his own, hasn't he?

 

I mean, he started off as just one of the brothers, the middle brother. He and Jon were the straight ones, Chase was the love interest, and Brandon was the main character. Eric could have easily been just an "also starring".

 

But, as characters will sometimes do, I have a sneaking suspicion that Eric crept up and constantly pestered CJ to give him a bigger role, a louder voice, more action. He just refused to shut up, and he absolutely demanded a starring role, stealing the show in the process so that now, he's basically the main character of this series. He's just one of those magnetic, larger-than-life, effervescent characters, maybe a bit over-the-top, but a lot like people we all have known at some point. He just has this energy to him, like a tornado, and when he gets going, all you can do is get out of the way... or watch.

 

What's his sexuality? I think that's incidental at this point. I like the "tri-sexual" description - he does seem like the type who will "tri" anything - but that's almost irrelevant. Eric's real lust isn't for women, or for men, or for anyone in particular, it's for life.

 

Eric is like a starving man at a giant buffet. He will attack it with vengeance and glee, sampling everything and often more than once. Even if he might prefer the chocolate cake to the onion soup, he just basically loves food. In much the same way, I think Eric just loves experiencing things, feeling things, taking risks, feeling the rush that comes from danger, or lust, or getting a little crazy... or drinking tequila.

 

He's basically Chase's opposite as far as that goes, and I don't mean a gay/straight kind of opposite. What I mean is, Chase is the kind of guy for whom love is real, and deep, and directed at one person at a time. Chase feels complete with Brandon. But Eric is just looking for the next crazy thing to do in his life. If Chase is an inch wide and a mile deep, then Eric is maybe a mile wide and an inch deep, and I don't really mean that as a negative. He's just... in love with everything life has to offer, and he allows that love to manifest itself as exuberance, and to rub off on those around him.

 

Just my $0.02.

This is an incredibly insightful evaluation!

 

The first ten chapters of Changing Lanes were written years ago. That's why the character development is rather lacking in those chapters, plus they have some rough edges on the writing side. I did some reworking of it, but not enough.

Ohh! I didn't know that! Cool!

 

 

I had no intentions of doing a sequel to LTMP until about halfway through LTMP, when I realized that the planned ending (Helen originally died, though the ending was similar) left Eric as a loose end (and there were others.). I considered some plot changes in LTMP, but nothing seemed to work, so Changing Lanes was born, with Eric as the central character. LTMP was about Brandon, mainly, and his road from joining the band as a deeply closeted roadie to walking out on stage, to an assembled press corps, hand in hand with his boyfriend, as one of the most famous people on the planet. That was Brandon's road. Changing Lanes is Eric's.

Good to hear that officially, though I'd sort of suspected it.

 

Okay, truth time: I'm sure to get some hateful reactions for this one, but I'm going to suggest that it might've worked better in LTMP if Helen hadn't come through.

 

I'm not usually one for killing off sympathetic characters, mind you, and I like Helen, but in this case, I can make two arguments for it:

 

1) It would fit with the character growth that all the main characters show. Symbolically, Helen as their mother figure needs to step aside (so to speak) in order to allow the boys to grow up.

 

2) I think it would've rung a little truer... you basically set it up so that everyone assumed Helen was dead, and when it turned out she was fine, it came across as a bit too happily-ever-after, not very realistic. Okay, I know you were going for the happy ending, but I just didn't buy it for whatever reason that she'd make it through almost perfectly unharmed. (Mind you, maybe I shouldn't talk about suspension of disbelief in a story about nuclear weapons being manufactured in Queensland...)

 

Anyway, the point's moot, it's ancient history now, and I'm sure it will be useful having Helen as a character in Changing Lanes. Especially when she tries to de-tequila the Eric.

*gasp*

 

Kill off Helen! No way!!!

 

Those are good points, but I'm very pleased with the direction in which CJ has taken the story.

 

BTW, "Let The Music Play" turned out to be one of The Scar's lines, but Changing Lanes is more complex. We already know it's the title of Instinct's new album, but, it has other meanings too, and will be used several times, in different contexts, throughout the story.

[C James]

Okay, truth time: I'm sure to get some hateful reactions for this one, but I'm going to suggest that it might've worked better in LTMP if Helen hadn't come through.

 

I'm not usually one for killing off sympathetic characters, mind you, and I like Helen, but in this case, I can make two arguments for it:

 

1) It would fit with the character growth that all the main characters show. Symbolically, Helen as their mother figure needs to step aside (so to speak) in order to allow the boys to grow up.

 

2) I think it would've rung a little truer... you basically set it up so that everyone assumed Helen was dead, and when it turned out she was fine, it came across as a bit too happily-ever-after, not very realistic. Okay, I know you were going for the happy ending, but I just didn't buy it for whatever reason that she'd make it through almost perfectly unharmed. (Mind you, maybe I shouldn't talk about suspension of disbelief in a story about nuclear weapons being manufactured in Queensland...)

 

Anyway, the point's moot, it's ancient history now, and I'm sure it will be useful having Helen as a character in Changing Lanes. Especially when she tries to de-tequila the Eric.

 

You raise good points... I did consider those very issues. The "growth" issue was, indeed, the very reason she died in the original outline of LTMP. However... For there to be a Changing Lanes, she had to live.

 

She's still recovering in Ch 1 of Changing lanes, months later.

 

You're right though; I should have posted more medical detail, to show that that sort of a wound is indeed survivable.

 

My only quibble is on the nukes in Queensland. Okay, the location was a bit unorthodox, but think about the issues The Scar faced. He needed a place where he could work undisturbed, and one had to be a in a very remote area. He needed easy access to

shipping, and he also (most critically) needed to get his workforce (russian and middle eastern) to his worksites. Australia is a place where there are existing human smuggling operations, operating on large scale, from those regions. Australia just looked like the best "fit" for his needs, based on the opportunities the situation provided. South America was my second option, for similar reasons.

 

As for the nuke fabrication itself, I challenge anyone to poke any holes in it. I researched it, very carefully, and I also went into this already having a detailed knowledge on the workings of nuclear weapons.

 

CJ

[Bondwriter]

Anyway, the point's moot, it's ancient history now, and I'm sure it will be useful having Helen as a character in Changing Lanes. Especially when she tries to de-tequila the Eric.

Nothing yet had been said about Eric drinking tequila. Sure he wanted some for the party, but this is a spoiler, since we couldn't know that all the events hadn't reformed him. Time for the little ball of spines to strike with marsupial strength.

[Phantom]

Spoiler? Huh Didn't see it

[Tiger]

I do believe CJ was being facetious or perhaps deliberately misdirecting us. Eric still loves tequila. Hopefully, Eric will find a good boyfriend who will help him reform a little bit, but I doubt that effect will be the case.

[C James]

Nothing yet had been said about Eric drinking tequila. Sure he wanted some for the party, but this is a spoiler, since we couldn't know that all the events hadn't reformed him. Time for the little ball of spines to strike with marsupial strength.

 

ACK! It wasn't a spoiler! And Shhh, we don't want to get the Echidna involved!

 

And, ummm, Bondwriter, that bit you quoted wasn't written by me! It's attributed to me in your post, but it wasn't mine.

 

I do believe CJ was being facetious or perhaps deliberately misdirecting us. Eric still loves tequila. Hopefully, Eric will find a good boyfriend who will help him reform a little bit, but I doubt that effect will be the case.

 

Eric may or may not drink tequila again, but there was this line in Ch 3...

 

Count on two performances; the first at a pool party, the second at the stag party, and helping out with the bartending at the party; noting too complicated, beer and liquor mainly, and I hope you can pour tequila shots. You

[TalonRider]

And, you just happened to quote one of the misspelled words that you missed.

 

Count on two performances; the first at a pool party, the second at the stag party, and helping out with the bartending at the party; noting nothing too complicated, beer and liquor mainly, and I hope you can pour tequila shots. You

[C James]

And, you just happened to quote one of the misspelled words that you missed.

 

OOPS!!!

 

Thanks Jan! I fixed it!!

 

BTW, my sincere thanks to any and all who point out errors. I REALLY appreciate that, and be it public or private (your choice) it helps me greatly. Not only does it get rid of errors in the posted text, but it also points out to me things I need to look for.

 

That was a typo, but I never caught it, due to "noting" being a word.

 

CJ

[Tiger]

CJ, it happens. As you may remember, I've pointed out a few in private just as I have with a few others. Now back to the topic...

 

I happen to think Eric will eventually end up with a guy, but we have to remember that he is most likely bi, and that means that he may end up finding a woman somewhere along the way. I know it would be disappointing, but one has to remember that the sheer number of women in the world makes an easy find for a bi guy. Please don't kill me.