GLH Posted August 10, 2010 Posted August 10, 2010 I saw, I read, I'm enthralled once again. Okay, where's Chapter 17? 1
Mark Arbour Posted August 10, 2010 Author Posted August 10, 2010 I saw, I read, I'm enthralled once again. Okay, where's Chapter 17? Veni Vidi Vici? It'll be along with the legions.
Westie Posted August 10, 2010 Posted August 10, 2010 I particularly liked the last chapter. I always end up getting drawn In And addicted to your stories. I'm constantly amazed by the quality of the writing you produce while completing 2 stories simultaneously - well done. 2
Mark Arbour Posted August 10, 2010 Author Posted August 10, 2010 1281457043[/url]' post='259236'] I particularly liked the last chapter. I always end up getting drawn In And addicted to your stories. I'm constantly amazed by the quality of the writing you produce while completing 2 stories simultaneously - well done. Thanks. I'm not doing so well on the "two stories at once thing" lately, but then again, I've been really busy.
GLH Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 I particularly liked the last chapter. I always end up getting drawn In And addicted to your stories. I'm constantly amazed by the quality of the writing you produce while completing 2 stories simultaneously - well done. Yeah! What he said! 1
Caedus Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 I'm more excited about how the Crampton/Schulter/Hayes clan plan on "handling business" once everything's out in the open. Is JP going to get involved, fulfilling his role as family patriarch? Or will this be handled by the next generation? Either way it'll be cool to see how all these people in Brad's past are connected in this corporate mystery. 2
Mark Arbour Posted August 11, 2010 Author Posted August 11, 2010 I'm more excited about how the Crampton/Schulter/Hayes clan plan on "handling business" once everything's out in the open. Is JP going to get involved, fulfilling his role as family patriarch? Or will this be handled by the next generation? Either way it'll be cool to see how all these people in Brad's past are connected in this corporate mystery. And your excitement about it ups the ante for me, so I guess I better come up with something good.
rjo Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 The last two chapters (15, 16) have some of the best in the whole saga. I am worry however that Robbie will loose it totally. This situation reminds me of /JP and Jeff after JP overhears Jeff tell Stef he loves Stef the most. IF Brad moves on to Father Tim can Robbie survive? Could Brad's moving on like JP moved on with Sam cause Robbie to loose it? Jeff killed himself ( with help) in the end. Some Hayes men are very unstable. Robbie seems to be one of them. I would hate to be Brad living with the guilt and sadness JP has had all these years. JP can handle it better than Brad could. I am hoping that Brad's love for Robbie will bring them back together in the end. 1
rjo Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) This could be the end of Robbie. Edited August 11, 2010 by rjo
Caedus Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 Please let's not have another dead Hayes. Maybe Mark should make a special term for it; like "The Hayes' Curse" or "Hayes' Fever"? The self-destructive symptoms have have led to the misfortune of every Hayes' male that contracts it, usually ending in death. Is it genetic? So far Frank seems to be immune or at least posses the most benign form of the condition. Jeff would definitely have the most extreme strain of this condition, with Billy falling somewhere in between. When Matt will contract this condition? Marcel? 1
methodwriter85 Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 Matt and Marcel are likely safe from the Hayes curse because they weren't raised as Hayes.
rjo Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 I think Marcel is in a good place now. When last we saw him he was pretty grounded. Matt has Wade ( I love Wade he's great) and is surrounded with support, JP, Stef, Frank, and his parents. If he would have lost it it would have been after Thanksgiving. Robbie , however, is a different story. Hints of it showed up when Matt was sick. I still think Robbie is Brad's soul mate.
Mark Arbour Posted August 11, 2010 Author Posted August 11, 2010 Are you guys implying that only Hayes men are capable of doing stupid things like f**king up a relationship for a young piece of ass?
Hermetically Sealed Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 I wouldn't say that they are they only ones, there is just a long established precedence for Hayes boys to be unstable (of which their shared trauma seems to be at fault). I think Robbie was doing pretty good up until Matt showed up, at least he appeared from the other narrators' perspective to be getting stronger after taking control over the company. But ever since Bloodlines he appears to be getting more, I don't know, emotional? Not sure if that is the word I am looking for. I think that having Matt show up brought out a lot of internalized guilt in him. Guilt of not being there as a father, for putting his ex girlfriend in that position, add on the shame he felt over what his cousins did . . . and his mother. . . and Neil (both being manipulated by and then killing him), even with therapy that is a lot of baggage he's carrying around with him. I just don't see him surviving the growing amount of it. I hope he does, as Brad and Robbie were my first pair to read about in the series and hold a special place in my heart.
rjo Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 No, but some Hayes men react badly after doing it. Part of this is not Robbie's failt. Whoever did this planned it very carefully. Attacking Robbie and Brad and the company all at once. They also embeded Carson and Brandon almost like a sleeper cell. Luke and Brad didn't see what was happening until the third lost deal. It takes Hayes men a time to get it ( what is going on). Just like Brad sometimes needs a little time to cool off before he deals with things. Jeff couldn't live with loosing JP. If Robbie looses Brad will he be able to deal with it?
Caedus Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 If anything, maybe the implosion of Robbie's relationship with Brad would prove (at least in the CAP world) that there is no such thing as a soul mate - at least it's not limited to one person. By all accounts, Brad and Robbie's relationship could be seen as a success in some light since they were able to raise 3 kids together as well as stay exclusive for so long and support each other. Brad and Robbies issues seem so similar to Greg and Steph towards the end of their relationship. Robbie was so put together and seemed stabled. It'd kinda suck to have him go out like Greg. :0/ 1
Ivy Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 There's no reason Robbie can't pull his head out of his @$$ and get back on track. He did it once before after the mess with Neil. I'm not saying it would be easy or that its going to happen, but it could. His track record's not good...kinda like a roller coaster ride..he just happens to be at a really low point right now. The problem is he needed a lot of help from Brad to rebound the last time(s). I just wonder if Brad's willing to go through that again, his words and actions seem to say "not". I can't wait for Mark to get into the Amphion Smackdown that I know is coming...
methodwriter85 Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) I think that having Matt show up brought out a lot of internalized guilt in him. Guilt of not being there as a father, for putting his ex girlfriend in that position, add on the shame he felt over what his cousins did . . . and his mother. . . and Neil (both being manipulated by and then killing him), even with therapy that is a lot of baggage he's carrying around with him. I just don't see him surviving the growing amount of it. I hope he does, as Brad and Robbie were my first pair to read about in the series and hold a special place in my heart. That is an incredibly interesting theory, and one I've never really thought about. When Mark did the Robbie/Matt reunion, there was literally no ill will there- Matt lucked out into this aristrocratic family that are the scions of Shaker Heights. Matt got a far, far better upbrginging than he would have had as the son of two teenage parents. But it would be true to the Hayes form if Robbie still felt a lot of guilt about not being there for Laura and Matt, and knowing that she likely kept the pregnancy secret from him because he got caught being raped by his cousins. I do think the Hayes curse was broken by Marcel and Matt, and was further smashed to pieces by it turning out Aaron Hayes had never actually died, but...you never know. Edited August 11, 2010 by methodwriter85
Vacartu Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 Oh yessss I totally want to see the Schulter-Cramptoms going to war! Bitches better watch out. As sad as it is, I honestly believe that the Brad and Robbie era has come to an end. I think is best for both of them to move on and find someone who is really at their same level. Someone who can actually give them what they need. Hopefully they're going to remain good friends for the sake of their children and because they're there in the history of the great couples of the CAP timeline.
Westie Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 This probably deserves its own thread... but Im liking the way you are treating religion in here... You have introduced a form of Liberation Theology - a South American exxpression of Christianity - that I have a particular soft spot for. Liberation Theology stressed the role of Christ as "Christ Liberator". Not Christ "standing by judging everyone in the hope they might conform", not even Christ "Standing by saying how AWFUL it is to be poor, while sipping champagne"... The idea of Christ as LIBERATOR is that it is not enough to just live by Christian rules, but that every Christian has an obligation expressed as PRAXIS. Prayer... Reflection... ACTION. Liberation Theology is the idea that you cannot just sit idle and pray... you need to take action to change the world. This is what Father Tim seems to have taken to heart. I am particularly pleased that you honoured Oscar Romero with a mention: he is a particular hero of mine. Apologies if I seemed to give a sermon here - but I genuinely believe that Liberationists are the most genuine of Christians. And it does not surprise me that a Gay Minister would be attracted to such beliefs. In all - well researched and well deployed Mark!!!
methodwriter85 Posted August 11, 2010 Posted August 11, 2010 Please let's not have another dead Hayes. I wouldn't worry too much about that, Rjo. Mark knows that if he killed off Robbie, fellow GA author Adam Phillips would come after him with a machete.
Mark Arbour Posted August 11, 2010 Author Posted August 11, 2010 If anything, maybe the implosion of Robbie's relationship with Brad would prove (at least in the CAP world) that there is no such thing as a soul mate - at least it's not limited to one person. By all accounts, Brad and Robbie's relationship could be seen as a success in some light since they were able to raise 3 kids together as well as stay exclusive for so long and support each other. Brad and Robbies issues seem so similar to Greg and Steph towards the end of their relationship. Robbie was so put together and seemed stabled. It'd kinda suck to have him go out like Greg. :0/ I see Brad and Robbie's issues as very different from Greg and Stef's. Robbie's dealing with mid-life crisis issues. He's not a workaholic; he had a relatively balanced life. Greg was a workaholic, and let it dominate and destroy his life. He is my stereotypical driven businessman, destroyed by his own lust for power. And that's the other big difference. Greg f**ked Zach probably for the power of it and not as much for the pleasure. Robbie had similar issues with Carson, only it was a dominant thing. Power and dominance are different. There's no reason Robbie can't pull his head out of his @$ and get back on track. He did it once before after the mess with Neil. I'm not saying it would be easy or that its going to happen, but it could. His track record's not good...kinda like a roller coaster ride..he just happens to be at a really low point right now. The problem is he needed a lot of help from Brad to rebound the last time(s). I just wonder if Brad's willing to go through that again, his words and actions seem to say "not". I can't wait for Mark to get into the Amphion Smackdown that I know is coming... Actually, I think Robbie's track record is really good. He went through all that shit in high school and got it together (finally) in California. He went through all that crap with Neil at Princeton and got over it. Then he killed Neil in Paris and worked his way through that. Personally, based on all the crap I've thrown at the guy, I'd give him a gold star. And a hand up his ass. This probably deserves its own thread... but Im liking the way you are treating religion in here... You have introduced a form of Liberation Theology - a South American exxpression of Christianity - that I have a particular soft spot for. Liberation Theology stressed the role of Christ as "Christ Liberator". Not Christ "standing by judging everyone in the hope they might conform", not even Christ "Standing by saying how AWFUL it is to be poor, while sipping champagne"... The idea of Christ as LIBERATOR is that it is not enough to just live by Christian rules, but that every Christian has an obligation expressed as PRAXIS. Prayer... Reflection... ACTION. Liberation Theology is the idea that you cannot just sit idle and pray... you need to take action to change the world. This is what Father Tim seems to have taken to heart. I am particularly pleased that you honoured Oscar Romero with a mention: he is a particular hero of mine. Apologies if I seemed to give a sermon here - but I genuinely believe that Liberationists are the most genuine of Christians. And it does not surprise me that a Gay Minister would be attracted to such beliefs. In all - well researched and well deployed Mark!!! I have to thank Harry Grace for the theology. He's been helping me out with that. I got called on only doing religious assholes, and there are guys like Tim out there that deserve to be recognized.
Canuk Posted August 12, 2010 Posted August 12, 2010 I have to thank Harry Grace for the theology. He's been helping me out with that. I got called on only doing religious assholes, and there are guys like Tim out there that deserve to be recognized. While I agree whole-heartedly that there are Tim-like ministers/priests/church-figures, there are an awful lot of the other of the "religious asshole" variety. I, too, like that your Tim is a liberation-theology character. I never understood why the mainsream catholic church didn't take to this stream; of all the ways to attract new accolytes, freeing them from political and/or economic tyranny would seem to have no downside. I would imagine that Tim is going to run up against his church heirachy in a big way - which could cause a crisis for him; making him leave the church and fall into the arms of a waiting man.... and which man do you think will be there waiting??????
Hermetically Sealed Posted August 13, 2010 Posted August 13, 2010 Hmmm, I think Brad might be taking things a step too far now. Here Robbie confessed the root of his problems being how he feels he is the inferior sub in the pairing, Brad tells him to grow a spine and take charge, then wants to permanently enshrine Robbie's position on the leash. Yeah, that wasn't well thought out. Not sure why JP didn't spell it out clearer that this was a bad idea, unless he was afraid that Brad was already too emotional to reason with at the moment. Hopefully Robbie starts to take initiative, and Brad uses the time to get his own head on straight .
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