[DomLuka] DD 24

[Alan]

Two thing make me think Luke may like Seth is:

 

1) the comment Seth made to Rory when they were playing video games before going swimming. Seth was telling Rory about his life and school pre-Kesslin and after, and then about being out but not having it too bad because Luke suddenly came out at the same time, and that Lukes announcement surprised almost everyone and was the topic of conversation.

 

My understanding of Luke-Aaron is that they dated first and sometime AFTER their final break-up Aaron and Seth hooked up. Did Luke out himself to pull the pressure/attention away from what Seth was going through?

 

2) Luke states that the person he likes isn't interested

 

Some other reasons why it's possible Luke may like Seth is:

 

-Seth loses most of his friends, he tells Rory. when he started seeing Aaron (wonder if Aaron was telling Luke about Seth just like he was telling Seth about Rory?)

-Luke knows who Seth is, but his group of friends do not, they're just getting to know him

-Seth is the same age as Rory. This makes him younger than Luke and his crowd. This would also mean Seth is an "underclassmen" to Luke and his crowds being "upper classemen", no wonder Luke's friends do not know if Seth is gay or not as an underclassmen it wouldn't be in their realm other than possible harrassment, and also Luke came out at the same time, getting the attention because of the shock of his announcement. This also may be why Luke is sure the person is "not interested".

 

The Luke/Seth scenario means that Luke would have told Rory 2 direct lies to give himself a chance at getting into Seth's trousers ahead of Rory. That puts him in Aaron's class when it comes to deceit and even if everything we know about Luke is wrong, there is no obvious motive for the necessary deceit.

 

[Lie 1] would be in Chapter 12

"How do you know a Seth?" Luke asked curiously, looking at me. I really didn

[The Journeyman]

I'm pulling for Rory and Seth. Seth is THE coolest character in the story right now, and getting cooler all the time. Luke has become a dishrag just now. Seth is cute and more normal than anyone else in the story. He has an odd way about him, but he at least is bold enough to go after what he wants, is comfortable in his own skin, isn't out to decieve anyone, has a very gentle (and non-violent) manner about him and owns up to his own responsibilities. He also has a sense of humor, which more of these jokers could use.

 

Luke's funny looks, I think, were actually of jealousy. But not the kind y'all think. He was jealous not of Seth, but of Rory AND Seth -- that they seem to have started on a relationship so quickly, and Luke can't seem to sprout the short hairs to get one started (with Rick or whomever). And the person he has a crush on may actually be Dave (hence the comment, "He's not interested, trust me." Rory and Seth may be the catalys for getting him hooked up with a bf, or at least a fb.

 

But I think the final outcome of the star couple is Rory and Seth.

 

Journeyman.

[Wynter]

the impending family vacation. This has the potential to change a whole wack of things in the storyline.

 

The family vacation will also give Luke a serious amount of time with just Rory without any other guys getting the chance to complicate things.

 

Steve

 

But what if Eddie tells them they can invite friends. Naturally Luke would want Dave and Rory would bring seth. Imagine the tension with all three more or less constantly in each others faces

(and poor dave stuck in the middle with no idea whats going on. LOL).

[stonerboy]

I'm still giggling over the fact that a guy with FISH in his name doesn't like to eat the stuff, gets freaked out by deep water, and wears a fisherman's hat.

 

(And there's the fact that he's gay.... but that relates to a more off-colour joke that I'm far too classy to mention...)

[NickolasJames8]

Hmmm...ok, it's time for another one of my way off base observations...........

Luke can't be trusted. Even though he didn't steal the car he was in with Aaron, he did get into trouble before that( I think he broke into a house, but I could be wrong) and he also still loves Aaron.

Here's the way I think it's going to go down after reading DD 24:

 

Rory goes home but changes his mind and wants to go back with Eddie, so Jase, Luke and Eddie go to Nevada in a truck to bring all of Rorys stuff back to AZ.....when Luke lays his eyes on Grandma Alice(who might not be thinking clearly because her daughter died, not because she's a bad person) he suddenly realizes that he's not all the way gay, just bi, and he moves in with her and they have a wild affair that Rory resents

[Tom]

LUKE AND ALICE?! that's just GROSS!!!! Totally sick and wrong.

 

 

didactic? Look I'm 36 years old and haven't even seen a dictionary in (OMG)18 years(now I feel old). Be kind...some of us went in to the ARMY instead of college....lower your G.P.A for us that fear learnin'

 

 

 

last thing I gotta confsess.....I didn't like dd23 or dd24. It just makes me sick that it might not be "LUKE and Rory". Seth is turning out to be such a nice guy that I can't help but give him at least even odds.

Edited January 5, 2006 by lostone

[rknapp]

I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that, and hope that Luke plays more of an active role in Rory's situation. Slowly but surely he is stepping into the shadows and sometimes his presence is a little weird and awkward. Just like when Seth and Rory were in the pool, and he was magically there, then forcing a smile and saying he was enjoying the view. I want to say he hasn't crossed any lines just because Chey was enjoying his company, and so far she has been a good indicator of elements in the story. (Sticking to Rory at the beginning of the story, wanting to bite Aarons balls off, etc. etc.) Perhaps she plays a crucial role getting people to do what they normally wouldn't do (mans best friend after all).

 

No I didn't get into the pot again, so I'm presenting this theory and sticking to it until someone can get me thinking otherwise.

[Ann]

Rory and Seth are going to end up together. That's it. I

[Rabble_Rouser]

Rory and Seth are going to end up together. That's it. I

[Tom]

O.K. I still can't get the stupid quote thing to work right :wacko: soI'm going to copy an paste

 

 

 

KRNAPP "I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that, and hope that Luke plays more of an active role in Rory's situation."

 

 

I never said I gave up on Luke and Rory!! But Seth seems to have a chance...and that makes me real uneasy.

 

 

 

P.S. Hey Vic, where are the directions for this form stuff? P.M. me! My lack of edumacaton is getting anoying

[carmichael]

I'm still giggling over the fact that a guy with FISH in his name doesn't like to eat the stuff, gets freaked out by deep water, and wears a fisherman's hat.

 

(And there's the fact that he's gay.... but that relates to a more off-colour joke that I'm far too classy to mention...)

 

 

Wow. I actually laughed out loud when I read that.

[LittleBuddhaTW]

If Rory really did like Luke, and wanted to be with him, yet Jase and/or Eddie didn't approve or forbade it, then that might be enough to piss off Rory so much that he *wants* to go back to live with Grandma Alice (which Eddie doesn't want), rather than having to live with someone who he wants yet can't have. While they may not like it if it happens, I think Eddie and Jase would still have to accept it ... and "f**king like bunnies" shouldn't be a problem as long as Eddie and Jase feel comfortable that they are monogamous and safe ... and it would be awfully hypocritical of Eddie to forbid it since he got Rory's mom pregnant at age sixteen (and Rory and Luke obviously wouldn't have to worry about that).

 

Interpreting/analyzing the story would be much better if it was done at the end, but the whole author - text - reader/commentator dynamic is interesting as well ... although I don't know if comments on the story influence Dom's writing at all. Any piece of literature is a dynamic, living thing ... once it leaves the author's hands and is read, it is no longer the author's, so to speak (and I'm not referring to copyright, etc.). The author's original intent and interpretation will not be the same as individual readers, and with a text being a living thing, neither is "correct" or "incorrect" (Dom may not agree, but in terms of literary theory that is the established view). But at the same time, for an interpretation to be valid, it has to be persuasive.

 

In that regard, I accept the possibility of most theories (except the one about Luke shagging Grandma Alice ... that's just obscene and ridiculous), including Seth and Rory ending up together, or Luke liking Seth, or whatever. However, I haven't seen a really cohesive, logical argument to support either of those (very little textual evidence, and what is there is stretching it a bit, IMO). From the text itself, trying very hard to separate myself (the subjective reader) from my personal preferences, I still see the text pointing at a Luke/Rory matchup. With that said, authors often bait their readers and then twist everything around, so who knows ... I think how Dom finishes off such a complicated series of plots and sub-plots into one cohesive ending will be a sign of how truly good of an author he is (and I tend to think he's pretty darn good - at least in this particular genre, one of the best).

 

Can't wait to read Ch. 25!!!

Edited January 5, 2006 by LittleBuddhaTW

[rknapp]

O.K. I still can't get the stupid quote thing to work right :wacko: soI'm going to copy an paste

KRNAPP "I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that, and hope that Luke plays more of an active role in Rory's situation."

I never said I gave up on Luke and Rory!! But Seth seems to have a chance...and that makes me real uneasy.

P.S. Hey Vic, where are the directions for this form stuff? P.M. me! My lack of edumacaton is getting anoying

 

I was referring to Nick's comment about Luke and Alice knocking boots, you just posted faster than I did

 

 

As far as quoting goes, there are two ways to do it. The easiest way to quote a post in the thread is to click "Reply" on the individual post which automatically inserts the HTML quote brackets. The other way is insert said brackets yourself around something you copy/pasted. That is, [*quote] before the copied message, and [*/quote] after the copied message, but without the asterisk's (*). Hope that helps.

[AFriendlyFace]

Gosh I don't come in here for one day and you guys all post without me!......ok this being a forum and all I guess I can understand that. LOL anyway here's what I think about what some people said:

 

Anyways, finally things are moving along. AND, we now know what colour (oh yeah, i spell british sometimes. it's not my fault. comes naturally) Seth's hair is. Yay! :king:

xox

Jesper

LOL I like the British spelling myself and often do it for fun. I just watch it because some people could interpret it as being pretenious or mocking, neither of which is my intent. Anyway it is nifty

 

damnit damnit damnit damnit. This is cruel. I have to leave in five minutes and I haven't had a chance to read it yet! ARRRRGH! And I'm going to a homophobe environment. This is really really really annoying.

 

//shadows who will not out himself for a story. will he?

Oh no shadows! that really sucks, I hope you find a way to read it......and if you're going to out yourself don't do it in a homophobic environment! Anyway take care and be safe.

 

That wasn't jealousy Luke was experiencing, it was shocked surprise that Rory took the initiative and invited Seth over. Rory and Seth end up together, Luke is still in the role of BFF. There is no mystery guy for Luke. He threw out that 'I'm interested in someone else' comment just to show Rory he (Luke) had no interest in Seth.

 

Sharon (PSO-less)

I really don't see that personally speaking, though it is interesting to think that Luke might have said that just to make sure Rory knew he wasn't into Seth, but I just don't see it. And he really did seem jealous to me. Why couldn't he look at Rory and Seth as he was going into the house if it wasn't jealousy?

 

Okay oh wise one....If Dom is following a similar formula, where's the Janie or Marissa?

 

I could see that Angela is the Lacy/Bree...but there isn't an evil B*tch

I never thought Marissa was evil! In fact I think she was much better than everyone gave her credit for.

 

By the way, does anyone else think its creepy that Rory and Seth think they are alone and are about to have this intimate moment and all of the sudden Luke is sitting on the other side of the pool cross legged staring at them with a blank expression. That would certainly freak me out...

SOOO creepy! I thought the same thing. I mean I really like Luke and I guess it is his house so he can be where he wants, but yeah, kinda creepy IMO too. I guess jealousy does that.

 

And Mar wasn't evil! I liked her actually, she seemed like the opposite of Janie. Until she read the journal I was afraid that Bree might go that route.

I agree with you RK, I liked Mar too, though I never thought Bree would go the "bad route"

It's natural for sharks to eat anything that moves, including the occasional surfer, but I'm fairly sure that when Rory says things feel natural with Luke he is not disclosing an intention to eat Luke with some fava beans and a light Chianti. What's natural to Rory is perhaps a tad more relevant than what's natural to snow, sharks or trips to the bathroom.

LOL hahaha

I think the moral of the story here (or one of them) is *communication*.

 

One reason I like the story "My New Brother" by Graeme so much is because it is narrated from the point of view of a str8 teenager trying to deal with finding out that his friends are gay. This is very unique to the entire genre of gay fiction.

I agree that does seem like a good moral for this story.

 

Also where can I read "My New Brother"? It sounds quite good. I tried googling it but got no useful results

*in a Scooby-Doo voice*

 

riractic?

Sorry. And Yes, I really am 37yo.

LOLOL

Oh and off subject, but say you know someone and you think they are Gay, and there not out because the family would most likely freak, How would you go about letting them know that it doese not bother you so they know if they ever want to talk about it they can come to you. Without making them feel uncomfterbal. Now I dont know for Sur that he is but I am pretty confident that he is.

I'd go with bringing up homosexuality casually, then maybe pointing out some instance of prejudice and saying something like "isn't it rediculous that people can't just accept people for who they are?" or "I think everyone should be allowed to fall in love with whomever is right for them." Something like that. It totally takes the focus off of him, but effectively gets your values across.

 

Anyway have a great day everyone and take care!

Edited January 5, 2006 by AFriendlyFace

[AFriendlyFace]

I just recently started thinking about Angela, and I'm starting to wonder who else in this Goddamn town Angela would even find to date. Dave's just about the only heterosexual we've met. Poor girl. She's gotta be hella frustrated that these four attractive boys are all interested in each other, and only blabber-mouth, stuttering Dave is looking for her attention. Again, I say, "Poor girl."

LOL you are so right! Besides Dave there's pretty much only Brian (taken) and Rick (oversexed and childish). LOL things ARE looking up for Dave after all

 

As far as quoting goes, there are two ways to do it. The easiest way to quote a post in the thread is to click "Reply" on the individual post which automatically inserts the HTML quote brackets. The other way is insert said brackets yourself around something you copy/pasted. That is, [*quote] before the copied message, and [*/quote] after the copied message, but without the asterisk's (*). Hope that helps.

You can also just hit the quote button below someone's entry, that way you can quote more than one person in a post.

 

Anyway when I read the chapter I couldn't believe how dense Rory was when it came to not figuring out that Luke was jealous! I mean SETH obviously figured it out. Rory just thought he was having a bad day at work or something?? I mean come on! I know he's not that perceptive but he should have figured THAT out.

 

So I'm feeling really sorry for Luke and I hope he finally just flat out tells Rory how he feels (since Rory obviously isn't going to get it on his own) when Rory asks him what was wrong. But unfortunnately I don't see that happening. I really don't know what to think about Seth and Rory now.

 

After this last chapter they do seem like a good couple, and Seth seemed so cute with all his little neurotic qualities (LOL probably just because I'm neurotic, but it seemed cute to me!). And yeah that "I wrote my number in your dirt" line has to go right up there with his "Walking you to he door?" line. LOL Seth's definitely getting all the best romantic lines here. Except for Luke's asking to sleep on Rory's floor. Anyway I'm still pulling for Luke/Rory, but now it's so complicated, I hope all three of them can find some sort of happy, peaceful resolution.

 

Can't wait for the next chapter, way to go Dom! Take care everyone!

Kevin

[Rabble_Rouser]

Also where can I read "My New Brother"? It sounds quite good. I tried googling it but got no useful results

 

Hey FF,

 

You can find New Brother and other stories by Graeme on www.awesomedude.com and www.deweywriter.com. I'd also recommend his story "Fall Creek Lessons".

 

Cheers!

 

Steve

[NaperVic]

... although I don't know if comments on the story influence Dom's writing at all.

 

Dom has said in the past that he's laid down the plot lines in advance and that our commentary does not affect what he writes.

 

Also if the commentary is starting to hit too close to home, he just avoids reading them. You'll note that Dom rarely jumps in to any conversation regarding a chapter or plot line. He keeps a nice safe distance from our musings.

 

Discussion of characters and plot lines really grew out of discussion on TOU at our old yahoo group. Dom mentioned ahead of time that TOU was mostly written, so it felt 'safe' to discuss characters because there was no chance of us influencing his writing.

 

'Aggressive Commentary On Dom's Writing (ACODW)' has really seemed to explode recently with Desert Dropping. It's a little scary when a chapter has been out for only a couple days and we have 5 pages of comments.

 

Take Care

Edited January 5, 2006 by naper_vic

[carmichael]

Okay, like I've said before, I'm not going to predict a Rory/Luke romance by the end of the chapter -- if Rory ends up with Seth, then he ends up with Seth. I'm sure I'll be enthralled, however it ends up.

 

But, another thing I will NOT do is try to pick apart Luke as being creepy, jealous, or unfathomably unattainable for Rory. I refuse to create phony flaws in a character in order rationalize in my own head the idea that he may not end up with Rory.

 

Has Seth come out and told Rory how he feels about him? No. Is Luke less mature because he hasn't come forward with his feelings for Rory (if he even does have feelings for Rory)? No. Has he actually shown any real evidence of being jealous that Rory is macking-it-up with some sketchy and once sketchy kids from the neighborhood? No. Personally, I think he's been more than a little understanding (after a while) when Rory was with Aaron, and he certainly hasn't been hostile about Seth.

 

Creepy? C'mon now, guys. He came home for lunch, we walked in the backyard, Rory and Seth were throwing each other around in the pool -- they didn't notice him there. He sits down to scratch Chey's ear, and when they notice that he's there we says "Hey" to Rory and Seth, and proceeds to go into the house. That sounds completely normal to me. We don't know how long he was there, but that doesn't mean he was watching them the entire time. And if he was, it's not his fault that they were too "caught up in the moment" to realize that he was there. And with all the splashing going on, how would they have heard him say "Hey" in the first place. Did we expect him to just walk inside without saying "Hey"? That would be anti-social, and reason to create these type of conclusions.

 

I think Luke's fun-loving, and I'll be the first to tell you that he's not perfect, but I just think that jealousy can have a negative connotation, and it's important that we realize that he's not jealous because he and Rory are a couple, or that he finds Seth as a rival -- he may very well view him as a rival, but we don't know that at all, yet. We just shouldn't jump to conclusions to make ourselves feel better about the progress of the story, and I really don't think Luke was being creepy at all.

 

If anything, he's just a little disheartened -- charmingly disheartened.

 

(Maybe he had that blank expression because he's never seen Seth with his hat off. Or maybe he's confused as to how Seth could be fawning over Rory after Luke did everything he could to get Seth's attention at Angela's house. I feel sorry for Luke -- I'm not really suspicious of him ... yet)

[Bao]

why do you guys have to rip on people. first it was alice. thenn seth. then jase, now luke.

 

its luke!!!! jeez

[sat8997]

I enjoy reading all the different theorys, opinions, comments and just plain fantasies. As Vic said, none of it affects how Dom will conclude the story. I think the best part is how we're all reading the same story, but apparently, reading it differently.

 

I'll admit that TOU is my favorite, but I'm getting a real kick out of DD. Mostly because this is the first time Vic and I have been on different sides of a storyline. Ususally we're like two peas in a pod. And as my sense of humor is just bent enough to make life interesting, I'm enjoying the opportunity to yank his chain. I can't irritate him too much, though. He might start spelling my name wrong.

 

And Bao, don't worry so much about the ripping, we're Domaholics. It's what we do and since we're not allowed to rip on each other anymore, we have to settle for charactor shredding.

 

 

Sharon (PSO-less)

Edited January 5, 2006 by sat8997

[Bao]

i rip on every one... in my own way. im doing it right now. you just have to look really, really closely. lol im suprised no one complained about it yet.

[rknapp]

I've said it before I'll say it again, these chapters get get so overdrawn so quickly that before we know it we have to start picking virgin characters and tear them to pieces. It's not fair, in fact it's down right vicious (don't be a smart-ass vic), but it's what we do best to pass the time .

[AFriendlyFace]

Hey FF,

 

You can find New Brother and other stories by Graeme on www.awesomedude.com and www.deweywriter.com. I'd also recommend his story "Fall Creek Lessons".

 

Cheers!

 

Steve

TYVM Steve!

 

But, another thing I will NOT do is try to pick apart Luke as being creepy, jealous, or unfathomably unattainable for Rory. I refuse to create phony flaws in a character in order rationalize in my own head the idea that he may not end up with Rory.

 

Creepy? C'mon now, guys. He came home for lunch, we walked in the backyard, Rory and Seth were throwing each other around in the pool -- they didn't notice him there. He sits down to scratch Chey's ear, and when they notice that he's there we says "Hey" to Rory and Seth, and proceeds to go into the house. That sounds completely normal to me. We don't know how long he was there, but that doesn't mean he was watching them the entire time. And if he was, it's not his fault that they were too "caught up in the moment" to realize that he was there. And with all the splashing going on, how would they have heard him say "Hey" in the first place. Did we expect him to just walk inside without saying "Hey"? That would be anti-social, and reason to create these type of conclusions.

 

I think Luke's fun-loving, and I'll be the first to tell you that he's not perfect, but I just think that jealousy can have a negative connotation, and it's important that we realize that he's not jealous because he and Rory are a couple, or that he finds Seth as a rival -- he may very well view him as a rival, but we don't know that at all, yet. We just shouldn't jump to conclusions to make ourselves feel better about the progress of the story, and I really don't think Luke was being creepy at all.

Thanks Carmichael, you're right I was jumping to conclusions (and being a big Luke fan I love a reason why I was wrong about him being creepy ). It does sound much more harmless the way you said it.

 

Anyway take care all and have a great day.

Kevin

[Chris Muldoon]

I really like Luke. I know he's not perfect - I'd like him a lot less if he were - but I've yet to find something about him I don't like. That being said, I still think the situation was creepy. Every time I turn around to find someone staring at me with a blank expression where I wasn't expecting to see anyone at all, I'm going to be creeped out. I don't care who the person is. I agree that Luke himself isn't the least bit creepy.

 

 

 

Maybe he had that blank expression because he's never seen Seth with his hat off.

 

Note to self: Refrain from drinking while reading one of Carmichael's posts. Spewing water all over the place because of uncontrollable laughter cannot be good for the well-being of your computer.

[NickolasJames8]

oooh...I can hardly wait for DD 25.....Im soooooo excited for Rory and Seth and for Luke and Grandma Alice!!!!!!