Boy Mercury X

Thank you @drsawzall, glad to hear from you.

I'm so glad you do! I had originally imagined a 50s-60s matinee idol handsome guy like Guy Madison. And Orville Peck is definitely good looking but he's more roughneck. Another inspiration was this image of the actor in the Creature from the Black Lagoon holding his mask.

Thanks @dboggs9700. I sat on this story for a about five years because I couldn't quite figure out the man beneath the mask. One day I was inspired by the singer Orville Peck, who became the model for the character. I worked in a number of his lyrics as nod to him.

1. The teens pair off two by two like animals boarding Noah's ark—except for Jim. And like those beasts, he thinks, they're as unreasoning about what draws them to the amusement park each summer. They come on instinct: girls with sticky pink bubble gum, boys with tawny arms, like Jim’s, roped with muscle from hauling hay and fence posts all summer, skin tanned deep from the sun. Jim’s eyes catch on Bobby Johnson’s throat as he throws his head back laughing. Bill Rogers’ shirt stretches

A rural farm boy has a chance encounter with handsome tattooed roughneck that may change the trajectory of his life.

Glad you enjoyed it, @andy cannon.

Thank you @dboggs9700. A little fun after last week's heavier tale.

When personal trainer Jake goes into heat mid-set, the gym becomes a breeding ground. Surrounded by muscle bros scenting his need, Jake’s body demands a deposit from a true alpha. An MPREG tale about the ABCs of biology.

1: The Audit It was Jake’s day off, which meant Ironclad Fitness wasn’t just the office. It was the playground. He pushed through the double doors with his battered duffel slung loose over one shoulder, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. He wasn't wearing his polite, branded trainer polo. He was in his Sunday best—a sleeveless cotton tee and retro short shorts that showed the strength of his quads. It was just the gear of a guy who was there to get a pump, and move the heavie

6. The Evidence of Things Unseen The visit with Pierre Labourant weighed on Rowan’s mind as he returned to the village. He needed to examine the physical evidence taken from the boy—specifically, the wolfskin he was found with. The local magistrate had been pressured into showing his prisoner, but Rowan knew the deep superstitions of the countryside. Items of suspected dark magic were rarely kept in a secular jail; they were usually handed over to the Church to contain the rot. He

Check in tomorrow to find out!

Hmm, this is inspired by actual history, @andy cannon, but I'm afraid the resolution here is not in any history book.

Thank you @dboggs9700. You should have the answers tomorrow. I hope they don't disappoint.

In 1603 France, an investigator with secrets of his own is dispatched to a remote village to unravel a peasant boy's bizarre confession of lycanthropy. But for men who walk forbidden paths, the truth is more dangerous than any myth. (Inspired by historic events.)

This story is inspired by historic events. 1. The Hidden Life A shift in the dawn light pried Rowan’s eyes open. He lay perfectly still in the tangle of sheets, letting his waking gaze sweep over his chamber. It was small, but well-appointed—a jewel box where every item spoke of tastes beyond his means. He watched the shaft of light catch on a shelf of Venetian glass. He noted the silver inkwell gleaming beside a single, exquisitely bound volume of Pliny’s Natural History. His ey