Charles26

I have no doubt at all that he will be a hit😄

Nice one. Shayna has now fully blown what little cover she had left - and good riddance. But Jo gets a bit more time in the spotlight, and that's great. I'm sure he'll do well.

Of course he will. But that's OK. Father Costas gives good advice.

"To every thing there is a season, he thought, the old words rising unbidden. And a time to every purpose under the heaven." An interesting reference. In my view it comes from one of the most attractive passages in the Old Testament. It is a reflection on change, to be sure, but in the examples it offers it focuses very much on the cycle of life, starting with "a time to be born, and a time to die". In many ways it looks towards Indian philosophy, notably towards Buddhism. (I was going to say it looks eastwards, but that's from a European perspective🙃) If Levi is subconsciously reflecting on this passage then he really is considering the possibility of, perhaps the need for, some deep changes in his own life and beliefs. We shall see.

Great. Matt is OK. Well, he will be once his leg has healed up but that is seemingly only a matter of time and patience. And Levi's major contribution towards calling for help has gone a long way towards mending the breach in his relationship with his dad. It will probably never be quite the same again but it may be a case of "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger". (Actually I have my doubts about that as a general principle, but it may be true here!) I hope that Levi tests himself by walking through both doors. Working with Zack shouldn't cause any problems and ought at least to give him another friend. Helping out at the charity would require much more adjustment. He would inevitably hear things about neglect, mistreatment and outright abuse that would distress him greatly and give him furiously to think about prejudice and hatred, whether condoned by religion or otherwise. But I think he would grow enormously as a result. And, who knows, he might well find new friends there as well. Another great chapter - quite often those without obvious drama can be especially satisfying to read.

It's certainly not a conventional happy ending; but then not much of the story is all that conventional. But it is great fun and it surely digs deep into teenage angst. When you're at the bottom of a deep pit, clawing your way up to ground level is a real achievement and Richard has done that even if he still has to choose a hill to climb for whatever he wants to do and be in his life. So well done, Richard. And Harriet and Vicky, who have helped him so much. I guess a bunch of date-expired fireworks giving "one small bang and one burst of colour" is the perfect metaphor for this ending. Congratulations to @Richie Tennyson for a story that has been a delight to read.

A subtle and sometimes intricate tale of nearly two thousand years of repeated rediscovery and loss, as two souls linked in love try to be together over the centuries, watched by a third whose role and intentions only gradually become clear. It is a search for happiness repeatedly thwarted by fate and a quest for a way to escape. Beautifully written, highly evocative, well judged. If you like urban fantasy you should definitely read it. If you're not so sure, this should convert you.

Well, well, well. Matteo hasn't quite consummated the new relationship but unless he backs out suddenly he's pretty much committed himself. Or recognised a key truth about himself. Or both. Definitely intense - well written.

Credo illum ad istum iam redisse, so he doesn't need to return to him ever again, or so we may hope. A very gentle ending - the calm after the storm. Fairly literally in this case. But that calm seems to have provided Christopher and Marco with everything they could have hoped for even if Marco is struggling a bit with modern technology. A normal, mostly happy life together, almost two millennia after their first attempt. Good fortune to both of them. And thank you and congratulations to @andy cannon

Both true, I think. But perhaps they have been left with more than that. Perhaps, like Pandora, they have been left with hope, or at least some reason for hope. Christopher's memories of past lives are still there but "They no longer pressed against the present. They stood quietly behind it." That's a profound change in itself. And their moods have shifted. For Marco, "[his]} expression softened into a smile that Christopher had never seen before. It carried affection without longing, hope without desperation." For Christopher, "[he] considered the question. Once, the answer would have seemed inevitable. Now he found himself thinking about [other possibilities]". He has freedom of choice, and with that freedom of choice he chooses to spend his time with Marco: "He smiled. "Yes," he said. "I'd like that."" Perhaps they have been left with the possibility of a lifetime together whose ending they will accept when it comes, and so be truly set free. I hope so. Moving and well written. Thank you, @andy cannon

I don't suppose either Matt or Luke will forget it in a hurry, either ! But for Levi it should be a positive memory, once Matt is safe and is recovering from his injury and there is no further need for concern. As we all hope😌

It is, isn't it. For the first time in his life (I guess) Levi has taken on a task which is both important - Matt was depending on him - and genuinely difficult; and he has succeeded. That's something in which he can and I hope will take some fair measure of pride. It should boost his self-esteem which has been rather shaken of late,

Phew. Great stuff. No-one would want Matt to break his leg but it did give Levi a chance to "give something back". Their relationship should be the stonger for it. I hope Matt recovers quickly, cleanly and fully.

This chapter is extremely funny and it manages to be funny without losing its grip on the serious issues that lie beneath - so well done. Vicky definitely has principles and the backbone to stand up for them: she deserves her triumph over Mr Jane and the School Board. It is true that very often the most effective way to get something done is to work with rather than against the system. It's certainly been the case when dealing with any bureaucracy that I've ever had to cope with🤢 And Mrs Hansen is, inevitably, thrilled. Quelle surprise...

I agree with the second part; and of course the great storytelling. I don't think Cian wants to dominate people in the sense of crushing their personalities; unlike Nolan, it seems. But I fear that Evan did allow himself to be and was dominated by Nolan ("The words Nolan had made small, the wanting made ridiculous before it left Evan’s mouth" ). He is still fighting to come out of that: "Evan typed, Sunday. Two o’clock. He sent it before warmth could attach itself. No apology. No hope you’re well. No explanation about work or Bray..."

Brilliantly written. To produce a convincing telephone sex scene requires skill. To place such a scene so that it fits as a necessary element in the development of an equally convincing relationship is a real achievement, so congratulations @Kevin Snell. I'm impressed. To list all the good things about the chapter would require a comment almost as long as the chapter itself, so I won't try. But I'll mention one thing that I think is so exactly right: "He could take the fear out of one part and leave Cian the rest to decide. And the moment he said it, the room would change. Cian would no longer be a man sitting at his own table with a decision. He would be a man Evan could afford." Of course Evan wants to help. Fortunately he can see the damage it could cause. A real problem. And meanwhile Nolan, whom we haven't even seen yet in person, is behaving as the total shit he must have been all the time he and Evan were together. Horrible man.

"I love you because I am Christopher." Marco stared at him. "And that is what I can give you." It is probably all Christopher can give Marco; but "perhaps that is all anyone ever has". I think that may very well be true. There is, after all, no certainty in life other than death at the end; and there is nothing more valuable any of us can give another than unconditional love. So perhaps, just perhaps, this won't so much break as dissolve the curse. I hope so - and we shall no doubt learn more. Meanwhile, congratulations to @andy cannon for another enchanting chapter.

Yes. At last. If Richard can't break the Nicholas addiction on his own, he now has two (or three) people who care enough for him to help him break it. He still needs a proper boyfriend...

Extremely moving and oh, so very sad. All the wrong things done for reasons which, if not right, were understandable and indeed excusable in the light of human frailty and human love. Perhaps Maelor is now at rest, released by Christopher's compassion and forgiveness from the impact of the ritual he enacted and the curse that it became. I hope so. And if so, then the pattern truly is changing. What impact this will have on Christopher and Marco I don't know. I hope it will be kind to them. A fairly short chapter, but pivotal and very effective. Good job @andy cannon

I take your point @Summerabbacat, but I fear that that programme would require a complete character reconstruction 🙃. Richard bis might well be more effective than the original Richard but would he be the same person ? Meanwhile, Mrs Hansen should be pleased, if no-one else !

Um. Well. I really don't think Nicholas is the one for him. Apparently Stu isn't either. But at least this time he is thoroughly, viscerally furious. That's progress of a sort, perhaps ?

At a guess, it might be the difference between a choice made without understanding the consequences and an informed choice made knowing what may result. Another quotation: "the truth will set you free" could be relevant here. Christopher has chosen Marco - again - but this time he understands what it means. They are coming to see that it has to mean that to be whole they have to accept that there will be an end as well as a beginning.

Well, it could, I suppose, but I don't think that's quite @Mark Ponyboy Peters's usual style😇. A great chapter - again - with intriguing developments all round. Casey seems to have been silenced, if only for the while. And Levi is learning a lot about his Dads, both as people in the present and as people with a past history that he hasn't known about. All good. Even some possible progress in selling the house; while his taking responsibility for it, or at least the garden, and recognising that he has moved on - "it looked smaller than Levi remembered" - both speak to his own growth as a person. Basically a pleasure to read, so thanks, Mark.

It's exactly the kind of bullshit that is used all the time to provide a fig leaf of cover for prejudice; more often from the hard right than the left but by no means always so. It's barely even a parody - it could easily be a quote from some real-world comment (though it probably isn't).

If this isn't the crisis, I don't know what the crisis will be. They know the current situation, they know the history and they believe they understand it. But that's a gamble. They still have to decide and believe that their choices are right - and perhaps pray that the outcome will free them, and free them in such a way that they can be happy. I wish them entirely well. Another excellent chapter.