Canuk

Having your apartment picked out by your mother to keep her happy seems a longway to go.... just hope it works for him.

Hmmmm, I feel old just getting out if bed each morning..... I like to feel the brain still works, but then I read this...! I so love working with people younger and brighter than me, it is truly energising. I have done it at the World Bank, in politics and other areas, but having read some of the above paragraphs, then re read the paragraphs, understanding each individual word but then puttingit all together and I fully understand the Luddites of the 18th century. Awe-inspiring, magnificent, hopeful even, but it certainly makes me feel every one of my decades. This is not a bad thing! The people who consider this bad are the worst sort of conservatives who consider they had it best and any change is therefore wrong/bad/unwarranted. This sort of writing / thinking gives me hope and that's the the thing I hold most precious.

So Romans off the rails, Jack is loosing control, Joey may be seeking help and Sandra is play catch-up mummy. I think his Dad had the right idea: stay in bed! I commented on this with 🤞 icon as this family needs luck by the truck full if all their half arsed plans are going to succeed!

Yes, he deserves a true love, but this bloke ain't it. We haven't really met him, but it just doesn't feel right. Will's "troo lurve" will be out of left field and definitely not some one who Will feels could have either an ulterior motive, or is glassy-eyed about Will's money, family etc. Anyway, that's my thought du jour!

Just putting that last line aside for a moment, Dean's uncle....there is a circle of hell for failed animals like him. I am hugely anti capital punishment but characters like James severely test that resolve. As for the last line...the NHS, as muchas he may hate it I am hoping this is the start of proper counselling..... Emotional chapter. Good writing, thanks.

hmmm... the received wisdom is that communication helps. In this case THEY ALL NEED TO STOP BLOODY TALKING!!! well, either that or all get in bed together and decide they can foursome or whatever that cat fight would look like! They do live exhausting lives! Just when I thought Roman could be my husband after next... (No one gets between me and Jake Gyllenhaal, well, no one except my man of the last 21 plus years, but he knows he's on a warning...), anyway, Roman... sigh... just no..... play with Olly, leave Jack to be Joey's path to sanity. Mr Matthews... if you are going to throw us curve balls like that, you need to give us warning.... friendships are at stake! But keep on, mate, the excitement is doing me good!

One advantage of the POV "system", is it becomes blatantly obvious how much everyone is pussyfooting around Joey. The apparent glimmer of Jack talking to Sandra, is probably just going to be another pin in the grenade that is Joey. There will be tears before bedtime..... Great bunch of characters. Thanks.

Joey must be a bloody difficult character to write; his ability to self destruct, but keeping a bloody smidgen of likableness.... If he doesnt get help, he'll need the tough love Roman (🤩) is suggesting. Joey's family and friends tolerance for the pain that Joey inflicts is extraordinary.

Agree, but I think with the alcohol as well; he's shown as drinking it as medication rather than as a social lubricant. He's a mess....

Joey, sigh, talk about your own worst enemy. How do you tell a fragile self centred twit to grow up? You have really created a character about as unlovable as possible..... I just hope that by the end he has learned to cope with himself!

Thanks for the referral! I have always thought the first few outings on stage for drag queens must figure among the most terrifying experiences. Malcolm's prep would have made easier, but still....courageous! Looking forward to more!

Jacks initial reaction seemed to me to be slightly out of proportion (so to speak). But I am glad that he 3ventually came to terms with it. I am not sure I can reconcile someone seeing Roman's assets and then "calming down"... seems an oxymoron if ever there was one.... Thanks. Great read.

Oh! ROMAN!! 😍😛😍 Moving on (at least in public...) Sexy Irish. my sort of dish. You really do know how to disrupt a (notionally) grown man's reading! Joey showing glimpses of maturity.... just barely glimpses... but still an improvement. Joey's dad.... now there was a weepy conversation... my dear departed Dad was exactly the same; accepted me, loved my partner, but was as confused as hell about it all and could not talk about it at all. perhaps its generational.... Well done, great writing... very enjoyable.

Joey has a looooooong way to go! He is so bloody self centred. He is also one dumb arsed negotiator. The amount one employee pays in rent has absolutely nothing to do with anothers pay scale at all. I love Joey's dad; years of experience tells him exactly what the result will be.... And Roman.....sigh....just gets better and better.....😍🤩

I'll admit the Roman /Joey action surprised me. I am pleased that Dean is back in Joey's good draces and that Joey's mum realised that there was a hole lot of chaos going on that meant punishment/crime was out of whack. While it certainly feels like an end if there just happened to be a story about Roman seeing the light and getting stranded in Australia, I could probably fill in the details 😘😜 Awesome story, thoroughly enjoyable.

There was a fashion for those dinners. They could be good or as Grand discovered an exercise in tedium. Will's table sounded great fun, tho' surviving at a table like that could be exhausting if you weren't naturally part of it. Now the big question is: can Patrick control himself? I hope not!

Well written...there was a sense that all was not going to be fine.... However bad Joey and Dean feel, Shaun's parents will be feeling 100 times worse and what ever Joey feels in terms of responsibility, Shaun's parents have 100 times that level of responsibility. Gay teenagers have enough crap to deal with without parents adding to it. Well crafted. Great writing. Thanks.

Not so much autocorrect, as bloody awful typing compounded by " proofread what you wanted to write" proofreading! Daventry is actually a person...... imaginary, but still a person. Me, I am the peon!

I think Batu takes "loyalty" to a whole new level.... Chartley's journey was truly amazing. If he could bring himself to publish at least the journey part (without the politics) I am sure it would have a wide readership! I did love the comparison between loyal servants (verging on "MINE's more loyal than YOURS!"). While don't hear much of Boles (Daventry's manservant), such a person would have been essential, I would have thought for a peon in Daventry's position. Meanwhile in the 21st century all we have are partners who insist on having minds of their own.... 😞 Looking forward to Daventry and Grainger's next journey.... it won't go smoothly that's for sure!

Truly amazing writing! Shaun is one very screwed up young man. 2 years of unrequited love from the depths of the closet in a family where any level of discussion was forbidden; the cork being pulled on that powder keg by your best friend succeeding in what seemed like a fleeting instant. The tension exposed as each little factoid came out. Joey's constant and growing sense of amazement and disbelief at the actions and desires of a tortured mind. Very entertaining. Congratulations. Very impressive.

JJ seems niaeve in not asking why several high powered executives take him to an exclusive sounding club. I know he knows he's bright, but still he's bloody game.....

Joey's wages: if you assume he doesn't get extra pay for saturdays or Sundays, ie he's paid a flat rate for his 26 hours, and if you add 150 a month rent that he doesnt pay, his hourly rate come to about 4.40. Jason gets 6. At that rate Jason wouldn't pay tax (assuming its his only job), so Joey does have an argument for a pay increase. Now all he needs to do is calmly and rationally explain why he needs/deserves a raise. That could be the hard part. Toby seems a good egg.

Yet again, even with head trauma Jack seems to be the sane one. Hopefully Joey has his heart to heart with Shaun. That boy must be some twisted wreck; can't be honest to his parents, deeply in love with best friend, not only rejected buy best friend but bashed as well AND best friend being besotted by a third party.... not a great place to be at all.... Thanks, great read, and I love the pace the chapters are coming out!

When joey loses it, he certainly loses it. Being a teenager ain't easy, particularly for the three musketeers, somehow despite his appalling home life Jack seem to actually understand himself best. Now, Roman; what exactly was he doing when Joey burst in and are there pictures? 🙄🙄🙄

Was it Shaun? Or if it was, is this "friend" going to turn into one screwed up character? Looks like lots more grist for this mill! Great writing!