Rabble_Rouser

Hey TZ, Fantastic chapter! I've actually gotten to the point where I think Rob is the most fascinating character and he is starting to ecilpse Justin as the most endearing character. It makes me feel like I'm watching a great hockey play in the making from the sidelines cheering on my favourite character. Rob's timid nature, especially in the restaurant when he was talking to Justin about getting help to create some Japanese banners and the "I wish I could do that" part in the coffee house really make me want to see Rob deal with his issues and eventually talk to Justin about being his bf. As for the inconsistencies in Justin's relationship issues, I just assumed as I was reading that it is a result of the training/therapy he was (is?) taking to deal with his disability. Vacation starts tomorrow morning! Steve

I'm not a lawyer by any stretch of the imagination but I would think that you could testify as to what a person said to you... what brings this to mind is the fact that jailhouse confessions (what a defendant says to a cellmate about the incident) are regularily used in trials. Oh, well, this is a little but I have doubts that we'll get to see Aaron (TMT ) see the inside of a courtroom but I have faith that Dom will make sure he gets what he so rightfully deserves!

Just two thoughts (haven't had enough coffee for more yet...) - I don't buy the thought that Aaron does have some feeling for Rory because he's shown up at the "lion's den" party... Could it just be that the manulipitive twit is so self-centred that he's incensed that Rory not only refused to apologize to Aaron for the way he treated him at the previous night's party but actually DUMPED him. Since Aaron has controlled the relationships he's had with both Luke & Seth, this is as good as an explaination as any other. - While beating the tar out of Aaron would be a satisfying event for many at the party, I don't think it will happen. I think Rory will channel Alice and verbally tear into Aaron to the amusement of all the spectators... then realize that he'll have to have a BIG chat with Dad. - As for the legal thing... if something did happen, Rory could testify against Aaron since he spilled his guts (it even could be truthful) to Rory.

Yeah!!! An early Christmas present from Dom! Cheers! Steve

Ditto!!!! I leave Thursday morning for a week and a bit in the country for Christmas with the 'Rents. I'd REALLY like to know what happens... then again I wouldn't put it past Dom to throw in another cliff hanger that will make me want to come back to the city early...

I think before we completely write Rory off as completely unredemable, I think the one thing he has done in the last couple of chapters that shows there is a glimmer of hope for him, is the way he has done a 180 on his feelings towards Eddie. Even though Rory seems to be a little slow on the uptake in alot of ways (and he seems to go to great lengths to avoid any introspective thinking about his feelings) he has gone from out-and-out hatred of Eddie to wanting to spend time with him to actually wanting to defend Eddie in arguements with Jase and admitting that if\when he goes back to Alice, that one factor he considering as an arguement for staying is Eddie. He still has a long way to go before becoming an admirable character (like hating people for lying and yet, he still does it himself all the time) but he seems to finally be focusing on the one relationship he should have been focusing on before all the others.

I'm hoping that Seth & Luke get together for a bit (I want to see Rory figure out what he wants only to not be able to have it... if I was a betting man, I still say that Rory & Luke will be together by the end). My point wasn't that Luke is AS manulipitive as Aaron it is that he's not the flawless character I've percieved him to be up to this point. Dave may still see Seth as "the enemy" because of his close association to Aaron. If he starts dating Luke it will be interesting to see if Dave accepts him and is friendly to him or if he plays the protecting best friend role not wanting to see Luke treated like he was by Aaron. I would imagine that if Luke was really interested in Rory, he would have talked to Dave about it... this could lead to some interesting chapters with Dave having a central role. About Seth, before we decide he's a good guy, I still have a couple of nagging questions. If he was "so over" Aaron and tells Rory he's bad news, why does he hang out with him and agree to go to the movies with him (my impression was that Seth & Rory both didn't know the other was going to be there). Also, why was Seth at the party that Rory depicted as seedy? Steve

I actually think that Rory will end up choosing to stay with Eddie before the end of the story (not too soon please Dom!). I think it would be better for Rory because he has a wealth of good gay role models in Jase, Eddie & Luke and friends (at least possible friends) that would embrace him without any issues about his sexuality. Besides that would get him away from crazy Alice. Even Rory admits early on in the story that he doesn't have any real close friends back home and that he didn't even spend much time with them during his mother's terminal stage (completely understandable) and after she passed. I think Eddie is handling it right in that he seems to be trying to get Rory to WANT to stay in Arizona which would remove a whole boatload of issues rather than forcing Rory to stay. I think that if Rory does go home, he'll quickly realize that he's giving up alot just because he was being stubborn. I really hope that if he HAS to pick up one trait from Alice, it's a bit of a stubborn streak (we've already seen evidence of this) and tells Aaron where to go and how to get there! He has been deliberately blind in looking at his developing relationship with Aaron... we've already seen Aaron's interludes with Rory as not much more that a quick chance for him to dump a load down Rory's throat and then hit the highway as quickly as he can (yeah, I know kind of crude but that what it looks like to me). Most people are much more truthful when they are drunk and hopefully Aaron's comments once he had Rory trapped in the bedroom are the cuff up the back of the head that Rory apprently needs. I forget who said it in an earlier thread, but someone mentioned that they thought the pool party for Rick would be the catalyst for major changes in the relationship between Rory and Luke... having alcohol and no Aaron could be just what Rory needs to see that his feelings towards Luke are reciprocated - why am I saying this? Rory has mentioned a couple of times how much he likes Luke as a person (a good starting point for a relationship... opposed to his being pissed off at Aaron 95% of the time) but he also says that he doesn't feel there could be any chance that Luke would be interested in him (an isolated gay teenager with self-esteem issues... there's something new!). whoever came up with this bright thought is probably right IMO. Luke and/or Rory will get toasted at the party and the cards will finally be laid on the table. I don't think that Aaron was drunk is really the issue (and it's not like it's the first time... he was drinking at the park with his loser buddies when Rory stumbled upon them the time Luke saw them kissing) but the fact he showed up to a date he demanded already bombed and the way he treated Rory at the party is. Being dragged around the party while still being completely ignored until Aaron decided it was time for him to get a little "satisfaction" (not to mention what he said) is the inexcusible part.

Ok, it's -3 degrees farenheit here, we have half a foot of snow, politicians are stalking you everywhere because there's a federal election on and my friends who are teachers are sending me a daily countdown on how many days they have left before they're free of the little bastards ( their affectionate term for students) for almost 3 weeks... a few suggestions for you Dom: Christmas Shopping: CALL IN SICK... the best time to hit the mall is when everyone else is at work. The shopping will still suck but there will be less people that you'll be tempted to give a fistfull of Christmas cheer! Can't figure out what to get... gift certificates are the easy way out and then someone else can deal with the post-Christmas mall crowds while you sit at home! Still can't remember where you left the Christmas spirit??? Buy yourself a totally indulgent gift (rKnapp is on the right track with the audio upgrade), wrap it and put it under the tree so you know that you'll get at least one kick-ass gift from the fat man in the red suit! As a last resort before you call in for tracking dogs... Grab a bunch of friends who don't annoy you with excessive Christmas spirit and have a party or a big "what-the-hell-did-I-do-last-night" kind of night on the town... remember that alcohol isn't only a pain killer but can act as anti-freeze for the body (at least that what we Canadians like to claim!) If all else fails, when you're on hot Santa's lap, make sure you give his sugar plums a good squeeze! Steve

Another suggestion is that the more common a car is, the cheaper and easier it is to find parts when (not if) something breaks. Also, check out and make sure that the tires are a common size so you have a choice on brand and type... I had a car which had unique tire size that wasn't used on any other car in North America. Unusual=$$$ and never on sale! Try www.tirerack.com for a quick check. And if you want to customize it, that's a whole other story!

Dom, Thanks for the early present!!! Have a good weekend in the mountains... I've always found skiing on snow easier than water although you don't have to worry about trees during a wipe out on a lake ! Oh, and that cold white stuff isn't just slippery, it's DAMN cold when it gets into places you don't want it! Remember, an apres-ski beverage will not only help warm you up, but chosen carefully it will (at least temporarily) relieve aches and pains. Steve

Another thing that maybe Rory should open his eyes to are the "friends" Aaron was at the park drinking with. Rory states: Maybe Rory should pay attention to the little warning bells he was hearing. This would be the first time he's stumbled upon Aaron when it wasn't part of Aaron's scheming and gets to see the kind of people that Aaron chooses as friends other than Seth. BTW, I don't know about in the good old US of A, but up here in the frozen north getting caught drinking in public is a pretty good fine and drinking underage (assuming Arizona is an Over 21 state) means a not so pleasant trip before a judge (don't ask how I know )

I agree that Seth is an ass but as the story progresses, it looking more likely that he is warning Rory just because he knows what Aaron is up to. It's great to see that Rory and Jase/Jude had a talk and put the cards on the table. Now if only Rory can get someone he trusts to talk about Aaron, Rory might see the error of his ways before he becomes another notch on Aaron's bedpost. Given the what different people have told him, he needs to try and clear the teenage hormonal fog and think about things objectively Aaron could have made his first big mistake with Rory by throwing down an ultimatum forcing him to chose Aaron (who he admits is either pissing him off or kissing him) and Luke. It seems that every time Rory starts to see Aaron for what he is and what he's doing, Aaron kisses him and adds another shot of hormones to cloud Rory's judgement. Maybe Luke will just lay a big one on Rory and solve the problem!

I'll start by apologizing for using TLS without putting what it meant in brackets at least once... I mean "The Little Slut" but "The Little Shit" works for me too! I'll throw something else out here to see what people think... I personally have stated in past that Gramma should be glad she never stepped in front of my car because I wouldn't risk the wear and tear on my brakes for her... but I just had a thought given how manipulative she has been in the story up to this point, do you think she's trying to piss Rory off to make him want to stay with his Dad instead of moving back with her at the end of the summer... a kind of psychotic tough love approach? I still wouldn't like her but at least I might be able to understand her...

I could be way off base (nothin' new) but I think what bothers me the most about Aaron is the way he guilts Rory into getting what he wants (and Rory is stupid enough to fall for it... the boy seriously needs to pull his head out of his ass so he can make room for a backbone). As for the whole theatre scenario...

NNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Vic... I'm shocked you commented on Aaron and didn't have a single reference of TLS!?!?! I thought Ch.13, especially what he did to Rory after saying they would take it slow, confirms that TLS tag is more than appropriate. I think that Aaron (TLS) is playing Rory for his own gratification only. I could be reading things into the story line that aren't there (trying to guess Dom's plot twists does that) makes me wonder two things: 1) Aaron's brother Cory may be blackmailing him but I'm thinking Aaron is holding something over Seth. It would explain as much as Seth still liking Aaron (TLS). 2) Luke is moody about Rory spending time with Aaron (TLS) not so much because of his past history with Aaron (TLS) and a concern for Rory but because Luke wants Rory and feels his flirting has been rejected by Rory who in reality is just clueless about what Luke was doing. What do you guys think? Plausible or am I just a victim of Dom's plot twists? Steve

Dom, Sorry to hear about the bad news. I'll second somuchtolearn's statement... don't you know Thanksgiving is in October ??? It's not a holiday here in Canada but I do have a 4 day weekend since I work out of a US office... you gotta give me something to do other than ponder how to speed up global warming to get rid of this damn snow! Cheers! Steve

Dom great chapter!!! It just re-enforced my opinion that Aaron is bad news and Rory better watch out! He might also have to deal with some backlash from Luke about harping on the "you lied to my face" bit when everyone finds out that Rory is gay too. It was nice to see Rory pull his head out of his ass long enough to at least consider other people emotions before dismissing them. Dom, I think you created a monster by putting DD on hiatus. It looks like the economics scenario where pent up demand has outstripped supply... yeah DD is back and I've started refreshing for chapter 10.

Put on some country music (old or new doesn't matter) and I'll run like the place is on fire!!! (Sorry Slaveboy ) Country music is about the only type I don't like to listen too... It could have something do with growing up 40 miles from no-where. What I listen to usually depends on my mood or what I'm doing (I always have music on when I'm at work... I can't concentrate when it's quiet... drives my co-workers nuts) Here's some that I've been listening to lately: Three Days Grace Green Day Radiohead Coldplay My Chemical Romance Billy Talent Chemical Brothers Hot Hot Heat Perfect Circle Papa Roach Next week it'll be a whole new list!

Hey Nickolas, Glad things went well and you're home where they let you sleep (Mom's a nurse and tried to explain why they wake you up all the time in the hospital but I still say it's a sadistic plot by the nurses!). Make sure you use the "I'm recovering from surgery" sympathy/guilt to your maximum advantage while it lasts! Steve

Hhhmmm... To Play: Football (soccer), squash & curling (gotta love a sport where drinking beer while playing is allowed) To watch: Basketball I know that saying this is blasphemous for a Canadian, but I HATE watching hockey!

Hopefully Dom will get chapter 23 out soon... I've hit the stage where I'm starting to get the shakes! Now where did I leave those Domoholic patches....

Well, I'm assuming we are either in for a Very long chapter or two normal length chapters. As far as my crystall ball goes: - I have a feeling that Quinn's closet door will be blown wide open. I think he will end up coming out to his mother in order to defend Jude from her interference. He'll have to respond to the rumours at school that will start swirling because of the attention paid to his not-so-quiet conversation with Brad. - I think Jude will end up continuing to live in his apartment but it won't be easy to convince Mrs.Moore not to call in social services or have him move into the Moore household. - Quinn will continue to blosom in his relationship with Jude and become a steadying force for him while he deals with Mrs.Moore and the impact of his family. - Trina and Taylor will continue to be good influences on Quinn and he will continue to assert his friendship with them. - Brad... I'm not sure where Dom is going with him. Is his reactions to Quinn lately a response to the turmoils going on in his family situation or is he simply habouring resentment over Quinn not trusting him with Quinn's big secret. I think Brad will once again catapult Quinn out of the closet when he least expects it... this time at school. Disclaimer: I'm batting 0-10 000 in my predictions so take it for what it's worth!