Philippe

I think the most important step is John before Peter; and I ain’t talking bible verses!

Oh it’s a very good program. It’s the Virile Virgin passport card. Upon activating, it’s easy to earn virile rewards that bring you an increased personal touch. Frequent offers may include but are not limited to a handsomely styled and interactive lube applicator and a personalized stimulator. This frees your hands and allows full focus on other sensory inputs. However, caution should be used when participating in this program as reports have indicated frequent side effects may include gaping and gasping for breathe, muscle spasms, with elevated blood pressures and temperatures. Anyone not in good health should definitely consult with a doctor before participating in the full reward program available to select members.

Surrendered? Oh, hell no! He finally activated his card and was immediately upgraded to the rewards program! lol 😂 Now offered with no daily limits and with special gift offers as a thank you for membership loyalty! Woohoo 🎉

Wow! How so very selfish of Damien to pursue Mark when he himself has witnessed the relationship Mark has with Rob. But then to challenge Mark even beyond Mark’s declaration of his one love and true love for Rob is just way out of line. Mark allowed Damien, and himself, to go too far which was a very bad decision but for Damien to continue renewed seems more of trying to claim a prize just to say he got what Rob had. Damien is.very dangerous indeed.

Despite all the wonderful descriptions of those world class seafood meals, I cannot help but to envision the scenes from The Little Mermaid where Sebastian the crab narrowly escapes the wilds of Chef Louis as he prepares the seafood dinner. 😂

Oysters are great! In Mobile, Alabama, the oldest and most famous family oyster house has the the saying of “Osters served fried, stewed or nude.” https://www.google.com/search?q=fried+stewed+or+nude&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS593US620&oq=fried+stewed+or+nude&aqs=chrome..69i57.10443j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=pYGCCl4CR0c_zM:

Wow, Poor Maya, possession by a dark mysterious force. Will the parents or other heroes be able to recognize the dark forces ar play?. Taran is more troubled by external pressures of family obligations, but are they real? The forces of nature will truly test his resistance soon.

Happy Belated Birthday! Glad you had a good break but likewise glad to see the update to your story. lol 😆 Selfish, but hey, it’s a compliment! You hit California at a good time weather wise. Cooler and the rainy season; before the heat and bugs hits the valley. But if visiting the coast, then it’s not as dramatic for the weather difference. I was in the north valley area off and on from 1991-2001; Yuba-Sutter area.

Troy knows Grant’s meddling was well meaning and that he fully knows, understands, and accepts his relationship with John. Grant knows Troy was upset, but it did make Troy happy and a little more confident. Brian tells Grant we, he and Natalie, don’t play games and put it all out in the open. At home Brian shared his observations with Natalie, yet, Natalie acknowledges his observations and chooses not to mention hers are more of a twist. I’m sensing Natalie is not wanting Brian knowing or interfering with her plans for Grant and Troy. The meddler may find common ground or find the field of play changing as the meddling has not been meddled enough to make it meddlesome enough for the meddlers to stop meddling or to be meddled out.

I think Grant needs to take a page from Troy’s journal ..., no wait, more specifically add a few pages. Hopefully, this is a living journey, with pages to be added or removed for group binding. lol But I believe Troy to be too fragile to face the bold truth just yet. Only the briefest of trust has been extended and that is twofold in that Troy is running out of options and Grant has been so gifted with the insights to navigate Troy’s psyche; his passions, his loss, his ethics. Grant has been so careful to nurse Troy’s pride with understanding and no judgement. Help has been extended but with the honorable “I’ll just let you pay me when you can,” oh, my furnace needs an install, my siding also needs repairs. I was planning to rent out a room...we’ll just go furnish it today! I believe a compassionate truth telling perhaps should be addressed as new entries to the journal; maybe re-cover the journal respectfully as the treasure it is. This gives Grant the way to tell Troy his side, to show respect to John too, but Troy doesn’t have to deal with it until he is more prepared. Yes, there’s always risks. But as did Troy bare his soul, so shall Grant bare the what, why, and how he was able to connect with Troy. Yes, the journal introduces Troy, it gives insights but, Troy has become much larger in life. Troy is so much more than the journal. But the new stories In the journal would include this. Troy would see, more than pity, lots of compassionate support, appreciation for the man whom happens to have been served lemons picked from rotting on the ground. I believe Troy has to be reintroduced to life, he can’t just hide away with jobs and only Grant; Grant knows this. Troy needs to know others can also really want to extended more than pity, but a hand in friendship even when Troy is less than whole. John was the social one, Grant again has learned this, he knows Troy has to be pushed a little bit but that he does enjoy once familiar and adapting. Just another payment towards my two cents worth.

Careful, this is not The Pit! 😆 They’re watching closer with the US election year at hand.

GMT? EST/EDT? Respecting of zones, the day could be considered nearly 48 hours long!!! LOL

I’m definitely not in the Grant messed up camp: By reading a journal, that became his proper possession, that even the moral owner discarded, trashed, and burned; still unable to value. By not returning this treasured journal to the owner that may still want it defensively destroyed; in his misery, despair, and resignation. For using the journal to extend a compassionate hand to the spouse of the deceased owner whose death benefited a stranger vs spouse. For recognizing the widowed spouse is in more need of help than sensitivities to the pain of returning to the lost domicile. For insistently guiding and encouraging Troy into a more sanitary, prideful, and healthy environment; risking his own expense while respecting the critical and prideful repayment of services in kind. For opening his heart and home to stranger, changed by trauma of loss, one that tried destroying one treasure of past; one that could likewise dive into despair and burn his house too. By recognizing the rediscovered pride and self respect that may pull Troy from self destruction, one he may find an unexpected respect and attraction for, one that he is willing to risk loosing if it helps reintroduce Troy to his own life to live. Almost all of these accomplishments by Grant would have only been possible by Grant connecting through and with the valued insights of the journal, and by risking his own investment and emotions in Troy, for the sake of possibly saving Troy from the recesses of his dark despair. Grant may not be a saint, but he is a guardian angel to Troy, for Troy, above self.

Way to go! F#@& The Sun! Now, was the video/pic a public slip or has someone close fed the hounds?

I can only rely on my old crutch, in summary: If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit!

Nothing like knowing the young lord that demanded inclusion as a lord, surely now, could have your stones just for a calling! Reality check? I just hope the young lord and his council of companions don’t relax their guards too much.

I understand some of your concerns and focus on the journal but this is a unique case from the beginning. The house and all the contents are totally and legally Grant’s. Likewise, even accepting that the journal is a more personal thing, it was thrown in the fire, trashed; perhaps in despair and depression but none the less tossed from Troy’s life; the journal does legally belong to Grant while the memories are Troy’s. Grant was naturally curious to learn more of how and why he got this house. Within that story he started to see, understand, and know the people through the eyes and hand of the author “T.” Then the skip ahead to learn the tragedy has snowballed into calamity for “T” Troy. How can any human not feel compassion, empathy, and a certain guilt in knowing your benefit came at a huge loss to someone enjoying a rewarding and love filled life. The journal then allows Grant, a compassionate young man, to see the dire situation. Troy is not going to ask for help, can’t position himself for professional help, and is not likely to accept any in this cruel world that stole his love, is house, is reason for living. The more we see and understand Troy, the more it would be a terrible mistake to place this treasure back into his hands prematurely, yet, more important not to destroy the only true memories Troy will have of his first love, house and life before. Once he is in a better place it should be graciously and respectfully returned to the owner of those cherished memories. Even should Grant develop feelings of love for Troy, I can’t imagine him being so selfish as to deny or destroy such a living memory for Troy. Likewise, Grant has respected the privacy of the journal to just himself and for the purpose of helping; not for any personal gain or for gratitude. Meanwhile, it is helping Grant find ways to reconnect Troy to the world, through Troy’s love for John and the loving things John did to show his understanding and appreciation for Troy. The journal is the RESET needed by Grant to rescue Troy from complete failure and withdraw.

I haven’t read or seen this story posted before, but it captures so well the emotions of youthful discoveries and love that crosses tradition boundaries. Bravo for bringing your story forward to share here on GA too; thanks for posting and please keep those future installments coming!

I see more home improvements being planned in the near future. Grant knows Troy needs the van repaired, but that it’s also his home. He doesn’t know yet but should reason that Troy can’t afford to rent a room just yet and the profit margin of this job alone is not enough for the known shortage and what the usual transmission repair costs. Transmission diagnostics, parts inventories and repairs usually take days to accomplish; the estimate will not be ready for Troy to commit to any new financial obligations of a rental apartment or room share. Staying in the van is not realistic at all around the shop and their personnel. Hmmm 🤔 Grant is less than established so his funds may not allow free spending either. Maybe with Grant’s knowledge of the journal he may be able to break more of Troy’s defensive barriers, to win a trade in kind for more improvements in exchange for room and board; Troy is too proud for charity but he can value his craftsmanship to be worthy and of good trade value. But whether human or other animal, a distressed creature will have to learn trust before accepting any offered food and shelter as being truly safe.

As a victim of crime, and assault, I’ll attest to the unpredictable nature of the human psychology of such an event; it’s hard to understand just exactly when and where the adrenaline and shock will take you and that will vary based on person and situations. I like the way you captured that element in the crime scene descriptions. As a single employee/clerk, being held at gun point at my employment location, by two armed men, I waited several seconds to allow safe approach to lock the door. When the police responded even while still on the phone with me, I refused to open the door for them. Then as my thoughts collected, I continued to refuse entry until the forensics team assured me they would control the site from routine officer entry until they released the area. It frustrated the other officers as I made them wait outside but it also gave me time to adjust to what had just occurred. Likewise, the forensics team was surprised in the detailed observations and the impact that had on their abilities to focus on the evidence. It also resulted in better focus for recall for me which lead to the capture and incarceration of the perpetrators. But I do recall it was one step at a time and it was at my pace until they communicated calmly with me; I was 21 years old at that time.

Back to GA after a decade absence? Well you certainly understand a grand entrance, Or re-introduction; you’ve grabbed the attention on this one. I like how you’re building on the story with ever growing connections to emotions and the relationships of those with your character building. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, in shock of the unexpected but it’s definitely an attention getter; a most intriguing beginning!

I lived there six years; Kanto plains, Tokyo area.

LOL, nothing intended, ‘‘tis just me, but: Perhaps affects from Living in and of Nippon I feel ha-i-ku!

Cough, ahem,...That Theo/April is so ENDOWED, to inspire the spirits of lust, Zane, and love, Jett, into a POLE dance of courtship and competition; truly a sport to enjoy!