Philippe

Driven by Drew? As only she can witness!

Lol, yeah, I should be more sensitive toward our youth.

If I may borrow thoughts of old, understanding teenagers is nearly as difficult as understanding women, but the errant thoughts of teens are usually of the day and not of the ages.

LOL, not my intent at all; just thinking out loud. @Aceinthehole has talents far beyond me to be weaving his stories. I have faith that regardless which direction it takes a us it will be an adventure. He is an amazingly young talent. I do get vested with the characters though and can only hope to have that gang all survive the tale. Perhaps because of the young characters and having lost a young friend/crush in high school, it was truly a shocking lost when Jamie didn’t survive Velocity. To build that connection of a character and their bonded characters with the audience and then have that character violently and unexpectedly snatched from the audience is more difficult for me but I still appreciate the talent regardless.s

Unfortunately I understand the problems with trying to find a proper balance between protecting the child and allowing them to find their own truth/identity; it’s a tough nut to crack. But the child, like water seeking it’s own level, will find their own path. I have a fantastic relationship with a former neighbor child. He lost his dad to suicide as a sophomore in high school. He came to me seeking guidance. I became a mentor and father figure during some difficult and challenging times. The relationship grew to be best explained to outsiders as a god-father role but I feel as if the boy is my true family. He was however adopted by the only dad he had known and lost to suicide. Since that time he has been contacted by his bio-dad. Bio-dad’s reputation was sinful by reporting family members. Thankful I never assumed or tried to impose a position on the issue. But as he was learning to challenge assumptions and deciding how much exposure he wanted to chance, I was there it support safe and sound thinking. He was hoping for the best but proceeded with the worst assumptions for his bio-dad to confirm or disprove. Well this all brought about many disclosures from those previous reporting family members and a better understanding of the family dynamics. Now my god-son has a relationship with his bio-dad. That relationship is not a deep rooted bond but now more honest and open for growth. Most importantly he has a relationship with two younger half siblings that he so cherishes. The added family relationship between those kids has brought them peace and mutual support in difficult situations. While all this drama would lead you to believe our bond has lessened but that is not the case either. He still sees our relationship as the support he can trust and depend on. The relationship with bio-dad closes gaps on some family timelines and commonalities but doesn’t carry the trusted bond, support, and guidance he seeks from me. I so rejoice for each text updating me test scores, accomplishments, and ideas for new goals and dreams. My conclusion to this tale is though Ezra may be exactly as Adam believes him to be, there may also be more important lessons to be had from Ezra’s explanations. I don’t doubt there could have been death threats or others pressures from Sarah’s parents. Ezra’s parents may have put increased pressure to hide to protect him. Either way there seems to be others involved too and I would rather know who and what to trust before putting this issue to bed. Could and should Ezra have made contact before now? Yes! Should Adam have already made contact before now? Yes! Should everyone in Artie’s life been more forthcoming? Absolutely! Sometimes life makes us believe you can’t rebuild bridges once burned, sometimes it teaches us the replacement is even stronger than any before, then at other times we realize that bridge was burned to insulate us from the dangers of the other side. I love this story and look forward to seeing where it’s taking us next.

As he sat at his terminal so perplexed by such an unusual characterization. He could not fine an explanation, nor could he understand the logic, as he swayed his head totally baffled by such occurrences.

You should know by now....it would be the Dizzy Defiant Death Dance! 🤪

An American friend was with me in Japan in the mid-1980s. He begged me on multiple occasions to go with him to do a little shopping and touring the sites. He had been studying Japanese with more success than myself during our limited time there. So while he was able to speak the Japanese language a little better, he was adamant to not be left alone. I was very confused by his reluctance. He finally turned to me and said what do I look like? Well of course he looked just how I had always seen him. He says what does my name (Matsumoto) tell you? THEY LOOK AT ME THEY SEE JAPANESE, THEY HEAR ME TALK THEY THINK I’M AN ARROGANT STUCK UP JAPANESE GUY TRYING TO MAKE THEM SPEAK ENGLISH TO MAKE FUN OF THEM; I NEED WHAT A JAPANESE BELIEVES AS A STEREOTYPICAL AMERICAN WITH ME AT ALL TIMES! 😂

The rice cooker is a definite necessity when eating a majority of Asian meals. Even having grown up with red beans, rice and corn bread, gumbo, etc., I cooked it the old fashioned way. Now, I haven’t been without a rice cooker since living in Japan and I hate having to cook rice in a non-believer s kitchen! 😖

Sometimes people scare me...WHY, WHY, WHY, do you know these things? 😱🔪🗡💉🦠✂️ I use to enjoy late night swims in the Gulf of Mexico too, then JAWS was released. 🚦After that I just enjoyed the beach, then they said skin cancer was increasing dramatically; I won that lottery. 🚦Now I read and try to enjoy GayAuthors..STOP IT! lol 😂

But Aidan keeps insisting that it is strictly business. He doesn’t believe Heath saying he is beautiful, capable, and worthy. I think the harder proof for Heath to bare to Aidan is that Aidan is his one special and never experienced before interest; this wooing is not his standard sexual exploits as Aidan believes.

Now it will all be milk and honey, wine and roses, and all that, right? If you hurried to say 'yes', you don't know me, he-he-he. READY ON SET...ACTION! I’m loving the twist and turns of their lives; in and out of the private settings. Thanks for the great chapter! 🤸‍♀️

I’d be pushing for a weekly take grandma to work day!

Surprisingly he has rejected the help and support of even the circle for anything concerned with being a Prince. Somehow he seems to think admitting the problem puts him in the royal crosshairs but being in the crosshairs doesn’t necessarily mean it’s because of royalty.

Well said my man. So likewise,.as I quoted you for reference of discussion here earlier it's was just that; a discussion, not defending or selling my opinions. Please don’t take it otherwise. I can only hope anything I say in the comments are taken strictly as discussion or free thought with other readers/the authors; as for opinions my 2 cents ain’t worth 2 cents! lol I enjoy the heck out of all you talented writers sharing your works and thoughts; Please don’t change that about yourselves.

Perhaps Cynthia is more savvy then we give credit. Her agreement to treat Vlad pro-bono may be twofold in purpose. She got the commitment from Tyson to be true to himself and to her in his treatment; the steps he needs to get better. But she also gets to treat Vlad, truly believing she can help him and correct incompetence of the systemic minimally involved (perhaps overloaded) appointed doctors. She has little risk of failing Vlad, therefore Tyson is bond in agreement to treatment. All while getting a direct and better understanding of how these two have created a mutually supportive/dependent relationship. Even if the bond between the two gets severed, her treatment continues as dictated by regulation and professional standards/ethics. But she now has force multiplier tools in the treatment of both patients.

I totally agree Additionally, Tyson may be a volunteer patient but his influential parents have played heavily in his diagnosis and treatment; only recently getting a doctor to truly stand against his parents wishes. So ironically, Tyson has suffered severe mental distress from external influences while Vlad has suffered severe mental distress from internal influences. Over simplified? Perhaps, but both of these kids are suffering from things that require professional treatment; bringing help to manage chemical imbalances and coaching to manage the demons of sanity. Tyson was already in a severe mental retreat, a mental fright and flight mode. He had repeatedly tried to remove himself and get Vlad to breakaway from his pursuit. Poor Vlad was trying so hard to hold on to his support blanket and treasured friend. No surprise that these two fragile individuals collided. Very disappointing that Vlad has gotten hurt but perhaps as he balances his need for support from Tyson he may also learn he is not the reason for his friends death. Tyson is already in panic from his actions inflected upon Vlad. On a positive note for Tyson, only in his severe distress did he act out...but perhaps a step in the right direction of recovery was his managed retreat. Tyson didn’t explode as the emotions mounted in the presence of his adoptive family, he semi managed is anger into fright and flight. Masha, the Nurturing momma knows the pain of both. So to support them she has reached out in this conversation to Tyson, but we have not heard but one side of her conversation between her kids. As we know she demands the apology from Tyson. This tells me that the protective momma has already started her magic with managing Vlad’s reaction to the trauma inflicted; preparing Vlad for the apology but also helping him manage and focus on Tyson and not internalized self blame. So now she supports them both by helping them return to the mutually supportive roles they play to each other. We must remember, even before Tyson sought the professional help for Vlad, he was instrumental in bringing Vlad back to a more conscious mental awareness, giving the family back their Vlad; the treatments have now made him more stable. Likewise, Vlad has given Tyson his sole reason for living; but it is still a battle. So momma Masha is doing what a mother must to help her children. Without each other, Tyson and Vlad, both well may face complete resignation and retreat...does momma even have a choice?

Yes, hopefully a breakout moment in realization that he can find happiness.

Constructive criticism?? Wow! That came off as a harsh and emotional burst of frustration. Your comment does little to show any appreciation to the author for moving the storyline forward and for sharing it with those of us too challenged to even deliver a punchline much less to paint a setting and develop a plot. Please read your message as if it were someone providing feedback on your shared writing. While reflecting, please remember regardless the personal motivation, these authors are sharing their stories with us for free. Likewise, if the author doesn’t satisfy your yearning then you may find others to follow that are to your picking without leaving another less motivated to share again. Sharing the emotions the storyline brings forth, recommendations of alternate storylines, or how you think the author may better reach you and other readers would all be so much more appropriate.

Oh wow. Jae’s life brother, Andre, and his blood sister, So Jin? Is that like incest? 😝 Why is this relationship apparently unknown to Jae’s circle. The secrets from Jae in the past have been destructive and hard to recover from. Jae has grown in emotional maturity but dealing with this double dose may be a more severe reaction.

Wow, what a ride on the emotional roller coaster! Dan is finally at a point of better understanding, to us and to Jae. They are actually very much the same with respect to their hearts and love commitment; give it all and suffer the good and bad. But that brings us to the differences. Jae suffers his pain like a volcano boiling of emotional molten lava of immeasurable pressures ready to unleash with uncontrollable rage and fury without direction. Dan patiently suffers his pain of commitment and desire without a reliable reward of return, yet he has proven a unyielding strength to win Jae’s armored heart.

The bunny, Aidan, is just now accepting that he had a night with his crush. With Heathcliff’s history it is understandable for Aidan to believe it as just a hookup and difficult for Heathcliff to convince Aidan otherwise. Heathcliff can’t believe he is so taken with Aidan and willing to give up his normal freedoms, but he readily does and is! He is so committed but with this being new territory, he has to convince Aidan to take this walk down a very new, unexpected, exciting, path to...full acceptance that Aidan is the one! Hurt him? Heathcliff would be wrecked too! So I counter, that they are actually teaching each other. They are both learning the give and takes...ahem...of this relationship and it’s so fun watching the process bring this bonding to new heights.

My ignorance is multilingual and transcends all ethnicities, nationalities, and religions; comfortably numb to emotionalism?? But fortunately my ignorance is good for international humor too, and we can all use more of that! Ironic that we started with describing love, the complications, the confusion, and even upon the success then the transient state of love. From comparing procedures in instructions, to the language barriers of communication, to the problems with multiple translations of multiple languages. Then we touched to the origins of names, preferences of food and avoiding heartburn, sharing to experiences of life right back to where we started; the relationship between two people that didn’t share all the same taste or preferences but that would love to have the relationship as part of their life once again. Such a small comment on life but what a huge expression of love! I have a new appreciation for onions...thank you!

Yes. Yes. I strongly agree.