RobV

I played WoW hardcore for 1.5 years. Glad I'm cured of it! But no regrets, it was a lot of fun.

Yes!! I am extremely excited! I have a feeling this game will make me lose many days and nights, just like Diablo 2 and Diablo 1 did.

Fascinating, emotional and so well written. This story is already one of my all-time favorites and we're only a few chapters in. Can't wait for more!

Wait. Where is the cliffhanger?! Bridget and Basingstoke out cold. Trevor far from any danger. What's going on??? I guess the last sentence could be interpreted as ominous. Lisa's plane could crash into the ocean. Yes... the king of cliffhangers is still going strong.

I agree with everything Rilbur said earlier in the thread. I can't believe Ravi was convicted of a hate crime. I actually think he would've done the same thing if Tyler had been with a woman. Because the guy he was with wasn't just any guy, it was an older 30+ year old guy who Tyler had found online. If you're an 18 year old student and your roommate allows someone like that to invade your own space, I also would be annoyed and worried, and when you're an immature college kid it's only a short leap to seeing the opportunity to prank. Reading the in depth article from the New Yorker, my conclusion was that Ravi was even less homophobic than the average American. He and Tyler just did not get along at all because they were complete opposites, in far bigger ways than sexual orientation. And still Ravi never bullied him or made his life miserable in any way. In fact he gave Tyler lots of privacy and "alone time", which the latter really appreciated. Yes, Ravi eventually invaded that privacy, tampered with witnesses and evidence (as apparently deleting tweets counts as such). So convict him based on that. But bias intimidation? Was Ravi motivated by anti-gay bias? Did Tyler feel intimidated, was he mistreated solely because of his sexual orientation? I still don't understand how anyone can answer yes to both questions.

A mystery story? I thought it was very predictable. But still super cute and fun to read. Nice change from all the cliffhangers, crocodiles and looming decapitations.

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I can assure you even in my country many people would be weirded out by your relationship. I definitely think it can work, why not? We're all so different. It's impossible to generalize as if monogamy is a gene we all share. Personally, I could never do it. Not really a trust issue, it's more like a feeling, like how my heart is programmed. I want one guy and share everything with him and him alone. If additional people were involved then to me it would feel less intimate, less fulfilling.

Yes! It's actually quite sad, he spent nearly ten years alone, away from his home country, isolating himself from family and friends. Other than his work he had no life at all, and he was deeply unhappy, afraid and ashamed, to the point of wanting to kill himself. But he's doing much better now that he's come out, and he has a boyfriend (that he keeps hidden from the public, unfortunately)! Anyway, my current song of the moment...

What a cliffhanger!! Aaaaah! Don't leave us hanging for too long!

I voted plot. If the characters are weak then I can at least make them more interesting in my mind. If the plot is weak then it will be hard for me to care at all. But in general I don't finish a story unless it excels at both.

Obsessed with this song. One of Italy's most famous singers, he risked his career by coming out as gay at the height of his popularity (late 2010). Italy is notoriously homophobic, so it was expected that he'd see a substantial drop in sales and public support. But against all odds his new album is doing even better than the previous one.

I'm a total geek and totally gay. Always doing computer stuff (programming, working on my websites), playing video games. Even my job is geeky (programming, mathematical modelling, data analysis). I do consider being gay one of the most important aspects of myself, but I guess in my daily life it really isn't, the geek part is way more visible and what most people are interacting with.

I've watched dozens of gay-themed movies but the one that touched me most was a French film called Un Amour à Taire (A Love To Hide). IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444518/ It's a tragic movie that depicts the persecution of homosexuals during WW2. I went through so many emotions watching this one. I feel like everyone should watch it at least once. But the sad thing is it was made for TV, and even online it's hard to find.

Another exciting chapter, with many no cliffhangers! And I like that even if Trevor doesn't end up dying by slow decapitation, you at least already had the pleasure of describing it in detail.

Just started reading this story. It's awesome so far!! Love the humor, I keep smiling and grinning. If this is really your "first ever attempt at writing" then you obviously have a LOT of talent. Can't wait for the next chapters!

Am I the only one who keeps re-reading George's death scene? That whole section was sublime. The dialogue, the gruesome description of his death, Bridget's reaction after killing him. It could be a short story on its own.

That was awesome!! Glad that the first death was one of the villains. Who's next?

Another great chapter. It's almost impossible to feel sorry for Rachel. She really messed things up. Poor Trevor. Would have liked an update on Basingstoke. For all we know, he snuck onto Kookaburra, and is now waiting in the shadows ready to decapitate Trevor and dissolve Shane in acid. We know Shane's fingerprints are all over Trevor so it'll be easy for the cops to figure out who killed our boy.

You know I think we can quickly wrap it all up in the next chapter. None of the good guys have to die CJ. It's really not necessary. Please!

I love everything about this story. I really enjoy the crazy turn it is taking. Can't wait for more!

I don't think there are too many characters. I am generally bad at remembering names and characters but so far I have had no issue recalling who is who and what their role is in the story, and I've read each chapter only once. Most of the characters get exactly the scenes that they need. But I do think the whole "vacation" with Shane killed a lot of the suspense. Trev's circumnavigation has basically ended in Western Australia. He has been in the same place for 30 chapters now. I understand that you can't rush a romance, but for me the romance completely took over the rest of the story. Each day they spent together was described in detail. And then there were the panic attacks, which were interesting and understandable at first, but then later just became another plot device to bring him and Shane together. Now don't get me wrong, I loved reading about their time together, I just don't think it mattered all that much in the grand scheme of things. As a reader I was always, and still am, way more interested in what the bad guys are up to, Trev's parents, the search for Ares, etc. And most importantly, having Trev complete his circumnavigation. So for me the issue is not that you write too much, but just the direction you chose to go with the story. Also I loved the scene with Kline and Fowler, there is absolutely no reason to shorten it. I wouldn't want you to omit any of the scenes with the supporting characters, They are usually my favorite ones.

While the 20+ chapters devoted to the Trevor/Shane pairing did slow down the narrative, they were needed because CJ needed a loved character that he could kill.

This was a very good chapter. Loved the interaction between Trevor and Shane, as usual. I could really see Circumnavigation become a TV series. Let's make it happen!

I voted straight. I love romance but this epic story doesn't really need one. I guess I could see Shane breaking down and confessing his love for Trevor right when they are about to separate. But it would be a bit too convenient.