travlbug

Interesting that the children have been placed in a decommissioned complex. Are there other, functional British bases of a similar nature manned by adults? (If so, then the radio silence may suggest that they have been wiped out.) As the base was decommissioned, were the children placed there surreptitiously--possibly by a portion of the government working in the shadows? And why place children to begin with? Why wasn't a single adult placed with them, even if the placement of children were important? Can't wait for the next installment!

I love the “Veikko” chapters! In this installment, we experience Veiko, as well as his friends, family, and frenemies, from a much more detailed perspective. Veikko has been far more damaged by his father’s murder attempt than previously shown: He demonstrates post-traumatic stress disorder, reliving the horror of his assault in his dreams. When Reima says, “Bad dream again?,” the repetitive nature of the problem becomes clear. (I love that Reima is able to calm his brother by touching him forehead-to-forehead [it’s a twin thing].) Frustratingly, when Vilma, the twins’ mother, gives him the opportunity to talk about the dream, he refuses to do so, and he also refuses to see a counselor. Yet, his need for intervention is made even more obvious when he has a flashback/hallucination on looking into the mirror and seeing his savagely beaten body. (Ausglitterati writes creepy mirror scenes, as he also shows in Imago!) This chapter shows Vilma in action, where she has previously only been mentioned by name. At first, she seems fairly no-nonsense: She bangs on her sons’ bedroom door, barges in, and admonishes them to rush (“Shit, shower, and showtime, c’mon!”). She gives as good and she gets: When Veikko says “Bitch please” to her, she says it right back at him. However, she is also a mother, and when she notices that Veikko and Reima have slept in the same bed, she knows immediately that Veikko has suffered another nightmare (“Did you have a bad night, darling?”). She abandons her half eaten breakfast to give Reima a kiss and cook him another egg. She also has the patience of a saint in putting up with Reima and Veikko’s antics. (While she may be a saint as a mother, her gift for “language” comes across quite well when she is losing at Mario Kart!) Her personality seems well-suited to keep up with her twins, but she has failed Veikko by not insisting that he receive the therapy he so desperately needs. The family’s shared grief is apparent as well: The table for five is now set for three, with the father in jail and with Jonna dead from leukemia. Reima’s character is viewed through the prism of his brother’s eyes: He is loving and supportive. He will get out of his own bed to comfort his brother and to sleep with him. In fact, Veikko calls Reima his “guardian angel” (making Veikko the “dark angel” [I promise not to delve into any Manga parallels!). Veikko watches Reima slip out of bed in his “ridiculously oversized tracksuit pants” and says to himself, “He’s such a loser,” but he smiles fondly while thinking it. A typical straight boy (😉), Reima “thoughtlessly” allows water to drip onto the carpet after a shower, but he thoughtfully makes sure to leave hot water for Veikko. The brothers bicker like crazy (my mother and her identical twin constantly bicker in the exact same way!), but their love for each other always wins out, and they can never stay mad at each other. Unfortunately, Veikko’s insecurities are front and center when Reima and he arrive at school. Reima drops Veikko like a hot potato to make a beeline to Selena--what Veikko terms in his mind as “abandonment.” When Dominic arrives with Topher, he realizes, “I’m alone, and I have nobody. I hate this.” Again, he has an internal debate as to why Dom doesn’t love him the way that he loves Dom. He feels that his friends are all moving on without him, that he is “stuck in the same fucking revolving door.” Sadly, he belittles himself for his reactions to his own trauma, saying “I can’t even sleep on my own, and it’s been 3 years. Ughhh. Tragic. No wonder they’re so tired of me.” Later, he berates himself for his inability to stop Dom’s suicide, thinking that he doesn’t deserve Dom, because if he did, “maybe he might love me. Perhaps if he loved me, I could’ve stopped him. But no. I had to watch him die in front of me” When he is confronted by the bully Kellan, he even considers that he “deserved punishment for the things he was doing to his friends and his brother. It would serve him right if he got bashed to a pulp.” (Interestingly, though Veikko is portrayed as smart, he holds himself back from most advanced classes: While he does so in part to assist Reima, he also keeps back because of his dependence on his brother’s physical presence, showing that his insecurity is even affecting his schooling.) Veikko and Topher have a peculiar/unhealthy relationship: Veikko has already been demonstrated to hate Topher through his association with Zack and because of his newfound friendship with Dom. Topher actually gives Veikko a sort-of apology, saying “I still think Zackary McKenzie is the worst person I’ve met, and I will always regret letting him treat you like that.” Further, Topher now proposes to lie about receiving an apology from Veikko to “put it all behind us.” However, he doesn't do it for Veikko’s sake: “This isn’t for you or me; this is because Dominic is hurting, and if you cared about him you would do the right thing.” Hitting below the belt, he continues, “you’re hurting Dominic. He is so loyal to you, and maybe I don’t understand why, but I do understand that you don’t deserve a friend like him.” Topher may not realize it, but with these words, he has made himself Veikko’s greatest tormentor. (In fact, this jab--clearly meant to hurt—is extremely un-Topher-like and is in juxtaposition to the diplomat/peacemaker that Topher has otherwise proven to be.) Topher’s comments inflict such pain that Veikko literally runs away to the men’s bathroom. (It is no coincidence that, during his retreat, Veikko’s thoughts of Dom parallel what Dom thinks about his own father: “I hate him, but I love him so much.”) When Veikko meets up later with Topher and the rest of the gang, Topher says, “Thank you again [for the apology that never happened]. No hard feelings, okay?” While Veikko thinks “that sounds good to me,” he has previously been shown to be a boy who never forgets a slight: I cannot imagine him ever forgiving Topher for tearing up his heart, and their relationship is now based on a lie. The piece would not be complete without a villain, but this time, the villain seems a hero: Maverick appears in the bathroom just in time to prevent Veikko from being beaten. (With such impeccable timing, he couldn’t have been following Veikko--or could he? 😄) He intercedes for Veikko when Veikko is at his most vulnerable, and he is slowly ingratiating himself into Veikko’s pyche. Veikko purposely sits next to him in physics class, and Maverick proves just how charming a psychopath can be. By the end of the chapter, Veikko has committed himself to the point of offering Maverick an “opportunity” to know him better—and the spider spins his web. The Veikko we see in this chapter is deserving of tears: He has been physically and mentally scarred. While he has a loving mother, she does not force him to get the help he needs, and his insecurities are manifest. After being isolated from his friends, he is welcomed back into the fold but only on the basis of a lie. His relationships at school, other than with his brother, are in flux; and disaster still courts him--literally--at every turn. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead in the next chapter!!!

I had to cry at Ian's pain and hopelessness. Thank goodness for people like Mr. Daniels, Evie, and Devon: They can't undo the evil already done to a child, but they do their best to promote the healing.

Wonderful chapter. It finally reveals... Why Carter is like Switzerland. Why a Porsche Spyder is the best diet tip ever. Why Simon is an idiot. Why "TV host" is the first human job that can be successfully replaced by robots. Why Alex is a "damn fucking douchebag." And why Aron and Carter will make it to their 50th anniversary! 😍 More, please.

Drew is truly in Wonderland: He's gone from Special Ops, where he presumably had specific missions/targets, to an open-ended job where he can't help caring for his charge. Amara derides the idea that Drew is Aria's friend, but Drew said it (possibly in a moment of weakness), and Aria has announced it publicly. Did Drew overstep the mark by seeking out Aria in the secret room--by checking to make sure that Aria was not doing drugs? That's just what friends do, and Aria's not in the least perturbed. (Knowing now what we do about Aria, I doubt that he was doing drugs anyway.) The question has come up again as to how Ben has been able to survive so long by Amara's side--what exactly is Ben up to? (And by corollary, what is Amara up to?) Can't wait for the next chapter!

Elliot's entire life has revolved around providing for his mother. Will his grief with her passing lead him to contemplate suicide? With his mother gone, will he strike out on his own? We don't know much about the law in this universe: Will be be apprehended for the murder of his medication supplier? So many unanswered questions! While this ending is not a classic cliffhanger, I'm biting my fingernails over the direction that Elliot will take next.

While still demonstrating symptoms of depression, Dom is clearly trying to move forward with his life. (His subconscious is moving faster than he is, with his dream of ravaging Topher! He is allowing himself to crush on another boy–a far cry from dreaming of suicide.) Despite his ability to experience a crush, he still feels as if “he’d left his soul [in the grave] and come back empty.” He likens himself to a prisoner, with his father as the jailer, as he is forced to be home on his father’s timetable to receive his medication–time which could have been spent with friends. He finally forces a showdown and says, “…you want me to live, but you won’t let me have a life,” showing his father with eloquent despair that his father’s tactics are actually counterproductive: “I’m so fuckin’ miserable here. All I do is think about ways to hurt myself.” He goes on to say, “I’m done being your prisoner, Pop. Either we do this as a team, or I’m not gonna do it at all because you’re driving me fuckin’ insane.” When Dom and his father reach a compromise, Dom finally starts taking his pills and agrees to take his therapy sessions seriously. On that basis, as SSRI antidepressants have a 70% success rate (even without a psychologist’s intervention), Dom stands a good chance of retrieving his soul after all! Dom may have gone to Maverick for his heroin overdose, but he hates him all the same: He sees him as “warped”–a “creep” with an air of “malice”–a “predator.” He notes that Maverick has gotten away with “theft, assault, vandalism and worse…. He was a fuckin’ cockroach” in his ability to survive. Maverick baits Dom by making him aware that he is seeing Veikko during recess. He brushes Veikko’s arm with his fingers and then turns to give Dom a smirk, and it gives Dom “chills down his spine" to see the predator in action. (Dom notes that not many things scare him anymore. “Dentists, snakes, the dark, disease; none of that was relevant or scary now that he’d visited the grave and returned.” That said, he’s afraid of what Matsuda may do to Veikko.) Dom’s relationship with Veikko is revisited in this chapter: He and Veikko have been intimate, at least to an extent, trading handjobs at a sleepover. However, Veikko won’t return texts (“being left on ‘read’”), and Dom sees this failure as a “metaphor” for their entire friendship. Even though he presently thinks of Veikko as a “douche bag,” (likely because of the way he’s treating Topher and the way he treated Dom in the hospital), he is still upset seeing Maverick ingratiate himself with Veikko, and says to himself, “I’ll kill whoever tries to hurt him.” To Dom, whatever water has passed under the bridge, Veikko is “special.” He continues to call him Koko, and he even sees his “resting bitchface” as being cute. He understands that, when Veikko calls him “bitch,” he is merely being affectionate. Despite his new friendship with Topher, Dom still appreciates the affection when Veikko rests his head against Dom’s chest. Dom finally understands why Veikko didn’t visit him in the hospital, as Veikko bears his soul: “My best friend would rather be dead than be with me.” (The pain in this statement is palpable, and until that moment, Dom really hadn’t seen that his suicide attempt could be construed as a repudiation of the boy who loves him.) Worse, as Dom and company are shunning Veikko (Dom obviously less than the others) for refusing to apologize to Topher, Dom lacks the leverage he needs to prevent Veikko from seeing Maverick, though he tells Veikko that he’ll still “be here when it turns tits up for you. You know, like I always have been. Always.” The chapter reveals the secret as to what happened to Dom’s mother: His father says, “I’m not letting you go down the same rabbit hole as your mother. I failed her, but I won’t fail you. There is no chance I’m losing you too….” Further, he says, “…it’s so frightening to think you’re going to end up like her.” Sadly, his mother appears to have been successful at committing suicide, and one may even presume that her suicide prompted his father to move to Australia for a fresh start. (Tayn may also be aware that depression is hereditary in many families, so that Dom may actually have a genetic predisposition to depression [and suicide]. In that case, his fears about Dom are understandable, as a genetic issue can be managed but not “cured”–the tendency to depression may literally be built into his son.) Dom’s relationship with his father is loving but complicated: While he is aggrieved at his father’s lack of trust (post suicide attempt), he notes that Tayn “never stopped loving him for being gay.” His father “thrills” to Dom’s hug, and he kisses Dom’s forehead in a sloppy expression of love. Dom realizes that his father has turned “jailer” out of love, but it still frustrates him; and his father tells him frankly that he is “scared” to give him more freedom, as he is afraid that Dom may try to kill himself again (a reasonable fear, now that the family history for depression is known). “You’re all I’ve got,” he says from the heart. However, Tayn must realize that he is smothering his son, as he ultimately does agree to a compromise, giving his son more liberty in return for the promise to take his medications/therapy seriously and to let him known his whereabouts. (I love where Dom thinks, “No matter how much we hate each other, we still love each other.” ) All said, Sunday’s child hasn’t done badly for a Wednesday, and Dom is making progress in his life: He has gained more liberty from his father, he has committed to taking his medication and attending his therapy sessions, he has developed a crush who shows signs of liking him back (Topher actually goes out of his way to buy him grapes), and he has confirmed his friendship with Veikko (despite his annoyance with him). Now, if he could only find a way to prevent Maverick from hurting Veikko, but he seems helpless to do so for the moment. 😟

A sad beginning, but when you're at rock bottom, the only place to go is up. Looking forward to the next chapter.

Kaleo has travelled half the globe to find Adam: They've fallen in love, with the best sex in their lives as a manifestation of that love--and now Kaleo is playing hard-to-get? This will last about a minute and a half! 😁😂😊😃

Adam and Kaleo are on top of the world, and in contrast, Doug has been tossed out by his parents, feels cursed by his sexual orientation, and endures physical abuse by some classmates. Suddenly, Kaleo and Adam's problems seem small. Kudos to Adam for getting involved: he'll make a real, and personal, difference in the life of a deserving boy.

I'm glad that Alex wants to keep everyone together: The bunker reminds me of the USCSS Nostromo--the cargo ship in Alien--with the kids locked down in a confined space which is just big enough to be creepy. That it remains partially unexplored just adds to the creep factor, and the idea that aliens are wreaking havoc outside the bunker walls is unnerving. Further, while the kids are locked in, who says that the aliens are locked out? At some point, if not already, the bunker may be discovered by the aliens and the children put at risk. I love that, in juxtaposition to the horror swirling around them, the kids demonstrate the ho-hum of simply being human: They have to find a bedroom, cook a meal, and take a shower. They continue to have their crushes and their squabbles. And at some point, we may find what else may lurk in the depths of the Nostromo....

Nothing like an operation to bring out people's true colors. The love between Adam, Troy, and his new "mom" Is palpable. Their behavior towards each other says it all. On the other hand, Adam's birth mother shows up out of a misplaced sense of duty - - not love. Even if her message were reasonable, which it is not, her violence would undermine it. The only good thing to arise from her visit: Adam is finally ready to repudiate his birth mom in favor of the one who really loves him. 😌

"This isn’t just a business or a few politicians giving a company contracts for stations and planetary developments. This is bigger. This is power and control. Mind control." Taking out a single politician and intelligence mole won't wipe out the Brox Consortium or win a war. It will serve only to alert the Consortium and put it on its guard. The better part of valor would be to place the known Brox operatives under surveillance and trace their contacts--to identity more of the Consortium to enable a massive, crippling strike when enough of the Consortium has been exposed. Striking now may be satisfying but loses our heroes their hard-won and only lead.

Aria's discussion of the attempted kidnapping makes clear that he faces real danger, and his distress serves to humanize him, as far as Drew is concerned. Interesting that Drew's offer of friendship leaves Aria gaping. (Could this be a first for Aria and one of his bodyguards?) I've never read of bonding over eyeliner before, but the scene is beautifully done, and it leaves Drew warming up to his charge. Narnia or Wonderland? The suite at the stadium reminds me more of the mad tea party! I always wonder at the meaning of the last paragraph or the last sentence in a chapter, as this position of "power" can emphasize important clues. In this case, the chapter closes with Aria's response to the exclamation that "Aria is Aria." He says, "I'd hate to wake up and find I've been pretending all this time." Hmmmm....

What? They don't tell you how to clean off a chair in Better Homes and Gardens? Carter, ballet is a good workout. Can't wait to see you in action! (Cue evil laugh....) Actually, Carter, A wax job is what you give a car. Simon, listen to Carter: He wants to bang only his husband. (But what are you going to do with the incriminating photos? Now I'm concerned....😯)

Aria hates small, dark places -- why do I think that this may be important later? The cook confirms that the boys catch a lot of "shit" from their mother, but we still don't know what's happening between them, and Drew did not ask. Whoa--Drew's "security" uniform is unique. He's dressed to impress, and Aria likes what he sees. And as for Aria, I agree: Drew is in more danger now than he ever was in the forces!

Not zombies: Mannequins! Glad to know that Alex and Tobi are in no imminent danger of being eaten. (However, I would sorta like to know what mannequins are doing in the control room!) Tobi proves very sensitive about his age. I think he likes Alex (yes, that way), so it makes sense that he wants to come across as more mature. The kids have finally learned that they'll be stuck together in the bunker for at least six months and have begun their exploration of it in earnest. While Alex is the de facto leader, Larry is the troublemaker: If anyone can hijack the story into "Lord of the Flies" territory, it will be Larry. Uh-oh, Alex and Tobi have discovered the lookout tower and seen an alien vessel: They now have an inkling of what's going on--what humanity may be up against. While not a classic cliffhanger, the horror of the situation is still palpable and prompts the question as to what a group of kids in lockdown can do other than watch as their world is slowly (or not so slowly) destroyed. 😧

I love the yard scenes, where Bailey and Declan are simply having fun and, yes, being kids. (Bailey's vault over the fence was completely unexpected and gave Declan something else to admire.) And the kiss! Wow! In juxtaposition, Declan finally tumbles to Bailey's cutting, and the charged exchange between the two is handled with true artistry (my kudos to the author for her superb handling of a poignant scene.) Declan couldn't have handled the situation better, providing Bailey, not only comfort, reassurance, and understanding, but also an alternative to the cutting-- himself! They may not realize it, but their bond has just deepened tremendously, with Declan's acceptance of the situation, and his making the solution personal, bringing their relationship to the next level. More, please!!!

I love this chapter! It expands on themes explored in the first "Topher" chapter and examines the major (and some minor) characters in greater detail. Topher's sensitivity and ability to think for himself are clear: The text interchange between Topher and Selena, where Topher invites her to his church barbecue, demonstrates that Topher has no prejudice against a non-Catholic. (In fact, he may be too generous in his estimation of his other parishioners, saying "If I love you, my church group will love you too.") While prepared for his sojourn at Peatsland to be a "nightmare," he actually finds his time there to be relatively enjoyable--aside from Veikko's behavior--and has the presence of mind to accept the experience for what it is, rather than to allow his expectations to poison the experience. He feels sadness that his new friendships are hurting Veikko. He feels "crushed" at the vitriol that Veikko spews at him, but he forgives Veikko in his heart. Further, he feels that the silent treatment that Veikko experiences as a punishment is "out of proportion" to what Veikko has done to him and wishes that the others (Selena and Dom included) would just move on. He also tries to be a good son--to be the role model his father wants him to be--to dress properly and (despite being miserable) to greet his church group members as "cheerfully" as he can. (I love that Topher sees himself figuratively as two people--as Chris, "the prodigal son of Father Jonathan and Gwendolyn Lynch," who actually wears clothing specific to the role, and Topher, the real deal, who is best dressed when he is undressed ["no shirt, no socks"], preferring to feel free.) Topher's relationship with his mother is addressed with tenderness and poignancy: He remembers the mother he loves in contrast to the woman who hates him for no reason. At least, he realizes that "that woman there isn't my mother, not anymore. I miss her so much." The horrific juxtaposition, where Topher is saying "I love you" at the same time that Gwen is pushing him away (banging his head against the wall so badly that it bleeds), is a heart-rending testament to the change in their relationship, with Topher experiencing, not only mental pain, but physical. However, he continues to have loving thoughts for the woman-who-was, as evidenced by a simple salmon salad, which he made with his mother's recipe to share at the barbecue: "It was a poignant experience for him, to have his friends and community enjoy his mother's recipes. I'm not as good as her, he thought, but she would be proud of me.... The woman who loved me. Not this woman who hates me and hurts me." When Gwen has a lucid moment at the end of the chapter, calling Topher "Sugarpie," he breaks down and cries. He literally won't let her go, finally dozing off with his head in her lap. (I can't imagine anyone being left unmoved when he says, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for giving me the chance to tell her I love her.") Father Jonathan appears less sympathetic in this chapter in his dealings with Topher. Even his voice sounds "disappointed" in him. He derides Topher for wanting to wear boardshorts on a hot day, saying "You're a bit too old to splash around...." When he sees Topher's teddy bear, Jon tells him that he is "a bit too old" for that bit of comfort as well. He makes clear that he sees Christopher as being an "example, a "role model," and not as a boy desperately in need of destressing. The last straw is where he forces Topher to see his mother before the gathering: Topher is already upset that his father has witnessed his mother assaulting him and has done nothing--that his father is too "weak" to do what is necessary and place his mother in hospice. That Topher no longer sees his father as a protector is also made clear after his mother precipitates his head wound: At first he simply says that he "fell," not even bothering to mention his mother's push, presumably thinking that his father would do nothing about it anyway. However, he then breaks down and admits that she pushed him, leading to the very reaction he feared, with his father (rather than giving him comfort) saying, "Topher, you need to stop blaming her for everything." Harper is also a less than sympathetic character, and her name seems apt. (She "harps" on gay people, and the diminutive for her nickname of Harp would be Harpy! [I obviously think about this stuff way too much! ]) While Topher thinks that she's pretty, he finds that her thoughts are "ugly," as she derides Peatsland as having "the queers and the sinners," "the deviants and degenerates." When Topher notes that Dominic Faye may be his best friend at Peatsland, she immediately says, "What? You know he's a poof, don't you?" When he hesitates to kiss her, she is instantly dismissive, saying "Are you a poof or something?" "It sounds like Dominic Faye is turning you gay." When Topher finally kisses her, he doesn't do it because he wants to: "He did it to stop her from talking." (And the crowd cheers in the background!) Unfortunately, Topher still tells himself that "nobody likes a sissy boy." He disparages himself in doing so, and even though he is becoming more of a free thinker, he has yet to realize that what others think doesn't mean as much as what he knows to be true in his own heart. He understands that Kevin, his best friend, is avoiding him for fear that they might kiss again. (Kevin's look of betrayal when Topher kisses the Harpy is completely hypocritical--he refuses Topher's advances but then feels betrayed when Topher kisses another! He, too, is suffering from the ridiculous idea that "nobody likes a sissy boy.") . Zack is a caricature of hypermasculinity and is good for some comic relief: He loves Topher's salmon salad until he finds out that is was made by a boy instead of a woman. He pulls the head off Percy Bear because he thinks that Topher's attachment to a stuffed toy makes him a "sissy" (that horrid word again). He won't even get into a pink car. (Haha!, I love it!) Zack's enlistment in the Army is the perfect decision for such a free thinker. Topher is a good soul trying to survive his mother's decline, his lack of paternal support, and the acidic peer pressure from his church group. At the same time, he needs to come to terms with his sexuality and continue to evolve as the best human being he can be. His transfer to Peatsland, while meant to be a punishment, may actually prove to be his lifeline.

That's what the dildo is for! (Sorry, I had to say it. 😂)

Adam and Carlos have never even been to a theme park. 😥 I hope the lap appy works for Adam: If the appendix ruptures, the surgeon will have to switch to an open procedure, and aside from the immediate danger, the road to recovery will be much rougher. I wonder if Adam's birth mother will be notified: I can imagine the contents of her "sympathy" card. 😠

I'm still suspicious that the Brox Consortium has fed information to Captain Querry and crew. How delicious for the Consortium to manipulate the Captain into attacking an upright politician and his own cousin! I hope that the crew can find some confirmatory Intel before they strike. Just remember dughlas's warning: Cia can be "tricksy!"

I love this story! The first half of the chapter seems intent on lulling us into a false sense of security: Life goes on, and the aliens are nowhere to be found. Jeffrey and Sean continue to experience their linkage and their affection for each other. Interestingly, the next crisis is not precipitated by the aliens at all: Rather, Sean's mother forces the boys' separation by making Sean attend a Christian camp. I think it intriguing that the boys become physically ill - - to the point of requiring hospitalization - - when their linkage is sundered. The linkage may now be necessary for the boys' very survival! The frustrating part is in not knowing why. The illness forces Jeffrey to confide in his sister, who is more than halfway convinced that his crazy story is true after finding out that Sean is also sick. Yes, Emily will likely save the day by bringing Sean back into linkage range, but I'm much more interested in how her new knowledge will change the story dynamics: She may be a pill, but she'll make a great ally for the boys as the story moves forward.

One more thought: While the other teens we've met so far have been molded by their sexuality and circumstances, Maverick is primarily defined by his psychopathic tendencies. On that basis, he is less complex in terms of motivation but just as fascinating in terms of behavior. More, please!

Maverick is well named: Even if the author had not warned us that Maverick is a psychopath, his nature is clear. He finds it "handy" to be feared and to be a loner. That said, he finds that "fear is dull" and that scared people are "tedious." He approaches his interactions with people as if he were playing a game, and he actually seems to appreciate it when someone is "on to me," as it becomes more of a challenge. His analysis of Mrs. Daivari may indeed be spot on and shows just how dangerous he can be: He seems a natural genius at psychology, with "an excellent gift for reading people," but he uses the information for his own amusement, and whether he damages the other party is immaterial, as his amusement comes first. He belittles people just to see their responses - - even his sister Ember, whom he actually respects. His interactions with his family are a microcosm of his interactions with the outside world: He despises his 13 year-old brother Rain for being obedient - - what he defines as having "no balls, no brains, no brawn." When Rain asks to play chess, Maverick views him as "needy" and "pathetic," saying "I don't play chess with retards." When Rain gives him the benefit of the doubt and accepts his apology for calling him a retard, he thinks that Rain must be a "moron" who will allow people "to walk all over him" his entire life. He plays Rain: While Rain would "never have the guts" to steal from his brother (read too nice and too honest), Maverick finds it amusing to blame him for stealing anyway "and see him shit himself." He corrupts his 8 year-old brother Wolfie, encouraging his potty mouth with reverse psychology. He actually pays Wolfie to "hit Rain in the balls as hard as you can" and does it for the fun of it, as he can debase Wolfie and hurt Rain at the same time. He loves to play chess with Ember because of her "cheek" and the challenge. He allows his mother to "molest him with her honeyed words and snuggles" (what others might call showing love to a child) just so she won't "harass" him later that evening. While finding amusement in manipulating others, he is still willing to learn from them: When his sister points out (during chess) that he plays too aggressively, he sees how subtlety can actually be applied as a life lesson - - that he can manipulate some individuals better with a subtle approach, and he puts this new strategy into play immediately with Dom. No surprise that the psychopath is selling drugs. At least, Dom sees through his facade of caring. (Even while making sure that Dom won't rat him out, Maverick evaluates him for any advantage and notes that he has "some sore spots where support is concerned.") Horrifically, Maverick has now decided that he likes Veikko Carlisle; and as a psychopath, he is devising a strategy to win Veikko's heart: I am fearful that Veikko, as starved for affection as he is, may be gulled by Maverick, and the fallout when he realizes that Maverick is incapable of true romantic love may be devastating for him. _____________________________ Great chapter! By the time I finished it, I really felt like I'd been living in Maverick's head, and just visiting there is enough to make you want to shower!