Tempus-Fugit

It was very touching. I had a little cry myself, and I think it's good that, if you think about it, for the most part, there were no massive jumps in time with this story. It was all about one small slice of time, perhaps no more than an hour, maybe two. And yet it encompassed a whole chapter. You could almost hear Luke's heart breaking... and of course, Eddie's line will go in history: "I wasn't the love of your mom's life. You were." That flashback with young Rory (at only 6 I think it was) was beautiful. It was Rory without a doubt, but it also wasn't him. And it was lovely to see his mom come back for him. I'm investing a lot more in this story than the TLW. How odd.

Oh Aaron. Sigh. Where's the redemption? You do nothing to help yourself you silly little boy. Even if you were being honest, why can't you see that you're just not exactly the spitting image of a good person that someone would want to stay with? Not be with. Stay with. Seth and Rory are sweet together. I've never really been too sure about a Rory/Luke pairing, because they are too much like best friends at this point - the dynamic would fundamentally shift if they got together, even in pain. But that said, I'm not putting it beyond Dom to reveal the Mother of All Freaking Twists (MAFT) and show us that in actual fact, this is all a carefully constructed scheme by Aaron to win Luke back. Or that Seth and Aaron are really still together and are just playing with Rory, bouncing him between them so that it does eventually force him towards Luke. Or, you know, something similar. Along those lines. Just as shocking. I still don't think we're done with Aaron. His part in this story isn't over. It can't be. He's tied to too many characters within the story, and if he really does want Seth more than Rory or Luke, he'll surely make a play for him at somepoint... I just want him to redeem himself. Is that so much to ask?! lol. Gail's ambivalence towards Aaron was funny. And the was mouth out 'with soap' thing was good. I didn't think we'd actually have that happen. lol. And that final scene. Crikey. It almost broke my heart. I've sort of admired Rory for wanting to hold onto that present until his birthday. But everything Luke said, it makes sense. The only one holding Rory back this time, the only one I suppose you could say lying to Rory, is himself. Ugh. Damn you, Luke. You said all the right things. You're a perfect boyfriend. I don't believe it. And Dave is coming over to stay? Best friend Dave? The one that people think is the real object of Luke's affections? Oh. How interesting.

He's a very screwed up kid. That said, I refuse to damn him outright. Raise your hands if you thought Dennis was pure evil upon his introduction in TLW? Come on. My point is, we learnt why Dennis is the way he is. Dom's even gonna give us a story from Dennis' point of view.... there's more to Aaron than meets the eye. Even if Aaron lied about his family, the lie itself has to be exposed otherwise the story is incomplete! Those characters must exist for a reason. As does the scenario. It's a tightly wrapped storyline that unfolds. We learn piece after piece after piece. Aaron is most certainly not the ideal boyfriend. And as a person, he's a wee bit of a flop. But that doesn't make him pure, unadultered evil... I'm not sure he's even committed anything 'evil'. Just bad things. Very bad things. But as far as we know, or at the most have been told, and at the least suggested, is that the only thing he deliberately attempted to do, was seduce Rory to get back at Seth. Everything else seems to be born of desperation, stupidity, immaturity, fear and alcohol. Not maliciousness. I think. And I believe he is capable of tenderness, but... ugh... it goes back to one of my original ideas. When Aaron and Luke first started dating, Aaron started to freak out over the idea he was falling in love with a guy. Therefore, he created an emotional disconnect when it comes to sexual partners. When he's just having fun, like at the water park, he's quite capable of being sweet. But then when he gets back to... hmm I wonder... when he's out and about and no one else knows him... maybe he's more comfortable... but when he's back at home or in the park, he shuts himself off from being sweet and nice... What was the question?

Tempus hyperventilates. That's almost fanboyish... Have we gotten that bad?

Loved it. From the anticipation of the kiss to the actual event... it was beautifully realised. And, for the record, we all knew it was gonna happen at some point - Aaron's back. Now someone has to explain something to me. If Aaron really doesn't care, then why is he in that truck? Why doesn't he just get over it or find someone else? Tempus ignores the cries from the people in the back who insist that 'TLS' has already gone through every gay person in town, and that Rory's his last chance... Why is he putting himself through constant punishment? I want answers!! lol. Ooh, and here's a thought - it should be interesting to note Gail's reaction to Aaron in the car... or even what she says... Thanks kindly, Dom. I'm officially addicted. Again.

Ok. And the confusion grows... So is Seth trying to manipulate Rory now? I can't help but see something insidious in that smirk of his... or is he generally being a nice guy? ...or is Aaron upstairs in Seth's bedroom?! Whatever Seth says, you can't help but notice he still took Aaron away from the party... there's a lot of anger and hostility being thrown around here. Eventually people are going to have to forgive, even if they don't forget... I'm beginning to swing towards this idea that maybe this story is all about Rory coming into his own; it's not about finding his perfect partner, it's about him growing up. And here's a most interesting thought. We're learning about 3 potential suitors to Rory, at about roughly the same pace, one after the other. Something about Luke, something about Aaron, something about Seth. Don't believe me? Look back. Luke's mother died. Aaron has history with Luke. Seth is 'with' Angela. Luke was framed. Aaron lied. Seth was involved with Aaron. Luke... um.. something (lol). Aaron has a little brother. Seth has a little sister. What I mean is, the story's unravelling, things are falling into place... and we're getting a better picture of the whole situation. And by better I mean more confusing lol. It's not like TLW where we learnt primarily about Owen and Aiden. But here's another thought. I can't help but feel that Seth is manipulating Rory ever so slightly. Something all the suitors are guilty of. Luke included. (I'm sorry, no matter what Luke's intentions were, he still attempted to manipulate Seth. But Seth saw through that. Interesting. Not the first time he's been manipulated perhaps...) And I'm still waiting for Aaron's explanation. You know that's coming. It's not being thrown out there just to tantalise. It's not like Owen moving past needing to talk to his parents. This wounds too recent, and it's too close to home for it not to be returned to. Like I said. Confused. Excellent chapter, Dom. You've got me hook, line and sinker.

Good point. If Aaron is really out for himself, why would he put himself in such an awkward position? Even if he needs to blame someone else for his own behaviour, he's not an idiot! I just can't bring myself to damn Aaron. I just can't. I can judge his behaviour harshly, but I can't damn him totally. There just has to be something we've not be told. People are a product of their environment as much as anything else. The type of friends he keeps, the drinking, maybe he does it all because he honestly doesn't think he's worth anything because of what he did to Luke with the car. I don't know. I don't know the answers anymore. And I don't know the direction the stories going to take, but I'm going to keep an open mind... If he does indeed turn out to be Evil, I'll quite happily eat Humble Pie.

Oh mother of sweetest pearls... I loved TLW. But DD is already my favourite; the story just evolves more intensely for me, and that's probably because I'm keeping up with it rather than following from behind... I have, absolutely, no freaking idea where this story is going. I don't know where the lies begin and where the truth ends. I don't know who's good and who's bad. And I don't know what's going to happen next... Though I do hope Rory's gonna have a proper little showdown of sorts with Aaron. It's truth time. Every last little bit. There was simply no way Aaron couldn't have appeared in the rest of the story, not until we know why he's the way he is, not until we see... Who thought the the whole Seth-is-trying-to-make-Aaron-jealous-would-actually-work-in-reverse-coming? But even then that does make sense! If it was just to get Seth jealous, then why have a private day at the Water Park? Just the two of them? I mean, maybe it started as an attempt to get Seth jealous, but then what if Aaron actually did start to properly like Rory? There were tender moments. If it was just about using Rory then... aaaaargh!! A Christmas cliffhanger. And Seth made a funny. A good one too. Oh, and can anyone else see this line coming back to bite Rory in the ass?

Ok. So maaaaaybe Aaron is evil then. But that can't be the end of the relationship between Aaron and Rory; Rory may have left Aaron there, but he still needs to confront him. And as for Seth? Well... all I know is we still don't have the full story. And until we have it, I'm not going to come down on one side or the other. Aaron behaved appallingly. But we still don't know why he's the way he is. I can't pass judgement until we have the full story... no lies, no half truths, no truth from a certain characters point of view... the facts - plain and simple. Oh. And go Seth for being a real hero. Now please explain what he meant by "I've been through with him for a long time... tonight I wanted him to know it." please Dom?

Funny. If a little extreme. But you know what I mean. It's one possible reaction. I'm not saying that's what happened, I'm just tempting out the possibility. When bad stuff happens to you, people react in different ways. I happen to think I used to emotionally disconnect. It's not because my parents are homophobic, but because, something happened in the past which sorta forced me to disconnect from sexual gratification (and I'm not going into it now ). I'm not emotionally disconnected anymore... But I certainly believe I lost something, and that I want to get it back, and slowly but surely, I'm getting there. But my point is that people react in ways you can't expect. And here's the crucial thing. It is a hell of a lot easier to judge someone, than it is to try and understand them. Aaron isn't bad. He isn't good. But then neither is Rory. It's the flaws that make the characters. If Rory and Aaron don't end up together, I can live with that. But I want them to learn from each other.

Yeah... changing who you are DOES take work. It doesn't just happen overnight... that said, Aaron is trying. He can't just be after one thing from Rory. If he was, why on earth would they spend the day together? Why not just drag Rory back to his house in the first place? I think Aaron has a real problem with being intimate after sex. It's almost like an emotional disconnect. Think about it - his parents think being gay is a terrible thing. They've tried to drum that into him. Maybe on some level he can't quite forgive himself for who he is. Yeah... I'm still reaching lol. I just don't think we can damn Aaron body and soul. There are glimpses of real tenderness sometimes. Do I think the ultimatum was right? Hell no. He never should have put Rory in that position. He even recognises that. In some way Rory recognises that (and interestingly enough, Rory found a way to serve both sides.) However the relationship turns out, Rory is growing. And evolving. He's learning from Aaron. Learning from being with him. If TLW was a story about finding love, perhaps this story is about finding love, and loosing it because ultimately the people just aren't suited. I don't believe Aaron and Rory are perfect for each other. But, in some ways, they are good for each other. Aaron might be a manipulator through and through who hones in on people he can use. And Rory, bless him, is all too naive in a lot of things. That said, he's an emotional minefield of sorts. I don't think Aaron's quite ready for what he may have let himself in for... I don't see Rory as the kind of character who's just gonna let Aaron's behaviour slide if he starts to treat him badly. He's going to want answers. Even if they aren't ones he wants to hear. Oh and kudos to Luke. It takes real strength of character to do what he did. But, that doesn't mean that Luke and Rory are suited either. I'm not sure Rory can learn from Luke in the way that he'll learn from Aaron if that makes any sense... We're still not getting a full picture from Aaron about his past. He's still holding back, and I'm willing to bet once those blanks are filled in, we'll know exactly how to feel about him. Dom's being careful and just toeing the line of what's acceptable and what isn't. Occasionally just going over the line. We don't have enough evidence to condemn Aaron. We only have enough to know that we should be wary of him. But to call him dangerous? No. Playing baseball and not keeping your eye on the ball? That is dangerous lol. What surprises me is that Dom thinks this story will turn out longer than TLW. By this point, Owen and Aiden were well on the way to coupledom. I think at this point in the story, Rory has to end up with either Aaron or Luke. At the very least, someone we already know. Maybe he has to dabble with both before he can choose... Maybe in the end that's what he'll be faced with. A choice. He can choose Luke - reliable, honest, hard-working (dare I say 'true'? lol). Or Aaron - sexy, mysterious, rebellious (and dare I say 'elusive'?) The heart or the head, Rory. The heart or the head.

Oh my dear sweet Aaron... don't you realise you do yourself no favours? Sigh. Don't get your hopes up. I still can't quite believe that Aaron will be the ultimate bad guy in this story. That said, I never said he wasn't manipulative either. We know he's manipulative. Even before this ultimatum (which is a really low blow) he's co-erced Rory into doing certain things... But the question is why is he manipulative. There has to be a cause. Which is why I've been pondering something... We all know that Aaron and Luke have a history. Perhaps even boyfriend and boyfriend. But that's still unclear exactly what they were and what they got up too. So here's a theory: what if, back in the day, when Luke and Aaron first got together, they were never anything official, and, now I'm reaching here, what if Aaron wasn't comfortable with his sexuality? Maybe he started falling in love with Luke. Got freaked out by it. Stole the car. Blamed it on Luke. Flash forward a few years later. Aaron's gotten to grips with it, but after all this time, he's still in love with Luke? (you can practically feel my arm breaking now can't you as it reaches for that ever elusive happy ending). Lol. Like I said. It's just a theory. And the only parts I'd really put any stock in are the fact that Luke and Aaron were never anything official. And that Aaron's still in love with Luke. Just cause those are the kind of dramatic twists and turns I expect. Which probably means it's all wrong cause Dom continues to surprise me! So it's all good Regardless, here's hoping Rory tells Aaron where to shove that ultimatum. Relationships are about give and take. And not just physically.

Thanks for the welcome, Vic. But, I'm afraid I must point out that I always try to see the good in people. Aaron is indeed, a manipulator. I never denied that. But I see many possible routes for his character to walk down. Maybe he does consider Rory just a bit of fun. Maybe he does intend to get his jollies and just move on. But, what if, he actually fell for Rory? Hands up all those who hated Dennis, and yet now, at the end of TLW, although we may not like him persay, we've come to an understanding of him. That's character growth. Aaron is definitely a character that I'm quite willing to watch develop and if it means he has to do the horizontal tango with Rory, for them both to get to where their going, then I eagerly await it. Besides, there's just something about those boys that do the chasing... Ohhh and before I forget, sorry to pick on you Alan... Except that, originally, Aaron didn't know Rory had issues. Which either makes his intentions all the more honourable, or more despicable seeing as how he saw Rory and thought "Ooh. New meat." I'm just trying to look beyond what we know about Aaron. All we know is stories from different people, I'm not sure we even have a full account yet until Aaron gives his side. If he's truly changed, you people will be kicking yourselves. And if he hasn't... well, I see hope.

Just my two cents, but I'd like to think that we can't count Aaron out as a bad guy just yet. At least, not in the pure sense of the word 'bad'. He strikes me more as a very big rainbow of grey. I'll agree he's a manipulator. He knows how to get what he wants, and he usually gets it. And because of this, he's very forthright. Very in your face. And yet in this scene, we see the reverse. It's almost like he's caught himself, realised how he behaves isn't exactly the best way to go about it. I think, and I hope, that he does genuinely feel guilty for what he's done to Luke. But he can't help the way he behaves sometimes. Things happen to people along their lives that turn them into who they are. Dom never introduces a character without giving real thought to who this character is. Why they're here. What their purpose is. And you can't do that without giving the character a history with which to explain that characters' inclusion. Events transpired to make Aaron who he is (I'm hoping we'll one day hear about those)... he isn't perfect. But then neither is Rory. And he's our protagonist! It's a nice thought that maybe their purpose is to balance out the other, to redeem the other, to learn from each other. That doesn't mean they're meant to be together. I would like to see them together though, even it's just to discover that they aren't meant to be together. You regrets the roads not taken and all... I just don't know where Dom's going to take the story! LOL That's half the fun. I just can't help feeling that Rory's going to help redeem Aaron in some way. He seems almost ashamed of the way he is in this scene. But then the manipulator card might come back in the next chapter and I suppose it could all be part of a wicked plan - "Aaron's Grand Plan to Seduce the Innocent and Naive Rory And an Ingenious Way to Tick Off Luke" Argh! It's so frustrating! The writing is always left open to your interpretation whilst also seeing it from Rory's perspective. This is why I keep reading. It's a well written story that keeps you guessing. In some ways, hoping. Thanks for the possibilities, Dom.