ColumbusGuy

Thanks SD! Things do look ominous...I haven't worked out details, but note it was the Third-World War, as opposed to WWIII. Sophisticated tech country blocs either watching the rest squabble over resources or defending their turf. I somehow see the northern hemisphere as a united front while Africa, Asia and parts of South America duke it out--maybe there were a few tactical nukes before people realized that was too much and resorted to more heinous means like killer robots programmed to kill the enemy? Who knows what was hidden away when peace was finally reached, mainly by forces too decimated to continue? The 'thals can only hope no space-craft survived...those would have been made obsolete by Sky Hook long ago. More to come, never fear.

“I think I finally have the answer.” The only sound in the Data Center was the quiet whoosh-whoosh of the circulation fans in the wall opposite the open door. Tall magenta cylinders lined one hewn rock wall, with a bank of screens and terminals along the opposite; there was seating for twenty-four operators, but Falling-Leaf was the only one present on Shift Three at the moment. Her grey eyes widened when the realization hit her, and one hand patted her forehead instinctively in surprise. Her h

Another great one, Elias! There is a lot to think about here, but off the top of my head I agree with Zarek. Matt is remaining the self-absorbed dick. I know they can't go back to the way they were before, but Matt seems to have lost the desire to even recall those good times. I still think that if he really cares for Andy, he wouldn't have said the things he did--his apology is just words, and he is still dodging responsibility for his actions. Andy has regressed a bit...or so it appears.I'd hate to see him come to the same place mentally where Matt is, concerned only with his own pleasure. I'm holding out for Andy to succeed in getting Matt back into therapy. More please, my friend!

Wonderful, SD--good news on most fronts, except for David. His unhealthy whatever it is with Kathy needs to end, she's manipulative and possessive, and building far more of a fantasy than David has in mind--though he is wussing out on being honest with everyone. That he even thought about not visiting Twoey makes me angry--he's on very thin ice with me again. I'm happy that Matty has reconnected with Martin, and hope that will continue. I wish them both good luck! Twoey is making great strides, and I can't wait until he gets home,, but he is right in needing a long talk with his mother...they can't hold tings back any longer. More please, my friend!

A great chapter, Wolf! Come on Ethan, you've got ten days before things can go wrong--make Aiden happy by letting him bite you. It's clear Michael is missing more than a few marbles if he thinks defying his father is the way to become Alpha...it's a sure path to exile at best. I'm not sure what the dynamic is with him and Aiden, but I'd say jealousy plays a huge part because Aiden has al lthe qualities he lacks. His comment to Ethan at the meeting implies he's denying his gay side, perhaps blaming the feelings on Aiden as the unattainable crush? More please!

Such an 'aww-some' chapter for the big 5-0! All the points I had were covered by the others, so all I can add is how much I enjoyed this one too. The only thing we don't have yet is Nate finding out that he will start his first day along with Bodie, unless I missed it? Only one speculation to offer: with his two uncles, Kendall seems to be taking care of, and smoothing over Nate's past hurts, whick Michael is doing the same for Nate's future. That is amazing. Anxious for the next one!

A great chapter, Com! Randy got his quality time with Ryan, and a dose of love along with the soup Ariel's grandma made. Could only get better if he were to come back later to check up on him. I am hoping very hard that Ryan is wising up about Sean--we don't need him making waves--let Cody take him on. More please!

Ran out of likes, but I'm caught up on the story now! I love the characters, and I'm glad that Tom and Kit have gotten their relationship together and let others know. I hope Jay gets sent to jail...he threatened another person, and also added enough to make it a hate crime! The scumbag needs a long stay in jail, where he'll find out what gay sex is like in a hurry. More please.

Eager for the next chapter, WolfM! I love it, and really hope that there aren't going to be problems with most of the pack. I really want to see Ethan mated, and see what kind of wolf or other shifter he becomes! More please!

Thanks Eagle. I'm not sure where Bill fits in yet, though I have an idea. He popped in as I was writing, so I don't know him yet. It would be nice for Bobby and Linda to clear the air, she's very direct about things most of the time, but in this instance he sided with someone who attacked and insulted her brothers--it's going to take time for reason to return, but we could be seeing signs of that. She takes her promises very seriously though, so I don't know if she'd tell about Jenny evern to restore her relationship with Bobby. There is also the chance he wouldn't return the favor, or believe what she says. She's lost some of her trust in him. With Summer approaching, there will be more times when the guys get together to be boys, which will likely make Linda crazy.

I'm sure Mikey's dad is happy to see him with friends--but I don't think he knows just how 'friendly' they are. It was a good break from the lonely boy he'd seen for so long. Will he approve of the more intimate aspects of J & M? All I know is that in real life, he wasn't, but one point of this story is to help deal with that, based on the uncertainty I now have about that--just a couple years ago, my sister told me he'd asked about me when she saw him in Florida, and she told me he still loved me, which I had lost after more than a decade of no contact before he died. Cal's grandma is how I'd hope mine would have reacted. And I think my mom would have reacted positively...she asked once and said it made no difference, but I didn't confirm it since I was single...when I might have told her, she'd met my s.o. at my house and disliked him on principle, so I kept quiet. Denny's parents--odd, they are one path I can use for the next chapter, so I need to figure that out.

Another great one SD! If Burch keeps up the touching, he can be reported for sexual harrassment or something--I hope David can figure that out. Thank goodness he has Ginny and now Biggy to add to his support group. Kathy is really a weight dragging David down--use Saturday to drop her!! Tommy is so great...keep it up, your big brother needs you. I have an idea why Ginny didn't tell Twoey why David wasn't eating, but I don't like the precedent that creates and how it affects his relationship with her--she's never lied before. It doesn't sound like the move someone trained in her field would make. More please, my friend! Out of likes, will come back later.

Dang, when Ariel lets loose, he really is an entirely different guy--a real inferno Tyler has to do his best to try to put out. I'm not even going to offer odds that their 'plans' involve leaving Tyler's house, let alone his bedroom. He's one lucky guy to find Tyler. I hope Ryan won't pester them with more outings, and that the soup makes Randy feel better. More please!

Trevor and Casey are amazing friends to have, and I am so glad Ethan has decided to go home with them I hope we learn soon if Ethan will turn...I'd like it best if Aiden was the one to do it. More please!

Renee, I'm riding the fence on this one. I'm usually pretty consistent with my grammar, and all these new things which have cropped up with the rise of computers irk me to no end...but I'll cede you the Latin comment. That was the dominant language when things like rules of speech and writing became more necessary, and it was never a good fit for English. You will find endless exceptions to every 'rule'. Even Latin and Ancient Greek had exceptions to their rules, though not as many. The bigger problem with English is that it derives from so many sources; Anglo-Saxon was a fairly versatile language, and, like today's tongue, word order wasn't always important because we still had word endings to denote what part of speech the word was, like in German today. This provides a large part of our daily speech, but there are other influences: Old Norse, medieval French, and Latin and Greek too. Each played a part in shaping what we know today as English. French came in with William The Conqueror in 1066, and is the other large influence--you can write the same story in purely Anglo-Saxon based words, and in French-derived ones, and it is all perfectly good modern English. Latin had a double influence because many words were taken into Saxon since they were new concepts to the tribes--like minster, which was an altered form of monastery--we now have both because the Saxon word was felt to be inaccurate and so the original Latin was brought back. Go figure. Rules of grammar change, and it wasn't that we were taught 'wrong', it's just that styles have altered, and not always for the better. Give me actual units of time which will tell me whether I need a comma, colon, semi-colon or period...or ellipses. Then I'm a happy camper.

Great chapter again, SD, but I'm getting mixed signals again. David is starting to think of Matty as a friend, reacting to what he beilieves is Twoey's body, and yet hasn't gotten rid of Kathy, and now he's making overtures to Lanni. I have no idea what Tommy's mom thinks she'll find in David's room--he is somewhat clueless, but I don't think he's careless enough to let his secrets be found by physical evidence. And why the hell doesn't someone tell her she can't cook worth a damn, or at least break the crock pot?! More please, SD!

WolfM, I have so many possibilities running through my head right now, and I don't have a clue which, if any, is where this isgoing next! Ethan may turn, or may not from Michael's bite; Aiden must decide what to do when or if Ethan changes; if Ethan changes, will he be somehow tainted by it being Michael who did it, or will Ethan's nature correct that? If Ethan doesn't turn, what will become of him and Aiden becoming mates? Is Ethan immune to bites, or will he only turn if the right person (Aiden) does it? Since I'm not entirely sure how shape-shifters work, will Ethan turn into a wolf, or into something else which is already in his nature? Caleb seems to have problems figuring Ethan out, so does that imply there is something special about him? Give us a clue by posting the next chapter as soon as you can--I love this story, and want so much for it to work out!

A great chapter Elias--there's a lot to think about. I'm dismayed at Matt's attitude lately, hurting his supposed best friend as he is...still blaming Andy for getting him into all the sexual encounters, and yet, now he's doing it on his own--if he's so worried, he can stop. Andy has made great strides in self-discovery and attempting to alter his motivations and actions--Matt has done nothing but whine, and now, as Zarek said, becoming a total bastard. I hope Andy can find a path where his happiness doesn't depend on Matt, because that boy is not reliable. Come on Dr. Walker, put on your shining armor and climb on that white horse to save Andy. More please, my friend!

Another amazing chapter, Tim! My favorite part was Rob noticing that Nelson knew how to deal with Eric already--letting an idea sit in his head a bit before discussing it further. I was also impressed how Rob picked up on Trevor's feelings about Nelson...he's far more aware of things than I had thought about people's feelings. He's going to make a good GSA member in college. I'm eager to see how Rob is going to address the team problem...we know physical acts are out--at least for now. Sic'em Rob! More please Tim Prime!

Cool chapter SD! A lot of good things here, Twoey's pain has stopped thanks to David and Ginny's insistence on more tests, then we have Ginny helping him with his nutrition. I'm really hoping that the 'meetings' Twoey and David have weren't just due to the pain medications, and will continue as David meditates--maybe he can teach Twoey how to do it? Maybe Matty should try it if he's starting to think David is getting romantic with him...and David may be wising up about Kathy, at last. More please!

Thanks, Palantir! Glad to see you still around since your own story has finished. You're right, they need to talk, but it will be hard becasue the yboth understand the need to keep confidences which could be very damaging to their friends. Bobby is the most suitable boyfriend she's had so far, but she's only dated him for about five months...less time that she's known Jenny and her secret. It's been about a week since the break-up, let's give her a little time to work through the problem...don't give up yet. I'm not too up on horses, but they are supposed to be very intelligent, and sensitive to moods...hence my 'psychic' horse.

Hey John! Thanks for the kind words...our boys try to have normal days, but they're just settling in to their connections with one another--so that can cause some drama. Billy may fit in, but it's up to him to make the first moves now...it seems like he's very eager, but he can't be in their study group on a regular basis since he attends a different school which is probably at a different pace--if Mikey had his way, they'd see him every day when they come in to eat pizza, but I don't think everybody would go for that. There will be weekends and summer vacation starts in about a month and a half so he can join them then.

I hate this, SD--that inevitable moment when it's time to say goodbye. Nothing can soften the blow, and we must bid a fond farewell to dear friends. Will we ever see them again? We may hope to do so, but nothing is certain in life. And so, I wish Ian and Miles all the best, and ask them to keep in touch...a fleeting glimpse of them is better than nothing at all. The key to happiness is communication, guys...learn it, feel it, live it! Ave atque Val minus one!

Hey SD--keep that image in mind if they go to the drive-in. I was sorta picturing it when I was writing that part. As long as Greg keeps his nose clen, I think we won't have to worry...Denny is learning what he's found there. What could Linda do with a bunch of gay boys? She's not much of a shopper...and being so sharp, wanna bet she felt it might inhibit them if she went? Benny is 'special'--and not in that Southern way which means a bit slow, or to be pitied--he needs to find the balance between his passive and aggressive sides; Cal will help him find the balance, I think. 40 East was a cool place, lots of junk food, movies, a play area for little kids, and those big metal box-like speakers hanging in your car window. Could our boys do the same things there as straight kids? I saw some movies there, but the first one that comes to mind is Deliverance--is that significant?

Zane is the unknown right now, I'm not sure what he'll be, there's already a lot going on. The lunch scene went in a direction unplanned, but it seems to have worked--with his own relationship budding, of course Greg wants to spread the joy--and he can be more open about it as face-t0-face encounters now. I have a scene in mind for the drive-in trip pre-Bill--not sure it will work i he goes. Stay tuned for our next thrilling episode!