ColumbusGuy

“So, tell me all the details!” I tried to remain calm, but hearing that my long-time husband, Ernst, was attacked, set off the worst scenarios I could imagine in my head. I’d been in a holo-meeting with Seven-Diamond and Dr. Lowell, the heads of the Asgard Forestry Project, when I got the alert from the transceiver implant behind my left ear. I interrupted the two scientists’ dialogue with a curt ‘Something’s happened to Ernst…’ and ended the meeting. I saw the alarm in the ‘thal’s face, and t

Well, if that guy is Twoey's father, I think his mom is better off if the guy took a hike. Just what he needs when he wakes up--a confrontation with the asshole who caused all his problems. Gotta love Tommy, the only real gem in the family. More please!

Thank you for the chapter, SD. I don't really know what else to say with the way everyone is feeling right now. David might be acknowledging that he had stirrings over Twoey when they first met? I want to say it's some sort of epiphany for him, but I won't hold my breath. I'm not fond of Kathy, never have been, but she is even more self-absorbed, not giving any thought to others at this trying time...she's welcome to David, they are well-suited to one another. A bittersweet end to this one: bitter as Twoey can't see Danny anymore in his dreams, and sweet in the fact that he is beginning to feel pain. Not the best anchor to life, but it shows us that he's starting to got a better chance of it now. More please.

The only science I have a passion for is archaeology, but I follow Mars news, and space in general. I hate Math and always have, as Mikey says in JM--he got put in Poetry instead of failing Algebra II...one more bit of truth lurking in the background over there. I'm picking up enough info to make my science seem plausible, so I hope nobody asks me how it works. It'll be interesting dealing with an adult rather than teen relationship.

Thanks Tim. I just did some research for the next 'fragment'...hope to write it tomorrow. Ernst and Jakob are going to do big things which will impact the world...working out the details of how they start off together.

You didn't notice the windshield in the pic of Jay's truck in the first chapter? I can just remember playing on the hood of my dad's old Nash Rambler with such a windshield, and later , owned a '47 Dodge sedan with one, and the cool suicide doors in the back! That car still had a starter button to push once you turned the key. Finn having his own story? That boy is working the readers really hard...maybe he'll get a short Prompt or something. Glad you're still hanging in there!

Another great glimpse into their lives. Alas, mikiesboy pretty much said what I was going to. Ian is moving toward not letting Markey run his life now, but by doing this little 'reminder' to improve himself, he's given his ex far more power than he realizes. He needs to stop and draw a line in the sand: here is my new life, separate from what went before...nothing relating to Markey exists in the present. That is far harder to do, but Miles could help him do it if Ian told him what was going on in his head. More please, my friend!

A great chapter Elias. The sad part here is that Matt really needs to examine what he's doing, and why, but the only way for that to happen is if he talks to Dr. Walker again, and that isn't in the plans. Consequences don't seem to mean anything for him now, and I don't see anything good coming out of his plans with Colt: he's already hurt Andy, now he's going to do the same to Thomas. Colt is doing what he's always done, chasing anybody who will sleep with him. The saddest thing now is Andy...I hope Dr. Walker can help him get his life back together. More please!

SD, Sam is such a wise person, aware of all the nuances around him and his friends...I admire him for trying to enlighten his friends, but they are so out of touch it's unreal. They see only what they want to see, and David is so far into denial that he doesn't put things together eve nwhen they are spelled out for him. I think even if he were to get counselling, it wouldn't do any good. I had tissues ready when Danny spoke to Twoey--I hope he gives up this idea of dating Lanni and decides to come out to his friends. If they are truly his friends it won't matter..., Next chapter please, my friend!

Insert superlative here:____. Any one will work, because this is yet another winning hand in CoTT. Michael is going to be a wonderful father, how do I know? Because he's always checking with his partner to confirm his ideas. That shows me that he will never be judgmental or arbitrary, we've already had the promise to be honest. I don't think it matters if Bodie's mother outed him by accident...he and Nate instantly recognized the bond they have: it's real, it's strong, and deep--they don't need to label it because when something is right, you know it and accept it. Labels just get in the way and limit what a relationship means by imposing certain expectations. I'm not sure even 'Love' adequately captures things because it is burdened with it's origins in the Age of Chivalry with its rigid codes of conduct. If it must have a tag, then how about the original Star Trek episode with Losira the guardian of an abandoned outpost: 'I am for you...'

Thanks Tim, Jay is definitely aware of himself and has had the support he needed, as you will see in future chapters. There will be times for reflection ahead, and days which will be trying, but Jay knows what his goal is.

Once again, you surprise me, G-Man. I'll grant you Beth, but I'm not sure about Mikey's dad...he knows he screwed up in the past and is working on it...but does he see more than a growing deep friendship between J and M? I don't know. He's quiet, with depths you don't expect (like my real dad) and this story is supposed to help me rebuild some memories and maybe fix some which weren't so good. My dad didn't talk to me for his last 13 years once finding out about me, but one of my sisters told me he asked about me once in a while and still cared...I'd love to think that was true and the rift was due to his gf. I want Mr. S to be there when the time comes, but is he there yet? Finn is campaigning hard for a spot--guess I should think about it. I have a special friend in mind for him, but whether the two will become another couple is not clear yet. He's only 15, so would probably hump anything which didn't run fast enough to get away.

No fear, Lit. I'll just comment on the JM aspect first--they seem to be the ideal couple, and want to share that with their friends, and see them all happy. I hadn't planned it, but it looks like each couple has a member who needs some care to become himself--and good partners will strive to do that for one another. Jay is a special person with a strong caring side to him...and each couple are going to find they can depend on their partner. One last comment in general, but it relates particularly to Cal and Benny. Hormones are tricky sneaky things, and our cast are still young, so they will make mistakes...they don't have the experience of their own to draw on, so base things on what they hear and can glean from observation. One final thing too--love is inherent in our cast's relationships, but each couple is different: JM are going to be cautious but sure of where they are headed and how to get there, GD are more hesitant due to D's bad experiences, so they will likely take longer to get where JM are headed, and finally, Cal and Benny--these two aren't the deep thinkers that JM are, or as scared as GD...they are used to being active, so they will express their love in a more direct way which may seem abrupt or thoughtless to others, but the feelings are just as deep as those of the other guys. Give them time....

Oh man, I'm sorry Lit...my thinking was that they had been waiting so long, they got carried away--and it was very short as first times can be...but I was hoping that what Cal did afterward made up for it when his reality came back in focus...Cal will never intentionally hurt Benny, and he'll make a huge effort to keep teen hormones on a tighter rein next time...Benny too was caught up, and didn't ask Cal to stop, and he understands what was going on in their heads, and knows their next time will be a lot different. With the costumes, they were also playing out a fantasy they both shared. On the shopping trip, you'll see their relationship in a mostly unclouded light.

Wow, Tim, I'm so glad you could find something to like here--I've put a lot of my early self into Mikey, and he's finding experiences because he took one little chance. I knew who I was then, but how to BE it was another thing--I had the limitations of the times to deal with, and the fact that I missed a lot of cues with my limited vision. The boys in my story all pretty much know what they want, but in a world/town where you couldn't be that, what choices did you have? I hope you still find them real when they begin to find partners...it means a lot to me that you're here.

Gotta wonder about C and B--they got caught up in the moment, like a lot of people probably do...will the next time last longer? Does B like the aggressive Cal? Finn and Linda are certainly influential with Benny, so lets hope he gets over his reticence soon. As for the prank letters, I wonder if Jay is going to tell Mikey that chocolates are an option to the older kissing tradition? With his sense of humor, it's a tough call.

Thanks a lot Parker! I have to confess that it was one of my favorite fantasies. Had some inspiration from an old movie called Wrestling Meat. 'Nuff said. I almost wrote it from Cal's POV as a separate section, then got the idea to have it as a 'flashback' as Benny was starting his day...I'm glad it worked so well for you!

The Callie package--hahaha! I have to wonder, how much of what Cal is doing is really him, and how much is he doing for Benny's benefit? Right now, the two are on a high,but how strong is Cal when things get rough? I haven't worked out the barn yet--C and B will be impressed, but do they need it? At least they will have another place to be themselves. FM did play more music back then, and AM was different from what it had been in the 60s--then AM stations competed for the most listeners, not the most bucks--music was still the key to radio. FM did the 'good' stuff like classical and some specialty shows, while AM was mostly pop. Dr. Demento lived on FM, Cheap Trick and the Stones on AM. Pray that someone can install that radio!

Ah, SD, you made me cry with this one. I hope Twoey pulls through, but he's not going to be the same person even if his physical wounds all heal. September 27th will be a day he'll never forget, but for all the wrong reasons...a day of joy turned into such desperate tragedy. We'll never know what depths Danny had endured unless it comes out in the police investigation, but I hope he can find peace now when it was denied him in life...if there is any justice, what he endured will remain private and not made into a media frenzy. I can hazard a guess as to the events which occurred at Danny's house, but I'll hold off until you give us more information... The school will offer counselling to the students, but I don't see it doing any good for David's real issues--he's very good at hiding them, and hiding from them. I'm sure Tommy's mom wouldn't allow it anyway, she'd rather have him see her wacko cultist than someone with real credentials. I'd love to see this incident give David's father the courage to stand up for himself and his children, but that probably won't happen either. Tick...tick...tick...the explosion is coming closer.

POV: Jay, Benny The ride over to Mikey’s house was quiet since there wasn’t much on the radio at that hour of the morning, and I really wanted to find the new radio Jerry had bought with FM and a tape deck. I didn’t know what kind it was, the 8-Track or the newer Cassette style, but anything beat regular AM with its seemingly endless commercials and news broadcasts. It seemed like they used to play more music when I was little, but I didn’t know if that was really true, or just my imaginatio

Well, it's not as if I didn't see that one coming...sad, Bring on the angst of Robbie trying to hide and yet lust after Nathan...and being in denial. Bring on the dance they go to, and all the other 'I'm straight' scenes. Meanwhile, Nathan will find someone and Robbie will fret even more. I've liked this story so far, but I had such high hopes for it, now dashed, but only temporarily I hope. Love the setting, and some of the ways you paint the characters--maybe I'll have some interest in Robbie later in the story. For now, I'll skim over the set pieces for the dialogue bits. Next chapter please!

A great chapter, Tallguy. It's nice to see them settling into university life so well, and the encounters with Bryce were funny. Poor guy, gets to sample the 'forbidden fruit', but can't have it more than once. I was surprised that Tom and Peter joined a fraternity--doesn't it interfere with their 'fun' private time? Or do they not live at the house? I had no interest in fraternities, though I did go to a couple parties held by some friends' houses...I lucked out and commuted rather than live on campus...or maybe I was unlucky, since I might have had sex sooner if I had? My campus had a low-key gay organization, as well as more obvious ones for other minorities or women, but I didn't attend any meetings of one until moving into Columbus near OSU. Made a few friends in that group, met some partners, but wasn't really interested in activism beyond marching in a couple Pride parades in the late 80s-90s. Next chapter please!

A great start, Lit! I'm looking forward to seeing more of Merrick, and learning more about the vampires--I'm unsure whether they are human or an alien race at this point, but the fact that they survive on human blood makes me think they are human--and that puts a whole new spin on how they became part of society. Onward and upward!

What the hell, SD?! You better have the next chapter under way! More please--and make it snappy!!

Oh Gary, I hope this is something from the distant past and not something current...or that you're writing it in sympathy for a friend. The pain of the steadfast partner is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, having experienced it myself a few times. The anger at the cheater in the poem brings memories to my mind which hurt after all these years, and I can't say what the fate of the other party was in my life because I cut off contact with them once the bond was broken. I'd like to think that they never found permanence in their love lives, since I couldn't picture them as any more faithful with the other person. Hugs, my friend.