ColumbusGuy

You did celebrate Pride, G...but pride in oneself rather than the movement, and that was what was at the basis of the movement from the start. How much I can identify with the speaker here--every time I opened up to another guy, it was to end up being hurt--but the last time, with the least-likely candidate of an ex-Army, supposedly homophobic bi guy, I found what was my longest-lasting relationship. Turnes out he was sensitive, a poet, and wanting a deep connection he didn't have from his family or the girls he'd dated before. Yes, he was rough around the edges, and I sometimes doubted what he really felt about us--but he always came back to me after a few days of withdrawal to sort himself out. Don't give up, always a worthy message to pass on.

Oh man, this was a fun but worrisome chapter! Plots, counter-plots, and hare-brained schemes abound. Everyone is acting so...high-schooolish. I'm not pleased with any of these developments in our couples' romances, but it sure makes entertaining reading. Now I have to worry about this guy Andy is asking out...knowing what he was into is just bad news for Andy--I hope he doesn't get into trouble just when he's got his life turned around. Darn Matt anyhow. More please!

Like the others said, a lot is going on, and yet the personal touches of Mirri and Jarra are still the focus--you've right from the start of Attunga that you can balance personal and background detail to perfection. That is an amazing talent. I will never get enough of Mirri, Jarra, Yirgella and the others in the family...so I'm content to share their lives as you allow, knowing that they are in good hands, and will visit again soon. I laughed myself silly when Mirri called the new AI 'Crocky'...that boy has a talent for cementing the most arcane things into a human perspective. If humanity has a better side, it is surely exemplified by Mirrigan in every way. Just amazing, more please!

Okay G-Man, you've just created a problem for yourself-how will you write something hotter when the guys actually do make love for the first time? These two have it just right--partners and equals in all respects, each wanting to experience the full connection in their ultimate act of love; just as in the rest of their lives, no games, no fighting to see who wins. Amazing!

A great chapter Graeme! Neil has so many people he can ask for help, but he still has problems letting them in--which is understandable. The big surprise for me was that Doug did something right for a change, and for the right reasons. Maybe there's hope for him after all. Looking forward to the birthday party!!

Wonderful chapter, wolf. I was glad to see that the other vampires accepted Tyler--even Kevin's group. That just shows how childish he is, and I'm glad Ursula is on Tyler's side as well. Integrating the shifters with the vampires is going to be interesting...and I hope they get organized before Spencer arrives. It's good to see Jon again!

Thanks, Pal! For a good part of its life, this chapter was to be called 'Quality Time', but by the end it seemed inappropriate. I like your suggestion a lot, maybe I should get you to offer some titles I can write toward? The final scene happened on the fly, words were pouring out, and Greg made his joke, and next thing I knew, Denny took it wrong--showing he still has issues left over from his old school. Things with Greg and Denny will probably work out....

An awesome story, Val! I came across this after reading Alex, and both stories made me cry. I hope we hear more of Aaron and Sam!

Great chapter! I think the amount of sex was fine, and not overdone in its details at all. I'm still not a fan of the girls, and Matt has slipped down my ratings scale for his treatment of Andy in this chapter...I see therapy didn'thelp him become a more sensitive person when it comes to other people...Dr. Walker missed a few issues I think. Eagerly awaiting the next installment!

Man, Gary, I really hate Candy. You handled the scene perfectly, and all along, I was thinking that abortions aren't the only way a pregnancy can be ended. I'm so glad you factored that in, and found a way to deal with it. I was pretty sure all along that some money would have to change hands, Candy being such a mercenary bitch, and the way Kendall worked that out on the fly and made it seem like she won was perfect. The fact that Michael was actually angry at the idea is what cinched the deal. Ah, the first lover's quarrel...given time, the guys will always find their way through. “Sweet. That means we get to have make-up sex, right?”--damn, I laughed so hard at that--I'm lucky I didn't bust a gut! Food and sex, the prime motivators for all guys, gay or straight, I think--and Kendall is just fooling himself if he thinks he's immune to that.

Thanks for the wonderful review, AC--I'm surprised I did all the things you mentioned. New characters will come into play at times, but our GreatDane and his shy boyfriend will always be center stage...we will get differing views of how others see them, and how they see their friends in turn. Gre has been lurking around since Chapter 4, but I felt it was time for us to see him as more than the 'lunch guy'--especially since he was the catalyst for J/M getting together. With his motivations for calling made clear, that made Denny inevitable. Their time in the sun was needed to establish them both as individuals and a potential couple. I'm so glad you thought I did that well. Denny has yet to deal with his issues, but at least he's told Jay and Greg about them, so the process can finally start for his healing...deep down, he knows what Greg said was part of their banter from the afternoon, but it brought all his trauma back just when he thought his luck was changing. Whether he can see Greg's comment as an accident rather than a betrayal of his trust is hard to say--but he is already torn between telling Greg he loves him, and waiting, so there's hope. Awesome review from a wonderful friend...thank you.

Thanks, G...it just amazes me that a lot of things I've read lately deal with trust in one form or another. Most think love is enough in a relationship, and it does allow you to gloss over much, but if there isn't trust also, then love won't be enough. Greg has learned that the hard way, and at the worst time--just when he's starting out on an already tough journey. Denny held nothing back in confessing to Greg, now Greg has to do the same, but he has no idea if that will hurt Denny worse, knowing Greg had a sexual relationship with Benny--if he holds anything back from Denny, and it's discovered, he will have no chance at all. Denny not only has to decide if he can trust Greg again, but if he can accept Greg's experienced past. Will he see Greg as someone like the boys from his old school after all?

Oo, I like the idea of JM helping Greg and Denny, once they find out. I hadn't thought of that! Chapter 28 will cover the next morning, so I'll keep that in mind. Jay and Mikey are amazing in the way they care for each other, but can you see Jay being any different with the parents he has?

You're right, Tim--I think Greg does need to take it down a notch. He is good at helping others, but needs to figure out that it isn't quite the same when it comes to his own life. This is a rude and painful awakening for him--he's had the physical experience with Benny, but no emotional involvement which is what Dennis needs from him most. With luck, Denny will give him another chance. Jay and Miles are a world unto themselves, somewhat cushioned from reality, but that can have a down side when the world intrudes. They are very new lovers, and need to be more cautious, as Linda pointed out. With the end of the school year so close, lets hope they have time to learn that caution.

Ah, Lit, I'm glad you got the point of both sections. Our main heroes have had an easy time of it so far, except for that one episode over the weekend, but they are lucky. Greg and Denny could be so good together, and I think Denny knows that, but his biggest issue is accepting the fact that he can, and does, deserve to be loved after what happened at school. His situation at home is similar to Mikey's in that they are the products of older parents, but Mikey at least had older sisters around as he was growing up. Denny was sent off to a private school, and I can only imagine that that made him feel unwanted. Without seeing his parents, we don't know if that was true or not, and I think even Denny can't figure that one out. Greg is devastated by what he's done, and I think Denny does know it wasn't meant to hurt him, so the night may give him some perspective. He has yet to realize that what you see in Greg, IS Greg, without artifice. That is something new in Denny's experience.

POV: Jay, Denny Once we saw Greg and Denny out, Mikey and I went back to my room. With the neat piano recital by Denny, it was later than we’d normally finish, so I had only about an hour before I had to take my cute boyfriend home. It was a long day, what with the ‘names’ thing at school today, the mix-up out in the parking lot, and finally, almost being discovered by our friends in the middle of some serious making out. The excitement from our little ‘scene’ in the bath room during lunch h

Another great song, Gary, but this one has unsettled me more than the others--I don't know if it's innate suspicion, but I feel sorry for the narrator--he's going to be broken-hearted, and we can't prevent it. Women like the one described are often cruel and calculating in the use of their power over men, giving no concern for the other person's feelings. It is precisely those types of people--male or female--who should never be granted the privilege of parenthood. They will only breed more arrogant and thoughtless creatures. Much as I want to shake the narrator and scream at him for being a fool, you can't help someone who doesn't seek your help. And so, I will pity him in his foolishness, maybe even feel some sympathy when he is thrown aside, but I won't shed a tear...well, maybe a couple, but I won't obsess. I agree on finding a musician, but barring that, how about doing what the old broadside publishers did--suggest a tune to which thenew words may be sung?

Great chapter, Graeme. I'm surprised that Clarissa, once it was clear Neil's parents weren't involved, didn't suspect his old tormentors. She knows Doug isn't in favor, but she has no such assurances from Rod, so that should make him the prime suspect now. At least Doug should be suspecting him, since he's been spouting off to him about wanting Liam to break up...so that makes me think he's playing some double game, saying one thing to Liam, and another to Rod. Nope, Doug's a dick, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he's covering for Rod.

Great chapter, wolf! I'm glad Damon has decided to let Tyler's family help...maybe he isn't so arrogant after all. Bears are formidable creatures, and will be valuable allies. I am a bit worried that one fact hasn't hit Tyler yet--he will outlive all his brothers and father since he is part-vampire. I'd have thought Damon would warn his friends about the leak in the Council...maybe that will be at the meeting.

Great story, and I hope we see more of them soon. It would be so nice if Casey and Jackson could work out their bonding.

A great story, Caz! It's been on a tab in my browser for a month or so, but I kept getting distracted--I read straight through, and now it's on to the next book! Maybe Andrew could have the next one?

Such a suspenseful chapter--I had hoped the fight might not be so bad until Bryce went ape-shit and pulled the knife. Steven was so lucky that Sean came back, it shows that Sean has a connection with him already. With any luck, the Police will catch all the guys who were part of the attack, and Bryce will spend a long time in prison. I don't know the laws over there, but them keeping Sean so long, with three corroborating statements is nuts, especially when one of them is a respected member of the community like the Sensei. It makes me think that Bryce might very well escape harsh punishment by twisting the law to his own ends. More please!

Great chapter Gary, but you know what really stands out for me? It's not M and K's support for one another--that's unbreakable, or the lengths that Candy went to for her evil purposes; no, what stood out for me was Lanny--though he wasn't in this one, we learned a lot more about him, and shorn of his Candy-related issues, I find that I really like him. That was such an unlikely prospect when he first appeared. You know what else, I think that once M and K get past their recent history with him, they will like him too, and become friends. Getting pregnant to snag a husband? Sorry Tim, I've seen it over here. America is a cess-pool of the worst parts of human nature--it's all self-interest at the expense of the common good, as evidenced so well by the extreme polarization of our politics. When I first voted in '76, the majority of members of both parties were moderates, and could work together on major issues...but those days are long gone. Today's political correctness movement is just here to mask the depths to which our system has sunk, so the public won't realize how duped they have been for decades. Bring on the battle, G-Man!

I don't know how I missed this one, Gary, sorry. Maybe it's the times in which I went to bars--late 80s and early 90s--or it could have been me not appealing to anybody, but I formed the impression that guys then were just out for fun rather than love, so I became cynical. Much as I longed for love, I'm not sure I ever found it--oh, I felt it--but did the other guy? I know one time I certainly wasn't feeling it--I asked a guy out, who said yes, only he wanted to get to my best friend at the time--fortunately for me, he ripped the guy a new asshole and told him to get lost. With my last, late boyfriend being previously bisexual, I wondered if he felt like I did...he was reticent in public, but so was I, and it took a little effort to get him to enjoy kissing, but he could be shockingly spontaneous and tender in his affections for me, so I guess the big answer was that if we ever disagreed, he always came back to me so we could heal and renew our bond after a few hours apart. So, I have to agree, if the love is gone, it's crueler to pretend than to part ways. Tears of understanding on this one, G-Man.

You're such a tease, Spirit...will we find out if Matt and Andy are together when the story is over? If the next chapter is the pool 'date', please don't give us a cliffie--I see one of the boys giving in to temptation--and my bet is Colt; if you must stop at some point, let it be when one gives in, not just before so we have yet more agony of waiting. Anxious for the next one--this one seemed a bit short.