Topher Lydon

Mike was so easy to be a friend to. He was wise, and brilliant, and as I said, I tried to date him when I was far too young to understand. And he was polite, and didn't care, just calmed my needy ass down, and got me to chill and just be his friend. He was the the man who picked me up when I was knocked down, and he fought my corner when I needed it. Mike, Mike was amazing.

I was up all night last night talking to Ryan and Wil about this project. Lost track of time listening to Wil's old albums, and laughing at our... stupidity when we were kids. Ryan and I discussed the times as well. Both giving me some perspective on all of this. I am fortunate for them, and I hope I can do them both justice in this.

It should be noted that this is part of the Ottawa Tales series of Short Stories, I will get into Ben in that series, and each of the guys in this. Now you should know that Ben... Ben took a long time. Because I was blind as a bat, and he was too quiet to make the first move. He did, however, finally get worked up enough to ... I'll tell the story in OT, I promise.

Mike was also on a full ride, he was on another level tha the rest of us. Certified genius, the smartest person I ever knew. Couldn't get a date to save his life, but he was kind, generous, and smart. I passed many of my courses because of him tutoring me in math through much of University. His parents were also old Money, but he kept things humble. Never rubbed our faces in it, just ... he taught me how to budget, he taught me how to save, and he taught me so many things I needed to learn about managing my life. I didn't always listen, but then he was patient and always stepped in when he had to to put things right.

That's fair, I will clarify tomorrow about Mike's income. It's actually really neat, he has a revenue stream from some of his work, residuals and the like. I will elxplain tomorrow. Thanks for the push on it.

Hugo was an odd one, far too beautiful a man, but really kind and a real gentleman, like I've never dated anyone with that level of old fashioned brought up right kind of way. Walking me home, responding to things and his manners... like he'd always get up when I came into the room or left it. Old fashioned, but awesome

Mike wasn't poor. And he didn't buy it either, just rented

Brilliant is used as an expression of wonder.. As in Brillaint, what fun.

So Hugo, Hugo began with a game. Not your conventional type of game either, that would be too easy, too mundane. No, this was a LARP. For the uninitiated, or young amongst you, it is NERD-topia, a Live Action Role Playing Game. Where intricate costumes bedeck players out to impress, one up, and outshine each other as they play characters. Think a cosplay convention, but you are the character you are dressed up as for a couple of hours every other week. Moscow, Friday nights, Save

Wikipedia - Aggregate of Idea edition, unabridged.

I must have been fruedian slipping at that moment

No Dottie does not, herself, have scales, that was a typo I've fixed it now. I mean she "PROBABLY" Has scales, LOL, but she's normally better at hiding them

Kulai City – Æuum – Bravo Site The afternoon sun, a warm, golden cascade, spilled across the meticulously manicured lawns of the Kulai City Consulate. The air, thick and sweet, was perfumed with the heady scent of exotic, alien flowers, their petals unfurling in vibrant, improbable hues. A low, continuous hum of conversation, a rich tapestry woven from a polyglot of human languages and the diverse, often startling, freque

Three times I was thrown out of my father's house. The first I was 13. The second at 14 and finally at 15. The system failed at every step of the way to step in and deal with it. Easier to ignore it and the boy that would come black and blue to school covered in bruises, no lunch... half asleep from lack of proper sleep. Easier than doing paperwork.

Mike was a legend, is a legend. My friend Ryan you are going to meet in the next chapter is another legend, and keeper of my sanity through nearly the next entire decade and beyond. He was Jared in the Bill Carter books. An absolute rock of utter unwavering loyalty and kindness, who was always amused at 'his' Jimmy's constant up and down roller coaster of a life. These friends, the life long ones, the ones that will bury a body for you with no questions asked, who show up, get up, and get you up are who make our lives worth it. Men come and go, boyfriends cheat and let you down. But these friends, Mike, Ryan, Sammy, they are people who pick you up after things detonate in your life. And they NEVER go anywhere, decades later, I can tell you exactly where those three men are, and I know I can pick up the phone to any one of them and ask for help, or visa versa, or just say 'Coffee?' and we'll be at Tim Hortons at 2am pitching book ideas back and forth, or Role playing games, or just talking about nothing and everything all at once. My friend Sammy's just coming home now from a long trip away and we're getting together tomorrow to just... be. And I have an urge to just message Ryan and let him know I am writing about him tomorrow. I already know his reaction, I can see his face as clear as day, smiling at me and urging me on.

Have you ever returned to a place years after you stopped living there? It’s like walking through a ghost town, a living, beating, breathing ghost town. Echoes of what was once there vibrate around you as you retrace steps you thought you would never tread again. Ghosts of memories and people you expect to see, living and laughing, are now gone. The place is the same, but the life has long ago left it. It's hollow. Jimmy walked down Spring Garden Road in Halifax, the sun a gentle warmth on

A shattered young Brit, Jimmy, flees his past for Canada, haunted by failure and abuse. On a rain-drenched Ottawa street, a spontaneous act of courage connects him to Hugo, a charismatic jock who challenges everything he knows about love and self-worth. This is the raw, hopeful beginning of an extraordinary journey of recovery, friendship, and finding the strength to walk toward a brighter future.

Not typically, no, but there are a large number of Canadian's that have it as a family name. Not saying that's the reason, just saying that it's out there.

Well, rather unexpectedly, I ended up writing Stoker vs the Devil... And it went about as well as you'd expect... Stoker beating seven shades of tar out of the devil... Go... stoker?!? Now I need to go and glue my poor eldritch horror back together after that rather... unfortunate encounter.

I also wanted to subvert expectations when it came to Sinjin, add some level of complexity to his/her character. I have always wanted to write a Gender-fluid character with the right kind of respect to their life. We all have moments of identity, like Hugo has come to realize through Alec, and it was a chance for me to show Hugo has grown, significantly, since the start of the book. His character as an honourable and respectful person when it comes to individuals feels earned. He's still an arrogant dick at times, and I love him for it, but it's a personal arrogance, he is never vindictive nor cruel.

:: Chuckles :: Stoker's social anxiety is adorable at times, I enjoy that both he and Hugo have their moments. Their strengths and weaknesses and aren't afraid to rely upon each other. They both make mistakes... But Stoker's back on top

Kulai City – Æuum – Bravo Site A brightly lit, traditional Japanese house sat nestled away from the city's main thoroughfares, a well of tranquility in the urban sprawl. The air was still and cool, filled with the scent of meticulously tended gardens and the gentle rustling of bamboo in a breeze. Simple yet beautiful, the house was a masterpiece of order, its clean lines and distinctive gates promising a sanctuary from the world outside. The ga

No, they were both walking disasters. And they would have pulled each other down. But they needed each other in the way that they had each other. And I think that counts more. We all remember our first true love, that first Great love, and Kevin was mine. Next will be Ottawa Tales, and Wil, as promised.