Thirdly

I am a huge fan of supernatural stories, even more if there is smut involved. This ending didn't disappoint. I think it tied everything up pretty well. I am still gonna hold onto hope of reading more about Jarlan x Orion, but there isn't any rush. I really, really enjoyed it.

I'm doing this a little out of order so I don't forget: A-hem, this here is Bennie's first "baby," and I personally think he hit a home run, which is pretty hard to do with a first project. While it is true that he had help here and there, all the ideas and the story's trajectory was all his. I couldn't be more proud of his tenacity to reach the end, and it was a solid ending. I love this story. I think I fell harder for Cal than Nos did, and I bat for the other team! 😂

I didn't know where else to announce this, so I figured The Lounge would work. I don't know if anyone even knew I've been working on Season 1 of the Lust and Chastity webcomic (the novel version is here) for the last several months while desperately job hunting, so I don't die of starvation... But I have! I called it Lust Series/Lujuria in the hopes of one day continuing into the even MORE beloved Lust and Propriety storyline (we'll see what happens). For now, however... Voilà: https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/lust-serieslujuria/list?title_no=1174449 It's also hosted on this neat site called ComicFury, but they don't seem to have accounted for the huge traffic from comic artists hopping on it due to the upcoming Tapas shutdown: https://lustseries.thecomicseries.com/ Only the first chapter is posted, and it's uploaded once a month, as I hope to complete Season 1 by June. I'm just glad Luna (author of the hilarious Kidnapped by a Vampire series, who helps with colors and shading) and I have gotten to this point!

I've got nothing to complain about: Nos realizing he doesn't have to worry too much about turning into his mom. ☑️ Cal receiving his thoughtful, romantic gift. ☑️ Cal realizing Nos is totally into him sensually. ☑️ The guys smutting it up. ☑️☑️ Grumpy Orion cameo implying Jarlan has him totally whipped. ☑️☑️ Zuma and Luc wanting to raise kids, and Savvie and Sven already getting started on that for themselves. ☑️☑️☑️

I am so late on this, but Tristan is 💯percent my spirit animal. 🥰

I can imagine Cal running off to Uncle Zuma yelling "Some hot lady with Nos's face just kidnapped my Dhampir!!" 😂

This is one of my tamer ones, too, if I'm not mistaken. And oh-so-fun!

When a Hispanic person starts mentioning sandals or their chancletas/chanclas, you know things are serious!🤣

A drama worthy of the juiciest, edge-of-your-seat, favorite telenovela episode! ¡Puro fuego!

You nailed it!! Well, well done!! He stood near the edge of the sprawling dance floor, a tall, impossibly thin figure swallowed by the shadows of a towering floral arrangement. - Not me envying that height already. The scent of white roses and heavy lilies was cloying, thick enough to coat the back of his throat, mixing with the metallic, acidic tang of the cheap champagne he had been throwing back for the last two hours. - As someone who's attended a LOT of weddings, I know exactly what he's talking about! What a vivid, almost visceral detail. Bravo! The tattoos didn’t stop there; jagged, beautiful linework traced the line of his throat, a dark vine of thorns and bruised petals that marked his skin like a permanent collar. - Wait, why am I drooling? I bat for the other team. The older aunts in the family had whispered about them all evening, casting disapproving glances at the ink that scarred his otherwise handsome, boyish face. - The older aunts should learn to appreciate modern beauty. Don-Marco held court near the ice sculpture - of what? A swan? Venus de Milo? A heart? His silver hair was perfectly swept back, his bespoke charcoal suit hugging a broad, powerful frame that belied his age. - Dagnabbit, I already said I bat for the other team! He was also the man who had systematically dismantled Luca’s sanity, chewed up his heart, and spat it out on the pavement. - Words can't express how much I love how this line was delivered. cold, obsidian eyes. - Yesssss, I love it when writers describe colors. He raised his glass, just an inch, a silent, mocking toast directed entirely at the boy whose life he had stolen. - Oof. This is starting to feel like the opposite of Cassie and Ben's A Second Dance. "Papá," - Words can't express how much I love the grammatically correct accent over the second A here. You need to live a little, mijo. - ¡Eso! You need a nice girl. - ¡Eso no! Send all the nice girls my way, not his way. It was a gesture so obscenely intimate, so dripping with malicious intent, that Luca physically stumbled. - Asshole. "Tequila," Luca told the bartender, his voice shaking. "Neat. Double." - For real. Can't blame him. I know how you beg. I know how easily you break. - Lemme at him! Just Lemme at him, I have a sandal right here in my hand!! "Stop," Isabella commanded, holding up a single, shaking hand to silence him. Her gaze snapped back to Marco, and the sorrow vanished, replaced once more by a terrifying wrath. "You don't speak to him. You don't even look at him." - Good sister! You put him in his place! I have friends in the federales who will gladly look the other way for me. - HA! Nice. He didn't have to talk to Marco ever again. He didn't have to dance to his tune. He was free. - Hear hear! --- Well, this was an excellent read; when is it not when it comes from you? Haha! I loved it. I hope Luca finds his real person someday.

You did great! Everyone really stepped up a notch this year on their entries. I was impressed.

Oh, man! It was well-deserved. For this being your first time participating, you really hit a homerun when it came to theme and topnotch entertainment! As the Germans say, I had "nothing to complain about!"

Because you not only did great in misdirection, you wrote one of my top favorite stories this year. You didn't participate last year, but there is a long running joke with @Gary L doling out punishments for the liars (but if you participate, you are supposed to misdirect and keep others guessing).

This was such a guilty pleasure to read! Well worth taking a look!!

Yes, agreed. Success! 🥰 Right? On both counts! Yaaaaay! Glad you enjoyed it, Adi! 🥰