Thirdly

Right. Forgot where we were. Sorry, Bennie! And I send a fully clothed hug back! 😂

I mean, I think I was a French manwhore in my past life, which is why I'm female now. I'll never forget that weird dream and how angry it made me when I woke up. Figured I'd only be angry with actions I myself did to myself.

For all we know, we were narwhals in our past lives. 😆

I swear we were twins in a past life. 🤣

Worse, my version of phonetically always defaults to the Spanish vowels, so it's less "rome-sarah-silly" to me and more "rohn-sahra-sea-lee" in my head. But that happens to me with everything I read. Dagnabbit, Jeff. That's a darn good question. 😂 This is one of my ultimate favorite chapters @CassieQ wrote of the whole series, and I'm glad everyone else finally got to read it so that I have the relief of not spoiling anything that went down in it.

Ben, I'm not gonna bury you. I still need you to get to the end of STC so I can read it. You're safe.

It will make more sense in the next one. Well, except Kimton’s choice of a mate. 🤣 Agreed.

Among other things. 😂

4/15/2026 Update: Still no luck on the job hunting front. It's funny that being "salty" in the US means being "angry/a sore loser" but in Caribbean Spanish, being "salty" just means you're "unlucky." So I'm salty in the unlucky sense. I've been seeing some very odd positions that are open, and I've been applying to those, too. Everything from a bilingual chiropractic assistant to some kind of inventory coordinator to a nunnery that is also a nursing home(I couldn't make this up if I tried). I wish I were more qualified for some of the other positions I've been seeing. But they are just such obscure positions, by the time someone gets certified enough to apply, they'll have probably hired someone.

Endurance is what I hope I have from now until June if none of the jobs I've applied for come through.

“That sounds complicated,” Hazeth said. “Vampires? Gods?” After the Carnelia group sorted out the details of their ‘let’s make a new path’ plan, Iris suggested touching base with their parents in dreamscape, so Roux drew them into his. To their disappointment, Iris was still in unicorn form even in the dreamscape. But he could at least communicate with them telepathically in that space between worlds. “The important part is that you should see two portals appear,” Iris said. “Don’t go

Lies. You know I have your back no matter what. Reasons why the "no matter what" exists.

I'm with @Jason Rimbaud on this one. I'm not with @Jason Rimbaud on this one. 🤣 Bennie rarely, if ever, gets out of line.

🤣I'm dying. No. The poor thing would be so traumatized. @CassieQ, I summon thee. 🤣

Jason, my close friend, whom I admire and appreciate in spades... while I adore Cassie even when she's giving me a verbal spanking, I would not do that to Bennie. I'd lock us away in a room first. 😂

It felt like an optimistic ending to me, but that's because I always root for happy endings myself. 😂 So, @chris191070, if those two never really did get back together, just don't tell that to @spike382 and me!!

Ok, I'm back, and it was an EXCELLENT choice by @wildone and @spike382

I had to do a double and triple check cause I could have sworn I read this one (unless I did read it but didn't leave a comment, in which case, what the heck happened?). Anyway, on with the story: Brad was fifteen years older than Wes, but he worked out regularly and had a killer body. Fortunately, he had all his hair, which he dyed a beautiful chestnut color. - Wait, I definitely remember this line because I was sitting there contemplating dying my own hair chestnut brown for a second. “I’m leaving you,” he said. “I’ve met a new associate at work, and we’re moving in together in the city.” He said it so matter-of-factly, without any emotion, that Brad knew there was to be no arguing. - tpioawerj (unintelligible grumbling)! He decided to sell the house, and move to the city. At least, there was some action there. He reckoned that at fifty, his life was far from over, and he should enjoy what was left. - Damn straight... bent... dagnabbit, you know what I mean! Carl Green’s mother was slowly dying of brain cancer. - tpaijwer (more unintelligible grumbling)! I don’t know. I’m a forty-two year old virgin. - My friend, have a little walk with me. You see, being experienced is overrated, and... “Yes, and when the time comes, you’ll swallow all of mine.” - I mean, it might take a few tries... He prayed every day that when Carl was ready to pull back and settle down, it would be with him. There was no guarantee, of course, but he just had to be patient and trust in providence. - Fingers crossed, my friend, fingers crossed. I loved it!

... and it happens to be one I haven't read of Chris's. Blast. Be right back!

The drama is delicious in this one. Ex-besties come face to face after certain things went down in the past. Well worth reading!

A Second Dance By Cassie and Ben- OMG! I'm here. Barely saw this buried in my notifications. But I am so here. Love the title!! Louis looked older, like the rest of us, but still had those piercing grey eyes that perfectly matched the suit he wore. - Hot. Mariah sidled up next to me, passing me a flute of champagne. - That's my girl right there. I drained the rest of my champagne, hoping to numb the sting. - Whoa, easy there. “Then you’ll have to tell him.”“Why me?” - Story of my life. I was often the messenger for friends. “I know plenty about regret.” - Dagnabbit. She was already waving over one of the groomsmen, but not before sending a quick wink in Louis’s direction. I was in trouble. - 🤣 “Yeah, the way you were holding onto her looked ‘just like exercise’.” - I know what you think you saw, and I'm telling you it isn't what you think you saw! Right, you’re standing here with a hard-on, because you’re not into her. - Yeah, I've got nothing. It'd be all sorts of odd explaining that. I see how he wasn’t believed in the moment. “Then, after you kissed me during our fight over Dahlia, I knew that you knew, and were throwing my feelings back in my face.” - That's quite the leap his thoughts took. The move brought to mind the story about him trying to yank the pants off a real cop, a memory that made me smirk despite myself. - 🤣🤣🤣 For all my boasting back in high school, I hadn’t known his true feelings. - I don't know what to tell ya. Teenage hormones. “Then I’m going to need your current number,” I said, a grin tugging at my lips. - Let's go!!! Yaaaaaayyyy. I loved it. Amazing job, you two! The smut was worth the wait and was 💯 approved by me (as if I had anything to do with this story other than comments from the peanut gallery 😂).

This is what happens on a Saturday when the Timezones align and all the troublemakers are out and about (such as myself). I think I like your version better. You can join our road trip. We'll coordinate. I laughed way too hard at this. Sorry @chris191070, I love you I swear. I love all you guys in a platonic way (except @CassieQ, but she already knows I'd marry her). See, what had happened was... I laughed way too hard at this, too. I mean, I second this.

Is it too Brandon of me to ask him for exact coordinates? If I end up in jail from stalking, @Davide started it.

Ah, my newest friend, I am right there with you. If I could, I'd drag him with me when I go, but hell if I knew where in our timezone Ben's at.