Cynus

I finally got a chance to start. This is going to be a fun story for me. I haven't had the opportunity to read as much as I'd like in the last while, but I think this is a nice place for me to jump back in. It reminds me of the stories I first started reading online, back when I first discovered gay writing as a teenager. It has that whimsical innocence of youth to it, and I'm looking forward to a bit of nostalgia. Thanks for writing this, Bill.

http://www.gayauthors.org/stories/browse/list/?filtertype_6=series&filtervalue_6=ab877cbf3b1b805d03a0453ad3ab594e It's book two of five here at GA, though there are several more at the link I sent you in the PM. I was actually never intending to write more than the first story, but people liked it enough and asked for a sequel. I rarely get requests like that, and so I felt obligated to honor it. Then I kept writing. I believe there are now eight stories at Dabeagle.com with these characters, though there will eventually be more. Kristin and Maggie were both under the impression that Seth and Logan were a couple, which is why they approached them in the first place, hoping they'd become their beards and serve a mutually beneficial arrangement. Thanks for reading, and for the review.

Bill, I only meant to imply earlier that there was a tangential connection between the two stories, so I hope I didn't lead you down a false pretense. Glad you enjoyed it anyway, though. The story does continue, though I haven't released the latest few stories here at GA yet. I should really get on that. I'm still excited to check out your story! Thanks for the review.

All three are brothers in terms of the Shinto tradition, anyway. They're bound in much the same manner as Nobuyuki and Satoshi are, though a bit more directly. Nobuyuki, Daisuke, Satoshi, and all the other Yakuza who are close to Masahiro all shared sake with him at one point, and therefore are brothers to each other in a sense, even though their only direct connection is with Masahiro. This, of course, is a stronger than that, because they directly shared sake with each other as part of the ceremony. On another note, I spent weeks trying to find the actual protocol for the ceremony, and pieced it together as well as I could from what I could find, but the information was difficult to obtain. This, I hope, is accurate at least to some degree. As for the confusion in the relationship, the next few chapters pertain to that in many ways. It will definitely cause a hiccup or two however. Viktor and his dad. Now THAT I can't talk about. Thank you for the review!

Masahiro actually cares for Nobuyuki more than it seems. There's certain rules he must follow as part of the Yakuza culture, and he simply didn't see another way to respect that culture and spare Nobuyuki pain. I'm not trying to excuse his actions, merely explaining Masahiro's thought process. As far as he is concerned, he spared Nobuyuki pain by giving him an opportunity to save Viktor, but he needed restitution in order to even things out. But in the end, despite his brutality, Masahiro does give a damn about Nobuyuki's existence, and until Viktor and Dante came along, he was the only one who did. The brother ceremony was the base idea for this story. When I first learned about Sakazuki, I found the idea romantic, and really wanted to bring it out in writing. Nobuyuki was the first person created for that purpose, then Viktor, and the rest all fell into place to make it happen. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you'll enjoy the next portion of the story as well. The next adventure for the group will be . . . Thanks for the review!

Nobuyuki surveyed the scene in the locker room with a look of approval. There were medical supplies everywhere, and plenty of blood as well. The bloody and torn shirt was lying perfectly where Dante had discarded it underneath the showerhead, looking as if Nobuyuki had cut it away from Viktor’s body. The place looked as if it had been ransacked, which is exactly what Nobuyuki had been going for, though the real test would depend on how Masahiro and Daisuke reacted to the illusion he’d created.

A short time ago, I received the cover art I'd commissioned for "From The Cup of The Worthless", and went ahead with my original plan of publishing it on Amazon. It's now available through Kindle, for anyone who would like a copy. For those unfamiliar with the story, here's a brief description: Family isn’t only a matter of blood, and sometimes the only blood required is that shed in defense of those you consider family. In the world of organized crime, the family you belong to is everything. Nobuyuki Sato, a young member of the Inagawa-kai Yakuza Clan, is eager to prove himself to his father, Masahiro Sato. When he attracts the interest of Viktor Karimov, the son of the Chief of Police, Nobuyuki is certain he’s gained an important foothold in the city of Vladivostok, but it all begins to fall apart as Nobuyuki develops feelings for Viktor. Nobuyuki must learn to balance love and loyalty in order to keep his father’s favor, and Viktor alive; not everyone is happy with Nobuyuki's actions or position. For those who may be worried that I won't be posting it for free anymore, don't be. I'll still be posting the chapters at a rate of once a week, and the story will finish posting in June. You're welcome to continue to follow it here and I hope you'll let me know what you think. The edition on kindle is the same as the one posting here. If you're interested in the eBook, click here: http://www.amazon.com/From-Cup-Worthless-Samuel-Roe-ebook/dp/B01D234T5I?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 Thanks everyone!

tim, Sorry it took me so long to get to this. I completely spaced it! I didn't think you'd forgotten me, don't worry. Nobuyuki has recently found some good people to keep at his side. Obviously Viktor at least is looking out for Nobuyuki's best interests, and Dante seems to be as well, at least for the moment. I like to think Satoshi came into the Yakuza in a similar way to Nobuyuki. He wasn't seeking to become a gangster, he was just a kid who wanted off the streets. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for the review!

Loved it, tim! And Faris definitely deserved what he got in the end. Both of the things he got in the end . . .

I'm eager to see how you react to Daisuke's last moments in this story. (I will neither confirm nor deny if he dies, but everyone has a last moment in the story where I no longer write about them.) To me, it's an emotional scene, but if there's one thing I've learned about writing, it's that the writer experiences different emotions than the reader. I assume it's the same for all other art forms as well. I think Nobuyuki's willingness to sacrifice for Viktor shows that he's not the bad guy he makes himself out to be at the beginning. As to Masahiro's reaction, THAT you'll just have to wait for. Wednesday will come soon enough. Viktor's reaction is definitely something we're looking toward now. There's certainly some questions there, and especially considering Dante's relationship with Viktor in the past, it's going to be a tricky situation for them to navigate. And that kiss . . . what a way for a first kiss, huh? Satoshi . . . I'll talk about Satoshi on the forums. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. This is one of my three favorite chapters in the story, and the other two are yet to come. Thank you for the review!

Oh, the next chapter will certainly answer a lot of those questions. I enjoy chapter 12, personally, but it might be a hard chapter for some people. I honestly had hoped more people would be interested in chapter 11, since it's one of my favorites, but I'll take what I can get. What will Masahiro do? And what does Viktor think about what's happened? How will Dante's role change? There's a lot coming up. Thank you for the review!

Nobuyuki stepped into the elevator along with Masahiro and Daisuke, unsure of what he’d find waiting for him. Daisuke had been contacted about another intruder who had been caught attempting to sneak into the stairwell. Satoshi had escorted the Russian to the fourth floor and Daisuke had instructed the guard to wait there. They had been in the middle of a meeting about tightening security and covering the blind spots which Daisuke had allowed in the hotel’s defenses when they’d received

FOr you, Spawnling.

If you thought that was intense, wait for the . . . Anyway, I'm glad it kept your interest. Viktor really is in a tough spot, huh? And Nobu, too. How are they going to get out of this mess, especially when the whole clan is watching? Daisuke may not seem like it, but he's a complicated man. I am by no means attempting to excuse his actions, only trying to say there are reasons for the way he is and the actions he takes. As to those reasons, you'll learn about them by the end. And yes, Viktor definitely knows too much now. What will be his fate? What IS Nobuyuki planning to do? Those are all great questions, and the answers are . . . available in next week's episode. As for Mikhail's plans/involvement/knowledge . . . he definitely knows something, considering his interactions with Vladi and Viktor already, but the extent of his knowledge is another matter altogether. With the war about to come to his city, he has some big decisions to make if things don't calm down. Thank you for the review.

tim, I've been meaning to get back to reading some of your work again, but since I'm doing it at work I have to stay away from the Mature tags. I can say that I certainly wasn't disappointed in the choice I made of those remaining. What a delightful first chapter, filled with a wonderful mix of romance and comedy. This promises to be a great story, and I look forward to reading the rest of it. Have to get back to work for now, but I'll get to more of it tomorrow.

I'm sorry . . . I wish I could post the next chapter right away, but my hands are tied on that issue. I hope you'll forgive me. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter before the end, though. Thanks for the review.

I guess I'll just apologize here as well . . . Sorry for the cliffhanger. I don't mean to drive people crazy, I just want them to keep turning pages, though I understand it can be frustrating when there are no more pages to turn. Or, more specifically, when the pages simply haven't arrived yet. As to what actually happens, I'm afraid waiting a week is the only answer. The next chapter is actually my second favorite in the whole book, and it's one I really can't wait for you to read. It's an opportunity for several of the characters to really shine, and have some opportunities for some true acts of courage. As for Alexi, who's to say what his fate will be? Thank you for the review.

Alexi looked up, blinking into the sliver of light from the doorway as it opened a crack and a figure stepped into the room. He hadn’t seen light in hours, not since they’d last brought him water, though that hadn’t been enough to remove the dryness from his throat. He hoped whoever was visiting him now had brought more refreshment, but he doubted it. The door closed and the light faded for a moment before the figure flicked the switch to the side of the door, and Alexi’s eyes stung at the unex

A very merry day of existence to you.

Oh, the things I wish I could release early . . . With the way you're thinking, I can't wait for you to see how things play out to see if they match up or not. This is definitely just getting started, and the next few chapters especially are some of my favorites to come. From here on out the momentum stays pretty consistent, so I think you'll be pleased with how it flows. Nobu's responsibilities are going to force him to make some tough choices here in a bit, especially as the intrigue surrounding the rest of the players continues to mount. Daisuke, Dante, Vladi . . . who is going to make their move next? Or perhaps it's Katsumi? Is she really the enemy, or just someone ready to capitalize on an already tenuous situation? Thank you for the review, as always.

There's no need to think of it as "the end", but it can be "an end". The future could hold many different paths for you, and perhaps you'll even find something which works to stabilize your mental state but won't affect your creative abilities in the same way? For all we know, it could be just around the corner waiting for you. Or, of course, it might not be, in which case it may not be the end either. You may discover you're able to write from a different mental route than you took before. But learning to play the guitar and listening to music are also amazing choices for spending your artistic time, so I wouldn't want to detract from that, either. As long as you're pursuing an artistic pursuit, I believe you're simply on a different path, not at the end of one. Anyway, I wish you well with all your pursuits.

Welcome to all of you!

Sorry for the lateness in my reply. I meant to get to these yesterday, but failed in my duty. So, it was page-turning, huh? I'm glad to hear that. I imagine there's going to be at least one more chapter in this story which will have that effect on you, based off the intensity of this one, though there are a few others as well . . . Alexi is the most gangsterish(not a word) of all of them, I think. Well, Nobuyuki and Dante both have their styles of gangsterness(Also not a word) as well, but Alexi's pretty traditional. I know this is probably weird, but I've often found gangsters (Real ones, not 'gangstas') to be endearing. Maybe it's because I grew up around a few? As for Katsumi, can't she be both? Purity and danger. She'd like that description. Thank you for the review!

I started writing my reply yesterday, but then got pulled away for something and never got back to it. Anyway, I apologize for my tardiness. Not trusting Katsumi makes sense to me. She does seem to be hiding something, doesn't she? But what is it she's hiding? Is she really the enemy, or did I put this in here to trick you . . . Oh, and Nobuyuki's work is more complicated than he realizes. Next chapter continues the momentum, and Nobuyuki's world is about to explode. As for Alexi . . . Answers begin coming as soon as next Wednesday, and I'm glad you're sticking around to find them out. Thanks for reading, tim, and for the review.

“There’s a problem, Daisuke.” Daisuke looked both ways down the alley, making sure no one was watching before he answered the voice in his ear. “What do you mean?” “Nobuyuki has left the building. He won’t be here when we act.” “What!?” Daisuke whispered harshly, his eyes widening with outrage. He quickly brought his emotions under control with a meditative breath. “It doesn’t change anything. We’ll have to proceed anyway. I can’t cancel the attack now.” “I kn