Cynus

Thanks again to everyone! I finally caught up on all the likes here.

I hadn't thought of it that way. Perhaps it's just the culture I've been a part of on the internet? I use tumblr, and of course we reblog images all the time without thinking of that point. I'll be bowing out of the conversation now, having been convinced that there is more to think about than what I had originally considered, and will perhaps return when I have reevaluated my position.

I don't do this often, but I have done it for my most recent story. I'm more inclined to side with Dabeagle on this one, though. As long as the intention isn't to make it erotic, and as long as it doesn't overtly do so, why would it be an issue? (Other than the potential legal ones) And I'm careful when I post pictures to ensure that they're not erotic, as well. I may contain erotica in my stories, but I don't think I've ever written a story which was just erotica and nothing else, and I don't want my stories associated with that. All of the pictures I used for my most recent batch of characters were all fully clothed, and I intend to stick to that. To my knowledge, I've never posted a picture of someone under 18, either, and the characters I associated these latest pictures with were no younger than 17. I think there's definitely a gray area there. Would I post a muse of my characters at 14 or 15? I'm not sure, and maybe there is a difference there, but when my characters are 17, the pictures are of 18-year-olds . . . I just don't see that as much of an issue. I also tend to use pictures of models (clothing models, usually) to represent my characters. My theory was that these would be more likely to be public domain, however, I am certainly no expert in legal matters and could be completely wrong about that. To end my post, I am more than willing to remove any pictures at any time should GA (Or any other site where I'm hosted) ask me to, or if the original owner were to ask me to. I'm not so attached to these pictures that I'd fight for them, I simply don't see it as being as much of an issue as others appear to. Just my two cents!

Thank you, everyone, for the congratulations! I was completely surprised by this when they contacted me, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this great community and the invitation to join the signature author group. Thank you for all your support! I ran out of likes, so I'm afraid I'll have to get to the rest of you, later.

Viktor isn't known for being overly perceptive, and Vladimir is rather good at hiding things. Add in that Viktor believes homosexuality is a sin and that though he disagrees with some of what Vladi does, he still considers Vladimir to be a good person. Especially after the lunchroom conversation about the subject, Viktor assumes the one thing Vladimir did inherit from their father was his homophobia. As to who called the hit on the Yakuza, you'll start getting some information on that soon enough. I won't be hiding it from you, so look for answers over the next few chapters. They're there. Dante knows what Dante knows, and Dante will tell whatever he wants to. As you pointed out, he knows how to control his information and use it whenever he needs it. What Viktor lacks in perception, Dante has in abundance. But what does that mean for the others? The real action begins next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the review!

"I'm rather fond of gay men" Something I was trying to do with Dimitry in this chapter was to show the contrast between his relationship with Vladimir and the situation with Mr. Morrison. (Who deserves to be shot) I wanted the callous disregard to be replaced by the obvious affection and caring soul of Dimitry, ending the chapter on a (sort of) high note. As for the trouble Viktor can get up to when left alone . . . Thanks for reading and reviewing, tim! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

This is a chapter I've been waiting for you to get to, because I knew it would catch a lot of readers off guard, even if I did leave a little bit of a trail toward it. I'm eager now to see how everyone reacts to the new developments in Vladimir over the next few chapters. There's so much in store and I . . . I'm super excited! All I can say about who hired them is that you're going to find out sooner rather than later. And Mr. Morrison deserves to be shot. I'll say it a thousand times. That bastard . . . Thanks for the review!

I have never done a more thorough outline or researched as much as I have for this story. It was actually a pleasure to do the research, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I'll give you a quick rundown of the cast: Nobuyuki Sato - Protagonist. Adopted son of Masahiro Sato. 17 and brilliant at languages, skilled at combat, and is goal-oriented. Tends to have slight tunnel vision, and is often morally ambiguous. Viktor Karimov - Love interest of Nobuyuki and son of police chief, Mikhail Karimov. 17, and is kindhearted and genuine, most of the time, but something is holding him back. Vladimir Karimov - Over-protective brother of Viktor. 18. Dante Salvatici - Member of the American branch of the Italian Mafia. 18. He is charismatic and quick, and has the skills of a thief. He wants something, but exactly what remains a mystery. Masahiro Sato - Adopted father of Nobuyuki Sato. Leader of the Vladivostok branch of the Inagawa-Kai Yakuza family. Has designs for expansion in Vladivostok. Exactly where his moral compass lies remains to be determined. Mikhail Karimov - Father of Viktor and Vladimir. Police chief of Vladivostok. Is rumored to be homophobic. Daisuke Sanada (also referred to as Daisuke Sato) - Head of Masahiro Sato's security. He has an abiding hatred for Nobuyuki. Lady Katsumi - Fiance of Masahiro Sato. A modern geisha and member of the Inagawa-kai. Mr. Morrison - History teacher who deserves to be shot. Headmaster Kozlov - Headmaster of the high school the four boys attend. I'm going to add this to the forum, too. Hope it helps! Thank you for the review!

Never. Thanks for the review!

I was told by one of my editors early on that there might be too much intrigue without it coming to a head quickly enough. I added a few things to helpfully splice up the intrigue, but I realize that he may very well have been correct. I'm glad you like my characters. I do what I can to make them human, even the inhuman ones. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I meticulously laid down every thread, and had an army of editors and beta-readers (6 people count as an army, right?) to watch my back. I think you'll find the intricacies continue to weave together appropriately. Thank you for the review, and the compliment!

Love it! I'm glad it's keeping your interest. Thank you for the review!

Oh, they're definitely tricky. As you know by now, there's a lot of twists and turns coming, and they're going to keep on leading you toward the big finish. We've only just begun. Thank you for the review! Good to see you around here again, tim.

The sound of flesh sliding against flesh echoed through the empty classroom. It had become such a familiar sound to Vladimir that it no longer turned his stomach as it once did, though he found his situation as unpleasant as he first had when it’d begun. “You’re really starting to loosen up back here,” Mr. Morrison said between grunts, leaning into Vladimir’s naked back for a moment to catch his breath. Vladimir really wished he’d hurry and get on with it. The feel of Mr. Morrison’s thi

Welcome, Richjeff!

A very merry day of existence to you, Curti.

The sake-sharing scene was actually the original concept for the story. I didn't know exactly what I was going to do otherwise, but I created Nobuyuki specifically for this scene, and then his personality took off and began giving me the rest of the story. His tattoos were the final detail I added to him, like the coloration of a detailed sketch. He loved them, and I loved them, too. Oh, don't you worry, you'll learn a great deal more about Dante, Katsumi, AND Masahiro. This is one of the last two chapters meant to set everything in motion, and the momentum is about to start picking up. Chapter 10 will be . . . fun. Thank you for the review!

Thank you for the review! I'm also eager for you to read more, because I want to see what you think when your theories are either proved or disproved. One thing I tried to do throughout was to keep enough open-ended threads to make sure the reader couldn't figure out where they all connect. As long as I keep the reader guessing, I feel I've done my job. Nobu and Dante . . . The sake-sharing scene was what formed the original concept of the story, and I loved writing this one. I am so excited for you to find out what it all means, and how much impact the decisions made in this chapter will have. Next chapter is the last one for setting the stage, the end of "Act 1" if you will. Act 2 begins with chapter 9, and the momentum should carry us forward to the end from there. You rock! Thanks for reading.

Welcome, Mark!

“You are a genius, Dante!” Dante looked over his shoulder and smiled at the enthusiastic grin on Nobuyuki’s face. It was good to see Nobuyuki was starting to lighten up again. “Someone is in a good mood,” Dante said as he waited for Nobuyuki to join him in the lunch line. “I trust things went well with Viktor, then?” “Did they ever . . .” Nobuyuki replied, shaking his head in wonder. He bit his tongue nervously as his tone grew more serious. “Hey, I’ve been thinking, would you

A very merry day of existence to you.

This story is somewhat autobiographical, though only in the sense that the emotions are ones I've been through. I remember when I first started questioning my sexuality. I was a scared kid, living in my conservative Christian family and wondering how I was supposed to be happy with all the hate they were preaching to me. It can get to you, and it can make you hate yourself. I know I'm not alone in that experience, either. But the path out is to love and accept yourself. I'm still working on it, but I'll get there. Thanks for the review!

I think one of the hardest things about releasing a story as serial instead of all at once is that spoilers are really hard to hold onto. I love all the questions you're asking and the way you're delving into this, watching all the threads and how they connect. I'm so eager for you to reach the point where those questions are answered. I think I can talk a little about the first point you brought up, though, without spoiling anything. While I was writing this section of the story, I found myself wondering the same thing about Viktor. Was he of the right mindset to be able to put up with the way the others live? It was a dilemma I was forced to address a number of times, and I hope you'll find the answer I came to an adequate one. The next two chapters finish setting our stage, revealing a few more things which may or may not have been wondered about already. Then we're going to enter the real action, where tensions begin to break and worlds are turned upside down. I can't wait for you to read it! Thank you for the review!

I think that part of the driving force behind Nobuyuki's character development is that he's caught between these two worlds. On one hand, he has Masahiro looming over him and Daisuke breathing down his neck. He's under a constant pressure to perform according to the Yakuza culture he's been a part of for years. Then on the other side of things he has Viktor. Sweet, innocent, a tad naive, and seemingly oblivious to the machinations going on around him. He has this desire to connect to Viktor's world, not just because of the pressure from his family, but because he sees something in Viktor which he's desired for a long time. A normal life. Can they find a way to live in harmony? We'll have to see, I suppose. It's like a deal in poker. They're all keeping their hands secret and trying to bluff their way through. As to what will happen when the cards are laid down . . . Thank you for the review!

It had been a week since their shared detention had ended, and Nobuyuki had barely seen Viktor since. It was only in the few classes they shared and the times they passed each other in the halls that he caught a glimpse of his quarry. Dante had reported that Viktor had been on the straight and narrow ever since his last altercation with Mr. Morrison, and as a result, detention had become lonely. Nobuyuki had honored Viktor’s request and kept his distance, but he spent most of his time t