Cynus

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!

The rain. I can't wait to dance in it. New Question: Who do you miss the most?

Maybe a half an hour? but I check back regularly, spending minutes here at a time. Same Q

I like to think of Dimitry as the softest gangster in the world, though he'd still be ready to kill to defend his lover or his cousin.

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!

Nikolai as Kolya makes more sense to me. I had no idea that Mikhail and Misha were related. I've always loved the name Misha, too. This is all fascinating to the linguistic anthropologist I almost was. On another note, here's Dimitry!

Added to the list!

Ah, that's a classic I've never read! Whoa, I didn't know that, either! I did use a Russian nickname in the story though. When VIktor talks about how Headmaster Kozlov is a goat, because the Russian word for goat is Kozel . . . I suppose I did know that one, though I prefer the name Sasha, actually. Wow . . . I am so unprepared to write the sequel to From The Cup of The Worthless, which takes place mainly in Russia!

Who is Dostojevski? Is he the Polish immigrant in my book I've forgotten about? Geez, there's so many characters even I'm forgetting who they all are!

Here's a quick rundown of the cast for those who may need a refresher: 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 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.

The mathematician or the owl from Sword in the Stone?