Hunter Thomson

Super-mega-happy birthday CIA!

I'm interested in your take on how this was a step in Devin's development towards being a better person. He seemed to have taken a step back, if anything, considering the way he was whining about not getting a chance to play the first game. It was certainly unbecoming. I'll have to re-read the section you're talking about in order to get through the logic disruption there. I think what likely happened was I wrote it incorrectly, and that's where our confusion is occurring. Devin still doesn't entirely trust Bryce's calls, and I have no idea where he gets that from. I always trusted my catchers implicitly when they gave me signs that I didn't agree with More is on the way, but not for too much longer. Soon we'll have to say goodbye to Devin and the gang... at least for a little while. Summer break is almost here~!

Take me out to the ball game... It was transformational for Devin, I hope. I remember the first time I took to the full size field, and how awe-inspiring it was. Better yet, I can remember what it was like to go to provincial championships in both baseball and curling. There's something different, something very electric that wakes up a person's soul when you get to higher caliber events. I can't describe it, except to say that you feel something bigger than yourself pushing you to do your best. I hope I encompassed that with Devin. How do you mean it was instructional, though? Any game time is always instructional and a chance to learn, but I'm not sure how anything else was, unless you mean when Bryce put him back in his place when he was acting spoiled. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, it was a favourite for me to write as well

A little bit of fluff was what was needed. Devin's been looking forward to his college debut, and I thought it was time to give it to him. Always a cliffy, it can't all be fluff and fun. Glad you enjoyed it.

The first home game of the season is always the best attended. I should know, I was in the stands for it, right after I was attacked. It should have been the best moment of my year to take the field for warm up and the first pitch with the rest of the team, but because I was injured, I couldn’t even be on the bench and suit up. So I went to watch, crowding in with everyone else from the school to watch and cheer the team on. Nothing hurt as much as knowing that I was only feet away from the dugo

You broke the fourth wall quite badly. David's breakdown was far more thorough than I thought it would be. He's having a complete break from everyone and everything. This is going to end terribly for him and for everyone. I predict that David's crew will support him, but the people who know him less well are going to step back. Also, no one's going to help him until after Twoey's party, where all hell breaks loose.

Thank ya Skinny, glad you liked it. Devin is only asking himself these kinds of questions because other people are putting the questions to him. Do you think he would have been anywhere near this reflective if Vincente hadn't walloped him upside the head first? Probably not. Devin is still acting like a freshman, and it's going to start nagging at people that living away from home for the first time isn't making him any more mature. In fact, it seems to be doing the opposite. I don't think Vincente has a thing for Devin. But I can't read Vincente's mind any better than Devin can

They're all smart cookies, they wouldn't be in college otherwise hahaha. Vincente is one of those people who does not suffer fools, and he can tell that Devin is being foolish. Who better to call him out? This is a running thing with Devin. He's not that mature. He isn't sure how to act around people and its causing him to be held back from what he wants. This is a recurring thing because he can't see it, and people need to start calling him out on it. More on the way, I promise!

Hmmmm, is it what we needed to see, or is it what Devin needs to see to mature and become a better person? All my characters need to develop. But they can't do so unless Devin sees them change, and more importantly not until Devin changes and has his perspectives on everyone around him change. More development will come, but perhaps not here. I'm glad you enjoyed it. We're getting close to the end times for this book. I'm looking forward to the end of Extra Innings, though I do have a few surprises left.

It was only a few days before Easter when I realized term was almost over. Somehow I had managed to get through most of the term without too much school stress. I guess the fact that most of the students were involved in varsity sports of some kind changed the expectations of some of the teachers, especially the ones that taught in the sports and recreation departments. Except I had forgotten about the term papers again. Last Winter I told myself not to leave the papers until the last minute

People who have been there before know how realistic a portrayal of David's mental state you've created. It's incredibly difficult to create a character that suffers through the mental traumas David has, and still have the character be lovable in the eyes of readers. We want him to be the archetypical hero protagonist because you've cast him as such in Twoey. But he can't be, and that's often upsetting to readers. There's something unyielding about the inner darkness inside someone. It doesn't understand people's genuine cares and worries about the individual; they feed entirely off their own doubts and hates and fears, and it's so very hard to get past that. David is not past that. He is a victim of his own soul at this point, and is very nearly a broken human being. For that, I think you've done a masterful job Skinny. He is exactly what he should be and it's entirely believable. It really isn't something that the family would pick up on either. It's always subtle when displayed outwardly, and its easily mistaken for something else. The fact that Tommy picked up on it at all is indicative of the strength of their fraternal bond. Regarding the kids being left alone, I'm coming to the conclusion that in spite of the relative wealth of the area, this is a latchkey kid sort of neighbourhood, probably influenced by the relative lack of criminality (until recently) that made parents feel safe letting their kids have more freedom that many of us are used to. Sorta reminds me of my own childhood, when I'd walk home from primary school to an empty house and have run of the place. It wasn't ever over a longer period of time, but it was similar in concept if not in scope. My best guess is that everyone believes that everyone else in the community would help if there's a problem, so there's no need to get super worried about leaving kids behind for long periods of time; your neighbour will help if something bad happens, and the kids know that too. Except David doesn't know or believe that, but the family doesn't know that he doesn't know. There's a lot of angst on the review boards lately, and for good reason. But it makes sense when looked at from certain perspectives. It doesn't excuse the poor behaviour of the principals, but I can at least understand why they act the way they act now. I look forward to the end, as well as the answer to my most enduring question (which I believe your ending will provide to me. If not I'll be asking.)

I know most colleges and universities have some sort of counseling program available to students, and that the counseling isn't solely devoted to academic issues. It's certainly possible that Devin could get some support from a proper therapist while he's on campus, but that would first require him to figure out that he needs some therapy. Even then... there's still a lot of stigma around mental health, particularly for younger males. It might take a lot to get Devin to realize that he actually does need to get some help from someone other than his own waking nightmares. If he were to tell anyone, he might tell Vincente, because Vincente already knows. But it's hard to say... end of term is rolling in soon, Devin might have other things on his mind. *Athlete Hunter speaking* Baseball is always a good support network! I came out to my high school team eons ago and nothing went wrong. Right up until I got handsy and flirty with my rival. Then all hell broke loose. But yes, sports teams certainly are tight-knit groups, and they take care of each other.

David is spiraling out of control. Every time he thinks he's got himself under control, he does something to make it worse again. It's really hard to watch because you want everything to work out for David, but he's becoming his own worst enemy at this point. Part of me got very sad that David blames Twoey for all of his own emotional turmoil. It's not Twoey's fault at all, and David's inability to come to terms with his own life and past are causing him to lash out at the people he thinks caused it. This has long since become a defining characteristic of David's personality, and I have to say it's one of his less admirable qualities. But that makes him human. It is just very hard to watch someone suffer when you know they should know better. I liked all the gift giving scenes. I wish you'd shown us a bit more of what David got the rest of the gang, and in particular what David got for Gary. That got skipped over entirely, and I'm not sure why that was when you made it clear how important the ritual was to everyone. The whole of the gang got two sentences, and only Sam's gift was made clear to us. It would have complicated the chapter somewhat, but I think it would have been helpful to give us that additional insight into David's friendships and their personalities. Another nice chapter, the end grows close!

Dearest Skinny. I'm late to the party, but I wanted you to know. Happy birthday! Hope it was everything you wanted and more.

I've read your note, I think I got them all. We both know from our lines of work that an arrest doesn't always mean a happy ending in trial. Is Devin ready for a trial and being put on the stand in an adversarial process? Maybe, maybe not. Are victims of violent crimes ever ready to face their attackers in court? Ready or not, they often have no choice but to face off against those that have done them wrong. The fraternity scene was one I really enjoyed writing. Its clear in the intervening weeks I didn't write about, things started becoming more sexual between the boys, and I enjoyed getting Devin's take on how Bryce is as a lover. They seem to be finding a rhythm that works for each other, even if it's a bit unusual. Bryce is definitely not the same as Sean, even if they do share some similar traits.

OOoooh, I really like this prologue. We get to see so much more of Cory and who he was as a kid. I think it adds a lot to his character that he does have so much to live up to, in terms of all his brothers and their football dynasty. It makes Cory more likable, knowing he's got all this extra pressure on him to succeed. Interesting to see all the message boards lighting up. College sports aren't as big up in Canada as they are in the states, so the idea that there are message boards devoted to players and teams is a bit overwhelming to me. I wonder if its overwhelming to Cory too. People can sometimes do irrational things when their teams aren't doing well, or when they get obsessed about a player. I hope nothing bad has happened to Cory! Excellent start to Wild Card. As always, looking forward to the next installments.

Luxy! Devin needs help. He's obviously facing some kind of PTSD. It's not going to get better until he starts seeing someone who can help him. Bryce can't save him. Vincente can't save him, and a positive outcome with the police won't save him either. Devin needs a therapist. It's simply a matter of him realizing it. Who knows when that will be, though.

Five weeks later, I woke to the sound of knocking at my door. As I walked over to the dorm door to see who was there, before they woke Vincente up, I thought about how the first month and a bit of classes had been so far. Getting back into the swing of things for baseball and school was more difficult than I thought, even considering my busted up arm. Thankfully, I had been cleared by the Walla Walla hospital to start throwing again. I was ecstatic to be back on the field with the boys and w

Congratulations Puppilull! Very well deserved promotion to promising author status

He's done it! Oh, how wonderful! David finally realizes that he loves Twoey and that he believes Twoey is his soulmate. So naturally, the moment Twoey tries to reach out, David shuts him down without even trying to explain why he had to be so cruel. Oh David, what are we going to do with you. You seem to have a special talent for not talking, when talking would be the best choice. He also won't tell Donny how he feels, and this is going to end badly. Donny is head over heels in lust at least, and probably in love. But he has no idea that David's made his choice already. He's going to get hurt. David's going to get hurt. Twoey just got hurt, and he's going to react in a way that hurts David more. More pain for everyone!

Ohhhh Dayne... you poked the hornet's nest this time, didn't you? The storytelling aspect of the chapter was really well done, like everyone else I enjoyed having things written from the perspective of different third parties. It fleshed out the characters by giving them a stronger connection to their families and building up that part of their biographies, which I think is going to become increasingly important for them all as the series continues. Please find Cory soon, I miss him already.

Hello CG! No worries, I only posted Saturday morning, so there wasn't much to miss, except for the utter deluge of everyone else's fantastic stories. Watching is as good as Devin's going to be able to get right now, at least until that arm heals. This whole story arc with his busted up arm brings back WAY TOO MANY memories from my own playing days. I tell you what, sitting on the sidelines and watching everyone else practice and develop is not fun. Especially when you know there isn't a single thing you can do to make it better except wait for time to heal you up. I can also say from experience that it never truly gets better. The arm will heal or the tendons will mend, or the bones will set... but the body is never quite as strong as it was before. Almost as though its afraid to hurt itself again. On a semi-related note, I hate bunts. So much. Absolutely vile. I hate defending against them, I hate laying them down. Ugh, bunts. Devin's no fool, and I think he enjoyed a little bit of turnabout on Bryce. A gentle reminder that it can be very unappealing to have one's private business aired to the general public, no matter how supportive that public might be.

It was a good chapter for Devin. Hopefully one of many in a row for him. Goodness knows he deserves some good news. Not sure he'll get any, but he does deserve some. Yep, Devin definitely has people supporting him now, and they're being very public about that. I think everyone needs a reminder of that sometimes, no matter who you happen to be.

Devin's growing up, and he's learning that there's more to life than a simple black and white view of how things are, and perhaps how they should be. You mentioned Devin's attackers, and how they've become recurring flashpoints in his mind. One thing that has to be said is that Devin is having a very busy semester. Busy enough that even though this is bothering him, he hasn't thought about getting some support for that. Maybe he doesn't know that help is available? He's still a freshman, after all!

Bryce is a complicated character, but then they all are in their own ways. Bryce definitely goes for things he wants, whether that's a good idea for everyone involved or not. That could be bad for Devin, but I don't think it's from any malicious intent. It's more a matter of not knowing where to stop and think.