Ms. V

Stupid analytical brain, still getting stuck on the wallet and now phone. If Charlie helped him out and bought him new ones, maybe? Throw me a bone here. Apologies for the speed bump this creates for me. I do so love your passion and compassion for these characters and this story. I think it is very illuminating for those that are unaware of the chaos and cruelty that ensues from these damaging practices of forced conditioning.

Ugh, don't hate me but two little facts pulled me out of this emotional piece. My logic brain was jolted by the bar scene, namely the wallet and the premise of the first girl. Easy fixes, both, however. A big deal was made in the previous chapter about leaving his wallet behind with everything else, but hey, that doesn't mean he can't find cash wadded up in his pocket. As for the girl taking him up on sex, again a big deal was made about his greasy hair, sunken eyes, gaunt appearance, not even touching on the smell of him. It would be an easier jump of logic to say a quick paragraph about her looking rough, maybe like she needed a fix, and him mentioning pot as a spur of the moment lure to get her to leave with him for anonymous sex. That would make it so much easier to suspend my disbelief in a cute girl leaving with Daniel when he's trashed his appearance and body. Everything else rocked. So easy to sink back into your story and it's grit through Daniel’s struggles with, (as Jaro_423 put it,) his “anguish of the soul.”

Daniel is on a knife's edge. Josh's love is willing to fight for Daniel, yet there is a fine line between loving someone enough to allow them to hit bottom and staying close enough that when they do, they don't take their life. There are no easy answers or perfect ways to handle it, just love, hope, and faith.

David Bowie sang a very real truth. And so, change is the only constant. We pray we learn and grow from love, acceptance and positive relationships. Yet, all too often, change comes from pain, catastrophe, or consequences.

The true mark of maturity is when somebody hurts you and you try to understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back. That is what will set us apart from the "thems" that see us as misguided or defective. I hope to grow more like Daniel in this regard, a little more each day.

I'm afraid one of the consequences of keeping Josh so isolated and repressed is now coming to roost for his parents. He is acting out the biggest mistake of youth and lack of self-confidence, anger born out of pain and fear. The very thing his parents did in handing Danial over to the Rev. This is his parent's consequence to live with, yet it is damaging Josh. I think we all suffer from the weakness of judging someone on one act and freezing the relationship in time, holding onto unforgiveness. Not believing that someone might change with time and consequence of their actions when we allow ourselves the luxury of believing we grow and change with experiences in our lives. I think Daniel and his parents are going to be a positive influence on helping Josh not to hold onto hate and condemnation of his parents and therefore becoming too much like them. I hope.

Daniel, as a character, is shaping up to being one of kinds of people I like the most. What's the old adage? Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. I worried a bit in group that he would argue and fight for the sake of being right, not that he isn't. I rather hoped he would pull out that amazing depth of knowledge he showed of their bible and use their own text to illuminate their errors as he did with Josh's parents. Yet, he is young and trying to survive. I believe he's mature for his age in understanding the situation is what it is, yet there is always a way through it with faith.

Gary, Thanks for the encouragement to read this shifter tale. Undeniably, you still bleed real life dynamics and relationship struggles with amazing characters. Yet, I find myself equally glowing and grinning over healing by colors, history through fiction, and my favorite, silver collars. I've read more than a few shifter stories, and this vision you shared of your world of shifters just all came together to make me giddy. It felt like meat & potatoes and not just the same ole pap. Thank you for throwing the bone to my overly analytical side of my brain. I know I don't comment much. Only when I feel the need. I just felt this needed to be said.

Your hard work and research on the medical bits just shine through for me. Don't get me wrong, the emotions, relationship crisis in repair, and the depth of the characters have me hook, line, sinker. Yet, especially with new writers or first stories, my "suspension of disbelief" bone gets a much harder workout than I care for, in order to seamlessly sink into their world. Not so, here, you took my annoyingly analytical brain and my craving for relationships with the depth that grows only in adversity, to a whole new level. If this is your first, and it is, than I believe any other pieces would grow stronger and I should be following your work with eager anticipation, which I will.

So, you already know there are those of us that are just reading your wonderful story for the first time. If this isn't published already, it should be! In that vain, my weird brain caught on a little incongruity that could be easily fixed. We're all so caught up in such well crafted characters, dialog and scenes, I could see why it slips by in moments. When at the arena we're told that Kendall has no vehicle and Michael can drive him home. Then the cheap shot and the chaos ensues. Comments are made that Kendall follows him directly to hospital. Soon after he comments in dialog that he arranged Michael's truck to be taken back to his place. My weird brain says, why didn't Kendall drive Michael's truck to hospital, since his own Black Beauty was at home? Then the truck is always with them & a comment could be made about it being driven by Kendall instead of Kendall 'arranging' for someone else to take Michael's truck back to his place for them. I'm just a little literary lover that dreams of writing as well as someone like you and all my favorites on this site, someday. With deep respect, Vicki

Found you 1st on Literotica and followed you here. Not only are you a favorite author I love to read & re-read, you've lead me to more. You are fabulous!!