Laura S. Fox

Oh, once more, Maestro strikes again... I've never worked on a story as hard as on this one - not that I don't love all my stories and I don't dedicate some insane amounts of time to them - while still learning and learning about the craft so I can get better. Now I'm in a phase when I pretty much obsess over the necessity for all the elements in a scene to be indispensable... Hence, yes, the mirrors and all... very well analyzed. Alexander, as always, is honest. He tells Lyn the things others wouldn't. He corrects him and sets him straight (not that kind of straight, lol) because he knows Lyn has the intelligence to understand and it's only an emotional hang-up of one sort or another that stops him. Lyn gets unsettled by Alexander seeing through him. He tries to mask it, even as envy, hence the nickname and all. You've already commented earlier on Blanche's and Lyn's relationship, so I won't repeat the same things here. Yes, they play a part, and when you have few weapons at your disposal, the choice is a non-brainer. Lyn does 'send' a tender message with that 'You look lonely'... He also sees Alexander, and while I know it was a very, very small moment, he was about to drop pretenses when his mom walked in on his and Alexander's 'fight'. Shared loneliness is a term we should coin for them

Oh, yes, Maestro... it must be our shared Balkan ancestry that makes us receptive to stuff like this... It is deeply human, and I wanted to portray that. Dysfunctional, but it still works. And tenderness is a great word to describe this, I agree

Alexander does use the occasion to call Lyn perfect, so that Lyn can hear it... good point. And yes, you guessed right.

No, she was there with the widower, and they had to meet with him again after Blanche went after Lyn, while he - it happens off-page, of course - is talking to other people.

Oh, yes, that's one of the points of the chapter.

They are two people who, for the most part, only have each other. As for the sadness, I think I come from the right place to display it on page - there is this fragment from a poem written by a famous fellow countryman of mine which describes our country as 'sad, filled with humor' - and yes, we have a lot of dark humor, too. Lyn is formed by this dysfunctional love. I know that as the author, I know him better than the readers, and there will always be things about the characters that don't end up on page because they won't serve the story, but I want everyone to see his choices as natural because of how he grew up, because of how he shaped himself these years, because of how he learned to love. Honestly, I really hope all this makes sense!

Ha-ha, going after Maestro... But he's not wrong. I mean, I'm not a Native English speaker, so I might not catch the nuances of the word 'endearing', but I wanted to show that Lyn's love for his mom is real. When you love someone, you love them with their flaws included, and since we don't choose our parents... it's part of Lyn's personality to feel this sort of tenderness toward his mom. He's still in his formative years here, and it's not like he has other family. I know I'd hold on with everything I have in his case - so Lyn's flaws might just be mine, lol! On another note, yes, you're correct, it is dysfunctional. But as I get older, I realize that people need to live with all sorts of circumstances, and it's up to them to decide how to deal with them. This is just Lyn's method.

Alexander does want to keep Lyn on his toes by keeping him to high standards... but when someone else asks, he's all honest - Lyn is perfect

Your intuition guides you well here, Maestro. Lyn truly loves his mom. He is there for her, even if he'd rather go with Brad and his folks on a trip. Through thick and thin, she's still his mom. And I wanted to show that here.

As a veteran reader, you caught on! Yes, that was the Blanche I thought of when giving Lyn's mom this name.

Oh, but it might not be a slip... maybe it was intentional...

Oh, yes, that Blanche

Ha-ha, loved your explanation... although I thought my choice was so on the nose!

Chapter Thirty-One – A Punishment Fit for the Depraved Lyn entered the cottage stealthily, counting on Alexander being absorbed in something, as was his habit, given his curious nature that never let him just waste time. He was extremely careful to open and close each door behind him without making the slightest sound. His luck was with him in that Alexander was in the kitchen, fixing something to eat for himself, humming a cheerful song. Lyn smiled as he saw that his roommate was absorbed

Wow, just wow

Yeah, that was a fractured soul - so scary, yet so fascinating to see unraveling.

As a child, Javert's end unsettled me, because I was expecting to feel nothing but satisfaction... that's some really great writing right there.

Oh, that would have been downright cruel...

While Lyn is Brad's emotional support human - in the past - Alexander never wastes an opportunity to tease him and even put him down... I know a lot of readers like to see Alexander as awesome and perfect and sexy and cool and... the list can continue. So I have a particular delight in making him do petty things. No one's perfect Oh, there isn't - inherently - too much positive about the nickname... but Alexander's explanation will carry some weight. Beyond the shock factor, which again, a young Alexander couldn't help reaching for like for a low-hanging fruit.

Well, well, well, looks who has a keen insight on Alexander's choice... Not that I'm surprised. Be aware, I'll keep you to the high standards you self-imposed for your analysis (jk). Alexander picked Gui after careful consideration. That's his nature. And it also shows that, even if he obviously has feelings for Lyn, he doesn't fail to see him for who he is. Gui is a complex figure, and so is Lyn. I won't comment more, because I want to leave you the satisfaction of seeing how much of your comment fits with Alexander's reply in chapter 31 when Lyn asks him about it. It's so interesting to have readers make me look at my characters' actions from a different angle. I build them and I go with the flow, knowing instinctively why this or that works for them. Brad asking someone else for a nickname... oh, yes, that's in contrast with Alexander. Alexander knows Lyn. Brad is aware he doesn't know Lyn that well. Hence his decision to go to Alexander for help on that matter.

Yes, relationships are evolving! Brad will surprise you the most in the end... I believe.

Oh, what an analysis, Maestro... Lyn is so into Alexander right now, lol. Yes, he cannot wait to get back to his roommate and fool around some more. He's the kind of man who honors his obligations, otherwise, there could be a high chance there for him to ditch Brad completely in favor of bedroom activities with Alexander. Well, it was a climb, and well said, Lyn got above his past - so naturally, he had to say 'vici' - I also thought it would be a reward in itself for Lyn, who fought so much to be where he is. This doesn't mean, of course, that the past is no longer weighing him down... but it's no longer a rock capable of pulling him under. You guys asked me in the past to lift Brad's mask a little - well, I did it here... and I'm glad you noticed that particular exchange. Brad is responsible, of course, for not being honest with Lyn, when he knows he can be. But like Lyn, he also has his hang-ups. Lyn confirms it by saying 'you're great at being happy'. He unconsciously confirms something for Brad here. That's why their relationship has its flaws... I know you're the kind of reader who goes back and re-reads previous chapters... I'm sure you'll return to this particular one when the situation requires it. And I know you'll have things to say

Yes, that's exactly the point of the chapter Lyn got over Brad, and it didn't happen 'today' - he only needed to realize it. The epiphany concerned Brad more than Lyn... I agree. And I wanted to show Lyn here, as the friend who actually does the right thing - supporting his friend but without mollycoddling him. Alexander is a man of 'hard' facts! Of course, he was thinking of the historical figure... not the fictional character. Lyn will ask. Alexander will answer. Only that Lyn might get a lil' too caught up to parse all the intellectual information Alexander will give him (under durress)

You guys were right about the hickey... and yes, Lyn now realizes that he's only friends with Brad, and he'll always be that and no more than that.

Yes, that was the point of the chapter. We won't talk about subtext for now... but here is Lyn, at thirty, an accomplished lawyer, and someone who stopped crushing on his friend at a point in the past he can't point out. If you're patient enough until Saturday... yes, we will have that very interesting encounter