Krista

But, Jackson shot him down either way. lol. So, Jackson for the win? I left that whole interaction vague, erring on the side of comedic if I'm remembering correctly. I don't know, getting a tattoo of a watered-down version of your favorite bible verse in the handwriting of someone you're with seems like a very permanent and real step for someone to take. It would be an odd one to take if he's indifferent and wanting to say goodbye?

You do have to wonder if his resilience is there, because he's not alone. He has Trace talking to him and Celia and him both giving him their attention, in a non-threatening way, a distraction. He's getting parental guidance and... instincts on him, and he would be missing that without them. They're making sure he's eating, safe, and they're keeping him up and moving. I'd hate to see Joel without all that happening in these moments. I think the story would have ended with chapter one... But yeah, your assessment of people who have gone through trauma is very insightful and true.

Although, you have to be a little bit careful when you're throwing out kisses and saying they're only dangerous if you mean them. Because, a lot of things happen with a kiss, all day long, unsuspecting. Children have been conceived by starting with meaningless kisses, for example. Not a fear with these two, but yeah. Both of them throwing that out here is already walking a very unstable road. Ryan is winning with history, a tenuous connection with Skylar and some kind of internal struggle that pulls at people. That tends to be all it takes in romance for people to pick a side, because we want these characters to get what they think they want. I was all for villainizing Gabe for Ryan's sake. Then Ryan shows that he's emotionally immature and emotionally immature can go either way and it can bring with it a lot of pain. Still don't know what Gabe is all about, only puppies should fall in love that quickly and Gabe is no puppy. He has to show me more evidence that he's a true golden retriever and not someone that's just going to leave someone searching for their dignity. Also, as a former bad girl (not really, even though some of you are scared of me), Madison's game is weak. She needs to bitch herself up or step out of those shoes already. Lastly:

So far, I say you're spot on. I wonder if some of this is because Joel was showing Westley up a bit. Stepping up, showing a future that for whatever reason Westley has no ambition with confronting. Or, is it just he's a grade A asshole... and has always been...

do I have to? Edit to add: I did add his last name to chapter 1, just to be safe that I didn't do more oopsies afterwards.

Thank you, that is a goal I set out to achieve with all these little coming of age/slice of life fictions I write. Real enough to be plausible anyway.

She may have a falling out with her own sister, treating her niece in such a way. Even if she felt that Olivia's dress was out of line. One shouldn't parent someone else's kids like that, at all. Disciplining, sure, but to go as far as Cindy, no. That is something you quietly handle at home instead of making such a fiery scene. If I were Cindy's sister I would have told her to back off. Yeah, Jackson showing restraint... earlier story Jackson would have gotten Cindy back for that, somehow.

A laptop. Also, know that if I could reach you right now:

You can have him, he's the reason I'm angry with the first two episodes of this season. The writing is just so stupid. I don't want to spoil anything since the new season debuted earlier in the week. But it felt so... low-tier stage acting in parts of it and the writing didn't help it along. The dude's character went from puppy dog innocent to full blown problematic in two episodes though. All of the major screen time actors in both episodes are guilty. Then POOF major things were resolved? If there isn't some regression from that resolution in the next episodes I'm going to turn it off... you can't do what they did and get off that easily, major incident or not.

I would say it may have humbled her, but it would likely just have pissed her off... but you know, she could also get over it.

I forget what I had Luke decide on, but you're taking an interesting route with Luke. I don't know, I think I remember this scene. Jackson complaining up until something happens at the spring itself. Them having a playful argument. I had a lot of mini-conflicts with them and 'time' hovering in the background and Cindy looming. I may have thrown a bit too much at them and that is where the disjointed dynamics is coming from here? I wish I remembered what all has come to pass and what hasn't. You're nearly at the home stretch...

Yeah, she went above and beyond weird with this one, showing up to Jackson's meet just to bully him and spy.

He has some time yet before school starts. I hope I didn't make an oopsie for the timeline. 😮

I will come at you with a pithfork made of pine. You don't have to 'cover' this trope.

Lol... I was a lot more stone cold in my younger years. I've softened with age... Also, this sounds like a hard hitting story, I'm a lot more comfortable working with someone that is writing in 1st person though, I see this one is going to be in third. If you wish, you can discuss this privately with me, or you could always advertise your need for a Beta reader in the forums. Are you taking on 'most' of your writings alone? I wouldn't be able to write and live with any semblance of sanity without Wildthing... (and I think he knows he has that burden to bear)

This makes me so thankful that my kids were paw patrol kids growing up. I can't handle Pokemon or Spongebob.

I suck at beta reading really. How large is this unpublished project though?

Yes, I know they are trying to send the message that gay people are human beings, that hate is very real and can be dangerous. That it does lead to murder, suicide, near death beatings that leaves the character a lot less of themselves than they were... etc. And, people want to tell their own version of that story. It is no different than all the Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet mirrors floating around in romance films all the way down to the Hallmark Christmas movies. It wouldn't be fair for anyone to say that only a handful of similar films can be made and we all have to collectively move on. I just would like to live in a world where trends don't lead to plagues where everything coming out is a copy of what is popular at the time. Also, don't get me started on remakes. We're in the decades of unoriginality as well. Not every show has to be remade for a new audience. A lot of them ruin the greatness of what came before it in the process.

I'm mostly joking, do behave yourself and post on your own terms. I know you're like me and want to show the world your work as soon as possible, we don't need more enabling in our lives. We need the few party poopers that tell us to calm down, patience is a virtue, make them want it more by not giving them too much all at once.... all that gibberish nonsense. 😮

First, if I were in Skylar's predicament at lunch, I would have had to shove something large and difficult to chew into Lex's mouth. A roll or bun maybe? Tell him to chew it carefully or risk suffocation. I laughed when you referred to Ryan as "the other one," so off-handed. There was a lot more depth to Skylar in this part, this thing with Ryan has had wings for awhile. Deeper than a puddle as well. I mean for the story to continue, it kind of has to be something more than just eye-fucking someone all the time. Then Ryan shows he has a bit of his heart on his sleeve, enough to cry about the weight he was feeling for this 'unknown person.' His predicament/trap with Madison, and how he's already planning his escape route, hoping he can get out of it and wondering if he's in too deep already. It almost makes me feel like he needs to be protected a little bit. Maybe even from trust-fund jawline and whatever business he's about to bring to the table. Would it trouble you horribly if you posted the next chapter now? As an author who doesn't get many chances to read stories on here, this is all new to me and I don't like it. Not one bit. 😮

Her saying that, she looked right at Joel to say the words. Trace is a more restrained person than me, because I would have been walking my happy ass out of there in handcuffs and Lisa would be holding ice on her face wherever my punch landed. I'd be smiling the whole time I was booked and my mugshot taken and I'd be telling that judge he best believe I'd do it again.

It use to be strict here. You 'had' to live in the county to play for that school. Couldn't be neighboring, if you lived on the county line and bus routes and pick-ups were right there... no. If your address was listed in a town in that county, you couldn't play for anyone else. That doesn't include travel teams, of course. When I played travel or skill leagues I played for a team based an hour away, as I was stuck in nowhere land and no matter where I landed on any of those teams it was going to be a drive. When I chose the travel team for basketball, I had to quit Softball entirely my sophomore year, it was becoming too much. Now, they openly recruit players, pay for their commute and if it is too far away, room and board with a host family so they can be closer and play. Boosters are selling their souls to get some of these athletes, and it is mind boggling at the high school level. It is getting far too involved for me to keep track. I like to live in the simple, especially if there's more important plot points to make in the meantime. PS, I'm not touching that PS.

Fringe culture. Hollywood is too intrenched in it. It is too fleeting most of the time to stay relevant and it never is to most audiences. I mean, Marvel films aren't doing 'that' well anymore, because people finally caught on that if you've watched one, you've watched them all. Most of the world does not want to watch the same stupidity time and again, because when something is popular 'in a moment' then everyone wants on that cash cow bandwagon. Why do most modern gay films have an open relationship, cheating, or the 'bored' lover now? Because fringe Hollywood says monogamy isn't fun anymore, or problematic because it is too heteronormative. So instead, they depict gay people as horny, bored, or too toxic/immature to be in a stable relationship with anyone. It is the new, "The gay has to die in the end," edgy that annoys the hell out of me. Before that it was every gay character was a sex worker, or infatuated with a sex worker. Mind you, I can watch films with all of that above if they weren't carbon copies of one another. It is the same set-up, the same similar characterizations, and the same tropes doing the heavy lifting. There isn't much of a fresh take. That is why I will happily read subtitles, fighting the eyestrain to watch a foreign film, most of the time they do it 100x better than Hollywood ever could. I will die on that sword all day.