Will Hawkins

Fag -- multiple definitions. 1. Short for 'faggot', a male homosexual from the medieval practice of throwing male homosexuals on the fire to make it burn hotter when immolating a saint, based on the practice of tying up a number of sticks in a bundle and using it to make a flame hotter. 2. An underclassman who is expected to serve an upperclassman as a servant. 3. A cigarette 4. An adjective describing hard work or the tiredness resulting from such, "I'm all fagged out".

I feel somewhat justified after reading this chapter. I have felt all along that Loz was as much a victim as was Dan, he just resolved his guilt in a different way. The real devils in his family are the brothers. His father is in some ways as much a victim as is Loz. Coming out to his brothers is going to be a real problem for Loz, I hope his father can provide him some support at that time. This chapter was beautifully written, Thorn. It takes a real author to write these deep emotions down on paper yet make them seem real. Congratulations.

Not only is the incarceration rate in the US the highest among the so-called 'first-world' countries our recidivism rate is also the highest in the world. Something is obviously wrong with the system.

It is apparent that I am still the only one of your commenters who understands where Loz is coming from. He is gay, he knows he is gay, but in that family of homophobes, he can not even admit it to himself really. I am glad to see some of the pressure taken off Dan by his new family arrangements. Somehow I still hope there is help for Loz.

I am surprised at myself, to find myself standing on the other side of the street from most of your commenters about Loz. I feel he needs help just as much as does Dan, but in a homeopathic family such as his, is far less likely to get it. Dan will get help from Bear, but there is nobody to help Loz.

I feel that Loz is suffering from his own battles. He realizes he is different from the other male members of his family and he does not understand why. He needs help in understanding his gay feelings and separating those from his family reactions. He needs a friend in much the same way as does Dan. Unfortunately, he is not in any way a sympathetic figure and does not have the potential of getting an understanding friend as Dan is developing in Bear.

Loz is a very confused young man, but I sympathize with him. It is strange even to me to feel empathy for a person like him, but I do.

Fish fingers -- fish sticks

Crisps -- potato chips

Jacket potato -- Potato baked with the skin on then mashed around inside and filled with... well, anything. Baked Potato in America.

Bubble and squeak - Bubble and squeak is a traditional British breakfast made from boiled potatoes and cabbage. In modern times it is a dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables from a roast dinner.

The Brits use 'arse', we Yanks say 'ass'. I have been told that the reason is an 'ass' is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae, and has been elevated into a somewhat holy position because it was the animal that carried Christ into Bethlehem. Arse comes from the OE 'tail' or even further back. from ME German, same meaning. Now you really didn't need to know all that, did you?

In addition, in my limited experience, the names of the meals... Also depends on the class. Upper-class folk usually enjoy 'tea' early in the evening, say 4.00 or 5.00 because they aim to sit down to a formal dinner perhaps at 9.00. I felt while I was in England that 'dinner' demanded white linens and at least a line of three forks. Whereas 'tea' could be enjoyed off a tiny table in the library. Oh, yes, and a 'supper' was after a night at the theater.

It continues to excite me that 'Philandros' translates as 'lover of men' and that may or may not be interpreted as physical love.

Eavesdropping is a poor substitute for face to face communication as it frequently gives the wrong idea to the listener. I am sure, being an old romantic, that eventually they will work out the relationship, but right now, things are at a low ebb.

I am able to sympathize with Kohen on a purely personal basis. As a child, I was ill with sinus infections frequently. These infections damaged my sense of smell severely. In effect, it is somewhat like being partially colorblind. I can distinguish strong odors, being able to tell a skunk from a rose, just as the partially colorblind person realizes that there is red in a sunset but the different shades of red and pink and orange and purple are not available to him, just in that way, subtle odors fail me. I will never smell the odor of a man's hair on a pillow when he leaves my bed in the morning or detect the odor of my ejaculate on his breath. Subtle odors like these are so much a part of sex and will forever be denied me.

The large number of comments you are receiving on your chapters is evidence of the interest that readers are taking in your story. The tale you are spinning here is complex with many hidden connections, but you are certainly handling it well.

Pigs leave teeth, but alligators don't leave anything but a swirl in the water.

Bumpkis is a typical small town fire chief/mayor/police chief, its a venue of who you know not what you know. The experienced fire investigator will be his comeuppance, but of course, he will not be replaced, just at best shuffled off to a less meaningful job.

As I have said before, on this story site and elsewhere, the homophones mentioned above are the results of Grammarly checking and author exhaustion with a given story. The eye slips over said homophones very, very easily. That is why any author, no matter how experienced, needs a beta reader and/or an editor to catch them. Do not despair, you're doing a great job and I am enjoying the story. I just wish all chapters could be as fulfilling as was number one, but no author could keep up that pace. You are doing great, keep up the effort.

You have said that this story started out as a 'one chapter', well that chapter is one of the most interesting 'oners' I have ever read. The description of the sexual liaison is somewhat pornographic, yes. But it fits in so well with the responses, the attitudes of the two men, that it is a requirement that it be so. It is beautifully handled. I do see the results of Grammarly in that there are still homophones in the writing, however. I know that by the time an author gets to the publishing stage he is so tired of the work that his eye skips over errors that are apparent to another reader -- that is the reason for an author to use at least an editor and perhaps even a beta reader along the way. In this chapter, however, I can forgive the errors because the imagery, the pictures you form in the mind's eye, are so beautiful. When Paul and Jeff first meet you mention that Paul is barefoot; In the first section when Jeff is admiring himself in the mirror, you mention that he is 'uncut'. I am of the opinion that the tip of an acorn peeking out of a turtle neck is the way God meant man to look. And as they are stripping one another before hopping into bed together, you tell us that Paul was going 'commando', all these details and images are the spice of your story. They fill out the corners beautifully. You also describe Paul's 'lemony, woodsy scent'. Here, I have a very personal problem. As a victim of childhood sinus infections, I have a very limited sense of smell. It is similar to the inability of a color-blind person to appreciate the different shades of red in a sunset. Oh, sure, I can smell a skunk, but to tell the difference between one lover and another by the odor of his hair remaining on the pillow is beyond my capabilities. I am deeply envious of someone who can do so. All my adult life this problem has taken the last layer of pleasure, the frosting, off my relationships. I wish I knew the brand name of the aftershave that Paul uses, I would buy a case of it just to be sure that I always smelled that way. All in all, this is a beautiful beginning to a relationship between two men and I am anticipating with pleasure my further reading.

I always look forward to reading your work, Com. There is a real freshness and individuality to it.

preliminary sight plan - preliminary site plan

As a former Seattle resident, I would say that a westerly view from a residence "a little south of the airport" - Seatac - would be of Puget Sound and Vashon Island, and an aerial view of Orcas Island would show a large island lying in the midst of the many San Juans, again not 'in the ocean', however your description of the flight with 'Seattle on the right' and 'The view from Orcas to the south' would be accurate A quick check of Google maps would make it clear that Seattle and the San Juan Islands are quite some distance from 'the ocean'.

I am not familiar with Honolulu but as a former Seattle resident I have some knowledge of Orcas Island and can agree that there are many "aging hippies" living there, though I do not know of a Buddhist enclave, it would be typical of the island, however!