Talo Segura

Thank you for that @Myr and the team.

That is amazing, just about sums it up exactly, everything you said, but the last bit is VERY IMPORTANT. It's so close to "feeling like the end of the world" you might not live through it. One wrong gest, one wrong word, and you close up for years. You want, oh god you want, someone you can trust to talk to, but you are trusting your whole LIFE, your very existence, once you say it, it's out! And who do you talk to, what adult, when you're still in the closet, and you meet your first boyfriend, you have your first experience, you think you're in love, and there is only you, and him, but if something goes wrong, if you break up, you're on your own. All that is just as difficult as coming out, you could be struggling with a relationship and you've got to handle all that and being gay and all on your own!

Can you explain how it works? I did the following: 1. Added cover image to EDIT MY STORY tab 2, uploaded the image but it doesn't appear as a cover image with the story. 2. Added to cover image in the GALLERY for book covers, copied the URL to STORY NOTES ADD IMAGE URL it was red, didn't add image. So far I have the image loaded to the story, the image loaded to the gallery (book covers) but it doesn't appear with the book. Perhaps you could give step by step instructions because it is not clear how you do this?

I found my gay friends were just as scary as straight people. We all have our own experiences, which is what makes life, and stories, interesting. I'm really liking your story.

I was wondering if anything happened to fix this? I tried different ways, adding a cover image to the story, adding an image to the gallery and linking to it, neither worked?

Looks like Simon's got eyes for Jeff who seems to be nice, they all do, Freddy, Jeff, and Vee. Now I'm wondering where things go from here?

You'll never walk alone! 🤣

I never had the problem Peter encountered and spent many Saturday nights drinking in a pub when we were all sixteen 🍻 Looking forward to what happens back in Sheffield, but I guess he will miss all his old school friends, as will I. Just can't get this picture out of my head of Lowry as a younger version of the Doctor (Who?) 😂

As far as throwing away laptops and tablets, it's more that they slow down so much they become practically unusable, way before the battery life expires. I have a collection taking up space, occasionally I boot them up to look for something from the past. I'd like to recycle them, but doubt they'd interest anyone, plus there's the problem of getting what's on the hard drive off and stored somewhere. All this stuff just builds up over the years, nothing in the computer world has a very long life span. As for the story, it's coming along nicely. I doubt it's a brilliant idea to stash electrical stuff in a humid hideout in a bridge by a canal. Maybe I'm being unfair, but it doesn't paint a super intelligent picture of Jim?

I was wondering if in some future update you could add a button to the LIKE, LOVE, LAUGH, ANGRY, SAD, selection, that says READ IT. This would allow bookmarking where I got to without having to use another method or hit LIKE all the time. Plus, if that button could be hit by non-members (though you probably can't do that) it would be interesting.

Leaving aside the joking around, there are some serious observations here: 1. What about lesbians? Women have like some other categories of humanity (coloured and indigenous peoples) been ignored as some kind of second class citizens not worth thinking about. This has meant relationships between two women have largely been ignore (never illegal) and that women get left out. 2. Queerness is becoming social acceptable. More than that it's a positive trendy chic appendage to be gay, bi, androgynous, or any other sexual definition you might label yourself, other than straight and hetro! 3. Gay is only about sex? Well, yes, I think it is. It's a label defining your sexual orientation with an emphasis that goes with it saying it's okay, good, great, to have same SEX relations. It is all about sex, from the very start of the gay movement, acceptance of gay sex! So what do you do about these established ideas. Women need to assert themselves and be supported (take their rightful and equal place), trendy sexuality labels can be ignored (who gives a **** if you even know what they mean), and being gay needs not to be defined by sex (So when it comes up as things do in casual conversation, like: Are you married? asked to a guy or girl, yes or no is the reply, but don't forget guys to mention your boyfriend, husband, girls, your girlfriend, wife, because it's normal if someone asks).

@droughtquake, the idea is that with the medical discovery of what factors promote having a gay child, putting this into practice would produce gay children. No need to convert anybody from hetrosexuality, they would be born gay... And of course nurtured, If that plays a part 🤗 ( You do know that I am not being serious ).

You got it all the wrong way round @Jeff1, they wouldn't be taking steps to stop people being gay. No, it's the perfect antidote to over population, so they would be engineering more gay babies 😂😂😂

I'm not so sure about that. I've met my fair share of homophobic Brits in the 21st century. I agree life isn't being too kind to Simon, but at least he's escaped living with his grandmother. The story feels real to me: "a joyless life," that's maybe a little exaggerated? Anyhow, if it's how you see it, well, things can only get better. I will definitely keep reading it, right to the end, then we'll see how things turn out.

Those kids haven't built a fort, but a secret garden to do whatever turns them on, which seems like almost everything. But why did Hank disappear so quickly, guilt?

A totally hot erotic interlude, omg, boys being boys! 😉

I wrote something for 786, but couldn't decide about it. Here it is: You Cannot Save Me Talo Segura He watched as the water rushed into the cave, tugging helplessly at the shackle securing his arm; realising the high tide was starting to fill the space, dooming him to drown. The first light of dawn illuminated the small entrance which gave out onto the sea. Crashing waves pummeled the rocks and shoreline somewhere in the distance. The roar from outside contrasted with an echoing calm within the darkness. Successive waves broke over his head as he struggled in vain to free himself. Today I will be in paradise he thought and wept, even as he cried in anguish. The boy was half-dead when he'd pulled him from the wreckage and dragged him out of the water onto the damp sandy beach. He could not have known, nor could he have rightly been held responsible, it was not just. Those events played out in his head as the salty water filled his nostrils and stung his eyes. He gulped in air between mouthfulls of choking water. It was another bright and sunny day, the sand damp, but warm, on his bare feet as he walked along the water's edge. The peace was broken only by the gentle sound of rolling waves and the screech of a seagull swooping overhead. He shielded his eyes as he looked towards the sound and then to the distant horizon. The deep blue of the sea sparkled in the sunlight and only the faintest of lines marked where the horizon touched the sky. A cloudless sky that reflected the colour of the water. His habit was to wander the shoreline alone, keeping company only with his thoughts, allowing the sounds of nature to fill his head and the warmth of the sun to caress his bare chest and warm his sadness. Nothing would take away the emptiness he felt, not the beauty of the savage shore, nor the kind words of those few friends who still bothered to try and talk to him. He was dead to their words and sentiments, consumed by the loss of the first and only person he had loved, would ever love. No one, nothing, could fill his life now. To that, he was resigned, and the desolation he felt inside himself, left him inconsolable. Hardly ever did he encounter anyone on these lonely walks, even less a patrol of the castle guard. The army were usually content to walk the ramparts and guard the city, seldom concerned with anything outside, whatever it might be. They were perhaps confident that the fortifications alone were more than enough to hold back any attack. Afterall this was one of the remotest parts of the kingdom. That was reason enough for the King to have despatched his son and heir to the distant outpost. Certain he would be safe from the ravages of the impending war in the south. Rounding the headland that warm sunny morning he was immediately confronted with a scene of devastation. Wreckage was scattered against the rocks. He scrambled along, being careful with his footing on the slippery stone and avoiding the ragged strands of emerald green seaweed. It was as he made his way towards the beach on the other side of the outcrop that he saw him. Jet black hair with a strand of seaweed in it, torn clothes, and surely a broken leg judging by the unnatural position. The boy was half in, half out of the water. His body lifeless, an arm moving with the water, bobbing up and down. He quickly drew close and grabbing the boy's shoulders lifted him out of the water and dragged him a little way up the beach. Putting his ear to the tiny chest he tried to listen, but heard nothing. A finger against the boy's creamy white neck may have given a hint of a pulse. Without hesitating he pinched the nostrils and covered the cold lips with his own. He breathed into the lifeless body. He gulped in air and breathed into the boy's mouth again. Then again. A reaction! He turned him on his side as the once lifeless body coughed up water, two, three times. Spewing the salty liquid onto the sand. Laying him back, he looked into the dark eyes. For an instant he thought those eyes matched perfectly the strands of discarded seaweed, and somehow they echoed those eyes he had lost. Before he could do more there was shouting and noise. Galloping horses and harsh words. The sound of a drawn sword as it slid from its scabard. A glint of steel. Hands dragged him away as the voices shouted at him. He saw the expressions on their faces. They were accusing. Accusing him. Of what? The blackness enveloped him like a sudden eclipse. The stone floor was cold, he could not understand where he was. Reaching for his head he noticed blood on his arm. How long had he been unconscious? He had no idea. Stumbling to his feet he moved uncertainly in the gloom. The heavy wooden door wouldn't move. It was locked. He slumped back down. "You kissed the Prince Royal," the stern, gruff voice, announced. He was bent over on his knees, prostrate before the judge. A guard held each arm outstretched. "You are condemned to die by drowning." He heard the words, but didn't register their meaning. His head hurt, his whole body hurt. Why was this happening? Was it the next day? How many days had he lain there, on that stone floor? They dragged him out, kicked and beat him. Pulled him with them, wrapping his eyes with a band of dirty cloth. He stumbled, weak and blind. He heard the waves and smelt the salty air. Then the water was all around his body. His arm was shackled to a chain as voices echoed. The dirty cloth was ripped from his eyes and the darkness was replaced by a deep gloom. He shivered in the cold water. Then a glimmer of light gave a faint impression of his surroundings. He was alone, totally alone. He watched as the water rushed into the cave, tugging helplessly at the shackle securing his arm; realising the high tide was starting to fill the space, dooming him to drown. He was condemned. Condemned to walk this world alone or to drown in a sea of sorrow. The love of his life awaited him in paradise and his tears joined the salty waves as the water rose and covered his head. -----

No, absolutely not. Everyone should enjoy sex at twenty something and relationships when they come (no pun intended!) and for however long they last. Am I being frivolous? I don't think so, I just enjoyed sex when I was twenty something, I enjoyed it a lot, I still do, but things change as you grow older. There is a philosophical life division that goes something like this: the earliest years are discovery and growing up, the young adult years are for fun and adventure, middle life is for relationship and family, old age for reflection and contemplation. I kind of like that.

Yes, Jack knows what's right and what's wrong, everyone does. Is Jack doing what he believes is right because he can't abandon Tracy? Is he stopping lying to himself because he realises that's wrong too? That's all true, but why? I don't believe it's some altruistic virtue Jack has suddenly discovered, he's ignored Jeff for years. No, Tracy moving in across the street is the catalyst, but Jack is spurred on by hormones. He masturbates to Tracy's naked nightime erotic dance. He can no longer deny his natural desire. Jack is becoming the victim of his own teenage sex drive, the only problem is he lives in a country, time, and place, where most people drive on the right and he knows he drives on the other side of the road!

@Mikiesboy, congratulations are in order for having written a truly wonderful tale, with twists and turns, heartbreak and romance. It was so well written, you should be very proud of the accomplishment.

I do tend to agree with @jaysalmn that this relationship looks a bit dodgy, I'm not sure it will last, although great sex can cement things if they love each other, so who knows, but at twenty something, it's more sex than long term.

Well, I don't feel much about any of them. Mickey just likes getting fucked, he's a pleasure seeker, I can't understand why he tried to kill himself because he broke with Sean and Mark. Neither relationship was going very far. Sean is not a bad guy, he is up front about wanting sex, but not a relationship. He didn't force himself on Mickey. Mark seems obsessed about his performance and not being as well endowed as Sean. I'm sorry, but the whole inter-relationship between the three of them is for the most part centered around sex and when either of them says I love you, I'm not at all sure they do.

I think @droughtquake sums the situation up perfectly. and I understand what @jaysalmn is feeling about being cheated on. Still, often love makes us blind, Mark has been in love with Mickey since the start. Sure, it makes me want to slap Mickey for being such an uncaring, stupid, jerk, and to tell his mother to step back (although I doubt she's capable of doing that). I think love will triumph and Mark will be more forgiving than he logically ought to be, I only hope Mickey can change. He does come across as ready to jump into bed with anyone and get screwed (in every way).

I'm guessing this is an historical novel, because you said: He lives in a time when... I like stories set in the past, they give an insight into how people's lives used to be, so I'll read along and see where you take us. Nicely written opening chapter.

Anthony Bogaert at Brock University, Canada, and his team think that some women who are pregnant with boys develop antibodies that target a protein made by the Y chromosome. Our immune systems make antibodies to recognise foreign molecules, which have the potential to be from dangerous bacteria. But pregnant women sometimes also produce antibodies against fetal molecules – for example, if their fetus has a different blood group. Bogaert’s team wondered if maternal antibodies might play a role in shaping sexual orientation. The team collected blood from 142 women, and screened it for antibodies to a particular brain protein that is only made in males. They thought this would be a good candidate, because it plays an important role in how neurons communicate with each other, and because it is produced on the surface of brain cells, making it relatively easy for antibodies to find and detect it. They found that the mothers of gay sons with older brothers had the highest levels of antibodies against this protein, followed by the mothers of gay sons with no older brothers. Women who had straight sons had less of these antibodies, while women with no sons had the least. The team suggests these antibodies build up in some women’s bodies with every male baby they have. At higher concentrations, it is possible that the effect of these antibodies on the protein they target leads to changes in brain development that can have an influence on sexual orientation. “I wouldn’t say we’ve solved the fraternal birth order effect puzzle, but we are getting close to finding a mechanism,” says Bogaert. Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2156010-we-may-know-why-younger-brothers-are-more-likely-to-be-gay/#ixzz615y6gXM7