Wayne Gray

June 30 (Saturday, 5:14 a.m.) "Mmmm." Greg made a sleepy, comfortable sound as Clay gently slid his trunks down. Clay could tell Greg wasn't quite awake yet, and he grinned as he pushed his naked body up against Greg's. "Hey, lover." Clay rubbed his lubed cock up and down Greg's crack. "You awake enough for me to avoid a rape charge?" Now awake, Greg chuckled. "Such a romantic." He arched his neck and Clay moved to kiss him from behind. As they made out, Greg's member responded a

I like how they're growing closer and more entwined (sometimes literally!). Epheriel seems like such a sweet little angel. It needs love too, and Jair is perfect for it. As for Metatron, well, he's a metadick! Yes. That's my expert analysis.

I love Harlan. Not because he's unequivocally "good" but because he's not. He's human in a way that makes him so interesting to me. He's also very self-aware and disciplined. He understands himself in ways most others never do - freely admitting his foibles to himself, and actively working to fix them. Thanks for the great words, Dave. I appreciate that. No. I'm not tired of reading it. 😄 I'm glad you like reading about Harlan. There's more coming for him! Thanks for writing to let me know you enjoyed the chapter!

Elias already grasps the limits of his medium. He's working around them by building his sculpture with rebar in the material, then removing it when the clay hardens a bit. Firing with metal in the clay would mean ceramic blowing apart in a kiln. But you're right - it's a big piece of art he's designing. I've seen some of those limbs. They're amazing. Thanks for the link, Fae! Harlan's "real" mission, so far, appears to be to help his father. But a man like him is never really "off work". He's constantly thinking, plotting, moving, doing. Harlan hasn't relaxed in eighteen years - not really. The size of the bird Elias is building is something I looked at carefully. I thought about how big his workspace was, how much clay costs, looked up the physical limits of various kinds of clay, and pretty much built the biggest bird Elias could manage given his space and material available. We'll get more into that in the story. 🙂

I stated this above a few minutes ago - Orson had been practicing hard on the physical therapy exercises that Jeremy had dug up for him. He already has the raw strength required to use the leg, now he just needs practice. Gary's condition is another matter. We'll have to see how that goes.

Yep. I think this chapter is one of those understated ones. It sort of flies under the radar in terms of importance, but it's setting things up for later in the story. Sometimes I can be methodical with my writing, and this is one of those. 🙂 Elias is making something, and he's making something big. Jeremy reveals to the Raven kids that their program is in trouble, and they are all now worried about what that means for them. Harlan does indeed make an important connection. Orson still has adjusting to do, but he had already done a lot of homework, as it were. Jeremy had found the exercises he'd be given by the prosthetic folks to adapt to the leg, and Orson had already been doing them - in addition to the exercises Greg developed for him. He has the necessary strength, he just needs practice now. Elias isn't making a raven feather by feather. He's creating the feathers that are largely apart from the body. If you look at a bird in flight you'll see what I mean. And the sculpture will be far larger than three times life-size. Closer to eight. He is absolutely thinking big!

I'm evil like that.

Thanks for the great reference. 🏳️‍🌈 I’ve personally used: straight, gay, bisexual lesbian, demisexual, gray asexual and trans characters so far. The more the merrier.

June 27 (Wednesday, 3:52 p.m.) Harlan's face was utterly neutral as he approached the counter. "Father." His voice was cool, clinical, and detached. "I got your message." He looked over Gary, noticed his pallor, how underweight he was, and his overall frail appearance. 'He looks like shit,' he thought, but years of practice meant Harlan could bottle how he felt, squash it, keep it secret. And he did. Gary met Harlan's coolness with surrender. With a sigh, he shook his head. "You didn

If nobody sees then it's not cheating. 😄

Shhhhh! 😛 Hehehe. Just kidding. Most here have already read Guarded (hopefully?). We'll have to see how those two stories intertwine, and we'll begin to see that soon! You're right about Danny and Elias' mother. They won't be able to touch him for a long, long time. He finally gets to live the life he deserves, with someone who cares about and for him. Not to mention that he has the good will and love of the guys running the campground too. Elias and Orson both are right where they're supposed to be. Now, you throw Harlan into the mix ... well, he's another matter entirely. A bit of a wild card, and one to keep those cards close to his chest.

I keep finding comments that I've missed replying to! Thanks, Tom. That line you quoted ... I'm rather proud of that one. 🙂 It does mark a bit occasion for both Elias and Orson; you've got that right.

I'm glad you're still here reading the story, KayDeeMac! Sorry if I didn't reply to all your comments so far.

I missed this comment! Thanks for reading and commenting on the chapter. By now you've probably read quite a bit of it. I hope you've enjoyed what's posted so far!

I said it above, but Harlan is complicated (man, that's such an understatement!). He's not all peace, love and light. He's gritty, dark, has unresolved issues with his father, he's potentially dangerous - like a cocked gun. I love his character a lot. And despite the way he tries to be an island, he does need his dad. A Raven is about to spread its wings, yes. We're probably getting to the bits you personally enjoy in the tale, and I'm glad. Don't worry - that photo will reappear. "Sometimes, a broken piece is the only one that will fit." That's the exact quote. It appears in A Silent Song within the context of the story itself. But you're right about those who are broken needing and mending one another. Thanks for the comments! Thanks for writing, Tom. I love this cast of characters a lot. I really like the additions to the crew in the next installment (A Silent Song) too, and the additional development for all of our regulars. But, this is laying the groundwork for that story. Speaking of which, I need to write another chapter for A Silent Song. I'm finally able to finish that one well - I feel it in my bones.

Yeah, Harlan didn't get a huge amount of "screentime" in Guarded. Rereading the story might be good for other reasons, though. 😛 Thanks for the comment! There's a lot of good and bad going on here, and I think you defined them well above. I'll speak to the final point instead of reiterating the others. Thanks for the comments about this version of the story. It feels good to really shape it into a better tale. Mechanically, and even bits of the plot have been altered slightly to work better. I had some readers fearful that I'd change the "tone" of the story in this edit, but that was never the goal. The goal is to take what is written, and turn it into a better version of itself. With @Thorn Wilde's help, that's happening. Thanks again. That's really awesome of you, thank you, droughtquake. They're a good organization.

Thanks for commenting! Leukemia is absolutely not good news, but Harlan is now on the scene. Jeremy losing funding is another blow to our cast of characters - one that will have real repercussions if they don't find additional funds. They do save lives. We have a Raven Project here. The focus is broader than Jeremy's version, and it deals with "at risk" teens, period - not just those of alternative sexuality. Though, many of their members are LGBTQ, because those teens are naturally more at risk than their straight counterparts. I based the one in the story off of our local organization. They do good work. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Absolutely true. Harlan is ... complicated. He did come running, you're right about that. There's so much more coming for him. Stick with me!

Thanks, rick. Creepy? Harlan? Maybe he's just misunderstood. 🙂 I liked the scene with those two. Orson's responsibility for Elias is something new to him. He takes it very seriously, but it's still an adjustment, and he's learning. Orson does love him, and that is becoming more obvious to Elias. It's new to him as well. Having someone willing to lose what they want in order to protect him is something Elias has never experienced before. Harlan and Gary ... you're right.

You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it! Hehehe. It's probably worth the refresher.

Harlan is sort of a "take charge" kind of guy when he needs to be. When something like a major health issue strikes, it's so nice to have someone who can do that sort of thing. Yes, Gary's truck is not dependable. Harlan will be sure to take care of that too. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the comments! You're absolutely right. The hardest struggles are fought by those who have the least. We'll see what happens now that Harlan is on the scene. 🙂

The bits of interest, really, are chapters 17 and 18 if you want to refresh your memory of Harlan specifically. He didn't have a big role in Guarded, but even then I knew I was going to use him again.

There's a pretty terrible history there, particularly in the southern states. My friend went through almost exactly what Greg did, and Greg's experience was nearly a mirror image of Shane's. Thanks for reading. More, thanks for diving into the comments. There are some eloquent, interesting, and thoughtful readers making their way through this story, and their comments are just as valuable as the work itself.

No, not quite. This Harlan is definitely in his own class.

June 26 (Tuesday, 7:25 a.m.) Orson and Joseph cleaned themselves up the best they could in the confines of Joseph's tent. They dressed, then got out. Orson stood on his crutches and looked around. It appeared that his exit from the small dwelling had gone unnoticed by the few folks who were up and about. Joseph stood up and stretched, then smiled at Orson. "I'm gonna go shower. Meet me over at the kitchen for breakfast?" Orson grinned. "Yeah. Sounds good. I'll see ya there." He w