Danners

Gotcha. Marcus needs to be used (possibly abused) and dominated and Ledger satisfies that urge. Raw, emotionless sex. (Connected at the hips indeed.) That isn’t something Nicholas can give him because Marcus loves him and, more importantly, he wants their lovemaking to mean something. He needs it to mean something. I snickered at Ledger refusing to let Nicholas touch Marcus. Sure, buddy, the ball’s all yours … It’s also possible Ledger and Dawson’s visits correspond with the appearance of the black SUV. If the cops don’t keep Marcus company, the driver likely will — and, as we’ve seen, Daddy doesn’t treat his son very well. In exchange for protection, they get their rocks off. (I assume it’s his father, though it could be a stalking ex-boyfriend. Or a US Marshall if this is a soap opera and Marcus is in Witness Protection.) I still hope I’m right about Dawson and he’s a nice guy, not a nice guy compared to Ledger. As much as I’d like to see Nicholas top Ledger, a versatile romp seems more likely with Dawson. And I could see them becoming actual friends with benefits, whereas with Ledger it’d barely be benefits. Oh Tom. I can’t wait for Nicholas to kick your ass. Of course, being a former football player, maybe you’ll end up on top, but I’ll be over here fantasizing about you, bruised and beaten, pinned under Nicholas’s violently thrusting hips, as Brandon’s father shows him who’s the daddy around here. And I know I haven’t said it before but I do feel bad for Beth. She deserves happiness the same as her husband does. Here’s hoping that, if they can only agree on one thing, it’s the need to shield Jett from all of this. Somehow I doubt we’ve reached the peak of messiness and, honestly, I’m here for it.

I appreciate Alice more and more with each chapter. Her sharp wit, her sense of humor, and obvious intelligence. Her evolving relationship with Dante — I think she feels akin to him, knowing what it’s like to feel out of place and underestimated. Frank may be more stunted than impaired, now that I think about it. I think there’s definitely more going on under the hood than meets the eye, especially if his response to Dante is any indication. Like, he hadn’t considered anything sexual until this Tom/Dante incident. Yet his caress was almost exploratory, as if to ask if/why another’s touch feels good. (Frank’s faraway look before that has me thinking he was remembering something, maybe from before his accident — maybe something that explains why Carolyn so adamantly shields him from real life — but that’s a thesis in and of itself.) Blaise surprised me. Pleasantly. Admitting he was wrong — to a slave, no less — and then thanking Dante for sparing Tom, that showed a lot of humility. He answered the questions I had about his character: he’s a good man. As for the bombshell about Tom’s sexuality— well, sure. I shrugged, honestly. It’s another piece of the puzzle but it neither explains nor excuses his behavior. He has his pride and something (else) to prove. Like I said before, I hope this lashing and Dante’s request for leniency open his eyes. Be the big brother you want to be for Frank. All in all, the Braddocks’ visit turned out supremely well for Dante. He proved his worth to the household, which is doubly important after the last few days. Carolyn’s intervention was a surprising but calculated power play and not unwelcome — even if it did leave a bad taste in his mouth … (Ew.)

A welcome departure from the previous chapter, at least to me. Nicholas deciding what he wants and doesn’t want (*cough* Tom) and … well, accepting the validity of those feelings. Does that make sense? He’s still a mess and he’s got a loooooong way to go, but he’s figuring stuff out instead of being a doofus. I mean, the bar fight notwithstanding. Was I right about Dawson? I hope so. The new lovers could use an ally against Ledger or at least a disinterested third party who won’t actively stand in their way. Because Nicholas is already public enemy number one in Ledger’s book (heh, ledger/book) and the sheriff doesn’t strike me as the type to willingly let go of his toys. Not gonna touch on Brandon and Tom much because their dynamic is still shaping up. Personally, I’m rooting for a dominant teen surprising Tom and using him like he’s presumably been using his cumdumps. (Following that, of course, finding common ground with his dad.) That’d tickle me pink. Finally, the soft switch from Nicholas to Marcus’s point of view during their love scene added tons more depth to the act. Getting the motel room and the foreplay, that was Nicholas — for Nicholas, acting decisively. The lovemaking was for Marcus and meant everything to him, and you focusing mostly on his perspective absolutely reflected that. I’m in awe.

This chapter was almost serene — Patrick’s journey in the forest, his promotion from son to Pawn, and his return as the new King (or Queen, really). I can’t speak for anyone else but I felt it all — his anger, his sorrow, his regret and wonder — and it was moving, yes, but more so it felt right. What struck me the most, though, was King’s death — specifically his son’s initial reaction. Out of everyone, only Patrick acknowledged Omar finally being at peace. That was so powerful. Maybe it’s a memory he’ll one day share with his father’s closest friends. Thank you for this chapter. We needed that. Pawn, King, and your readers alike.

Oh boy. Y’know, I was going to jokingly reply to @CasualWanderer82’s comment last chapter about Nicholas becoming a nelly bottom (no offense, no shame) and this chapter truly makes me wonder if that isn’t a possibility. So, yeah, if Ledger doesn’t turn him out, Brandon might — messed up as that would be for their already toxic dynamic. Nicholas really is unraveling. He doesn’t even realize he’s sublimating the relationship he wants with his son with this obsession. I hoped Marcus might help him but sadly that wasn’t the case. The young man is too accustomed to being used, and that’s before you touch on the daddy issues. For his sake and subsequently Nicholas’ sake, I hope Dawson is simply caught up in his partner’s game and may possibly run interference if things get too bad. Tom … I don’t know what he’s thinking after Brandon’s proposition. On one hand, he seems interested in trying to mend father and son’s relationship. On the other hand, he’s driven by lust and (apparently) hero worship, and this is his chance to play out a daddy kink with a very willing (but vulnerable) partner. Also, is anyone else hoping Jodie c*ckblocks her husband all summer? These chapters keep getting more and more intense.

Brandon needs a swift kick in the butt while Tom deserves one in the nuts. Nicholas can’t be surprised — his new acquaintance is admittedly amoral — but I hope this encounter taught him something and he isn’t too drunk to remember what. The families should probably not … uh, mingle any more. It’s a recipe for disaster, with Tom and Brandon as the key ingredient. Although, come to think of it, maybe Nicholas catching Tom balls deep in his son and then beating the man within an inch of his life is what needs to happen before Brandon will believe his father (still) loves him. (That, or Daddy Dearest finding himself balls deep in his son because Brandon seems to want a grudge f*ck.) That is, if Marcus — who seems to be a complicated man (mess) himself — manages to somehow ground Nicholas instead of fueling his obsession. At least the man feels safe with him. It’s a start. And if he, along with Jett, can keep him from going over the edge, that’s something too. Man, is there a therapist somewhere in Seagull’s Bay?

As much as I despise Tom, I wasn’t prepared for the brutality of his punishment. I feel a little bad for him — not much but a little. His only redeeming quality so far is his loyalty to Frank and I’m unsure if I want this to reveal others. Guess we’ll see if he learned anything from this — and while I expect him to devise more cunning ways to target Dante, I hope he self-reflects instead. Dante’s shame only proves his humanity, just like his guilt shows his empathy. Even after being physically and sexually abused, he still asked for leniency. Part of me wonders if Alice’s punishment wasn’t severe on purpose. Not only did it force Dante’s hand, it also showed Tom that his victim wasn’t out for revenge and, in fact, defended him. “This is the kind of person you thought was beneath you?” Frank is who I’m worried about. He clearly wanted Dante and Tom to get along because he wants all of them to be friends. He must be so torn. How much of what happened does he know about and what, if any of it, does he understand? Maybe that’s what he started talking to Alice about at the end of the chapter. Compelling stuff!

Please no. Dex already went down that road and it didn’t end very well for either of them. Although a pissed off Emmett could be nice to see for once — y’know, when he returns to the gardens and clips the sparrows’ wings … 🫠

I think we learned in an earlier chapter that Bomb and Finley are twin brothers, which was the main cause of the former’s fratricidal tendencies. It came up during Finley’s reminiscing after he and his older brother started looking in to his weird feelings/behavior.

Fingers crossed the turkey isn’t the only one getting stuffed on Thanksgiving. Vic’s hesitation is understandable but I’m glad Logan and Brian each convinced him to give Loup a tentative second chance.

I wonder if Finley may develop a taste for roasted sparrow. Damn bird brains meddle more than your average mother-in-law, and our boys haven’t even been on a date yet! What are we going to do about these two boys? I feel so bad for Fin, knowing he goes out of his way to be gentle and non-threatening and it must hurt his heart to know Emmett still flees from him. The one person he wants most in this world literally keeps running away from him. If the dragon didn’t already have a complex … I feel bad for Emmett too but I’m also irritated by him. Yes, he’s biologically and metaphysically skittish but come on! Finley has shown him nothing but kindness, even coming to his defense on multiple occasions. Plus the crush — Emmett knows Fin’s feelings towards him and he knows this hurts him. As someone who suffers from horrible anxiety and panic, I understand when fight or flight irrationality takes over. I do. Emmett isn’t trying to hurt Fin on purpose and that’s got to wrack him with guilt. But I can’t get over the fact that he doesn’t seem to be trying very hard to face his fear. I wish he would just … put himself in his friend’s shoes. I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too critical. Maybe he’ll catch himself and come back, and they can try to salvage the rest of their day. Effin’ sparrows.

Oh no! Does that mean no nipple play for Riley and Cedric? I’d think a nice pair of crotchless panties and nipple clamps might be right up their alley. Hehe. Their clothes sound stylish at any rate. All those buttons and snaps and slits. Thank you for eschewing fanny packs. Them’s for the birds.

Short answer: nosiree. Unless they also have two short sets of shoulder blades, I don’t see how another set of shoulders would work. Granted, given the second arm socket, part of the rib cage would definitely get reinforced to support the added stress. These are your creations. How freakish do you want your anthropomorphic insects? Stop baiting me with options, you big meany!

I’m already anticipating Cyril trying to trick Riley into thinking he’s Cedric and I bet the latter’s underwear fetish will become an important detail. If I had wings, they’d be shaking in anticipation of Sun Day. I feel for Riley. His nights have become a series of overlapping complications and now there’s one more topic he’s forced to lie about. It’s a lot of weight for one pair of shoulders.

D’oh, should’ve worded that better. Tom implied that he can do this to Dante because he makes the toys and the toys make Blaise money. Also because he’s worked there for 10 years. It made me wonder if Blaise is aware of Tom’s actions and how he’s justifying them. If Blaise turns a blind eye to Tom’s behavior, he isn’t the man I thought he was. Maybe he doesn’t know. Tom unfortunately seems clever with his predation. I have a head full of alternate reality Franks. I’m excited to know more about him! You’re right though: it has only been a few days. With so much going on, I keep forgetting that! Stop being such a good storyteller! (Don’t stop.)

I hope it’s Tom’s bruised ego and not actual entitlement fueling his behavior because — crazy. What a piece of sh*t. If this is the kind of person he is and how he acts, and he gets away with it because his sex toys earn pocket money, I’m starting to question my opinion of Blaise. Assuming he knows, and he must after 10 years. Frank too to a minor degree. While he’s the Eden to Tom’s Hella, it sounds like he knows what Tom is like and is upset because he doesn’t want Dante being abused. I know he’s naive and delayed but … he’s not blind. (Unless what’s wrong with him is nymphomania and he was paired with Tom to keep him under control. Even then …) I’d tell Mistress Alice or conveniently ask her to check my cage, knowing she’d find the plug. Dante is a better man than me for going along with it.

There’s a social taboo about that, not to mention — as @Celian said — the looming threat of violence. I think Finley himself explained this to Ben while driving him home after Mo’s big meltdown. The way I see it is it’d be like asking your Korean-American friend what kind of Asian he is. It’s rude and a bit racist, and Fin would never knowingly hurt his crush like that. (Dom, I’m pretty sure, would hurt you if you asked him.) The suspense is killing me though!

If I must. John, the judge, and presumably the DA should continue on as our token straight boys. Why, you ask? Inevitably, after Qian’s breakdown, he’ll need/want to unburden himself to his superior officer and who better to comfort him than Danny? So, yeah, the Special Agent is also off the table as a possible lover for a closeted John. However, we missed the simplest connection here: Rosa! Maybe he’s into (slightly) older women and hey, she already keeps his home and loves his kids and they love her. Ditch the bitchster. I’m starting to think John’s a dumb dumb. Does he not understand how obnoxious his wife is?

And come between Juan and Roger? Of course, John being a closet case would be *chef’s kiss* but I’d almost rather he meet Brendon’s mom somehow. Fall in love, divorce their spouses, and hire Rosa to help tend to all of Brendon’s new step-siblings. Not necessarily in that order. Or there’s Daniel. Closet case comes on to Roger, who’s like, “Sorry, bro, I’m swinging on that detective D, but I know this other guy you might like …” We should quit while we’re ahead.

Yeah, I talk (write) too much. Hehe. Whatever happened to Mike back then, it’s a relief that it ended up a fun anecdote. Thank goodness he had someone like Emmett to take care of him. This (play) date between Finley and Emmett may serve dual purposes if the latter isn’t in the right headspace. Clean air while he clears the air. He needs a confidant and deserves that shoulder to be as warm as Finley’s is. Oh, and I also forgot something about Ben: I noticed Fin didn’t mention him at all when he answered Emmett’s question. And Emmett didn’t ask. The subtext is killing me.

Maybe not that far. It seemed like @empath was purposefully and/or meaningfully referencing “The Secret Garden” last chapter. Almost a prelude to a child (or children) needing a foster family, and little Mary being keen on not becoming like her namesake. If Juan mentions the three little ones to his mom, I bet she’d jump at the chance to help any way she can. I doubt Melissa’s bitchster would want more children interfering in her endless ‘me’ time. However, I could see her stepping in if Melissa herself is a candidate (“think of the children!”) or relenting if Rosa volunteered and asked to bring the kids to work. Leave the husband out of it. We have enough evil men in this story as it is. Let him be a breadwinner married to his job in order to please his wife. A good guy who loves his kids but can’t be home because Melissa’s bitchster demands a certain lifestyle. I dunno. Hopefully one of the three lawyers (Roger, the DA, or the judge) has a friend in family court who can snip the usual red tape. Too bad this isn’t a soap opera or we’d be in business!

How did I miss that? Not to speak unkindly about the woman but good riddance. Do you suppose Rosa would be available to care for the three young’uns if they’re somehow placed with Roger or a third party that isn’t CPS? (It always comes back to connecting Roger and Juan, doesn’t it.)

Seems like Miss Carolyn’s bitter Dante didn’t threaten her with a baby. To a woman like that, who tries to weaponize her sexuality, someone immune to her charms is worse than a cold sore. And it wasn’t lost on me that the night after she fondled Dante, she uncharacteristically gave Blaise some loving. Me, on the other hand — I’d happily watch Tom and Dante try to impregnate one other. Maybe the tight hole our boy finds stimulating dwells inside a pair of filthy sweatpants. Whatever the outcome, at least Dante can spend more time with Frank. I wonder if the young man will temper Tom’s retaliation … Oh, and 20 seconds!? What kind of water pressure does she think men have?! Has she seen A League of Their Own?

Oh Stan. RIP, you literal angel. I pray your good intentions work out posthumously. If the twins are returned to their drug addict mother, and you died for nothing, then this world is truly a cruel, unjust place. Seeing Thomas coax that little boy out of his trauma, seeing him welcome and embrace another unwanted son; hearing his promise of protection and knowing it’s the absolute truth — these are the pinpricks of light we look for in the darkness. Samantha may consider herself a fluff columnist but this scene begs to be splashed across the front page. (With Roger’s, Thomas’s, and the kid’s consent of course.) Rizz and his inflated ego missed the point, and it’s the single most important point there is. Of course they’re going after the kids. It’s about the kids! Can someone shoot him already, please? Anyone? Also, is Qian Chang okay

So much happened this chapter and the above comments couldn’t have summed ‘em up better, so I’ll just say this: Melissa Motts, you sassy bitch! Let’s be best friends. Our senses of humor can frolic together in the gutter while we nibble on baked goods and gossip about anything and everything.