Summerabbacat

It seems Seth's mother was a self-centred, cold-hearted bitch even before she discovered her husband was gay. I can appreciate she must have been devastated to learn her husband was gay, but she had a responsibility for two other people in her life, her children, both of whom she not only shut out of her life and ignored whilst she had her lengthy pity-party, but to whom she was openly hostile. I may be harsh, but I am so not a fan of her. Her dishonesty, or at least her refusal to discuss with Seth and Kane why their father left or was more likely forced to leave, infuriates me. She has, albeit unknowingly, caused a great deal of grief to Seth because he has blamed himself for the death of his parents' marriage, believing he was the faggot they were talking about when Kane overheard them. Given his mother's reaction to discovering her husband was gay, it is best she is unaware her son is too as she would likely throw him out as well. I was, and still am in two minds reading this story @Josh Aterovis, knowing as I do Seth's eventual fate, however, the chance of reading of another of your works is a temptation I cannot resist. I can already see my dislike of his mother when she appeared in Bleeding Hearts was well justified. Horrible, nasty woman, whom I am going to "enjoy" loathing. She would be right at home in her local chapter of Moms For Liberty.

And their mule was not slaughtered either @drpaladin, which greatly surprised me. Non-human animals are so often the silent and innocent victims of war too, but are rarely given any thought. A very restrained and well written chapter @E K Stokes. You were able to foster emotions of anger and revulsion with only a hint of the horrors which Corin and Étienne were subjected to. Sickening and vile was the treatment they suffered at the hands of scum. Humans have not changed in their basest of behaviour since time began, and probably never will.

If ever a chapter deserved a "happy tears" emoticon it is this one @Robert Hugill. “So, did you contribute?” “Some. But it wasn’t top of the list. Perhaps, now I have a family interest, I ought to think about it.” He nodded over to Toby and Brian, who were standing close to the engine as it got up a head of steam ready to take the train."' Mr Russ started the "chosen family" discussion simply and beautifully and Toby finished it with equal simplicity and beauty. “I wanted to ask you something. It’s about Dad and Gordon. It’s kind of personal.” Russ blinked, but made himself relax and nodded, “Go head, what’s troubling you?” “Frankie, at school. Well, his Dad has had a regular girlfriend for the last few years and Frankie likes, liked her. But then she and his Dad sort of had an argument or something, and she just disappeared.” Russ nodded, understanding, “And you’re worried about me just disappearing?” “Mmm.” The boy looked embarrassed but also determined. “Well, there are no guarantees in life, but I don’t think your Dad, Gordon and I have that sort of relationship. Even if we stop, you know…” “Being friends with benefits.” Toby gave him a nervous grin. “Yes, even if we stop the benefits, which I think is unlikely at the moment, we’ll still be friends. OK. I’m still going to be around.” “Chosen family.” There is only one word in the English language which I detest when reading a work from the Hugillverse and the word is Complete. The only consolation with the conclusion of this story is that it heralds the arrival of the next in the Parborough Chronicles. Brian, Gordon, Toby and Mr Russ delighted us all in Brian: Taking Courage @Robert Hugill, but in this story they took us all to a whole new level. I think it was partially because Deirdre and Jasper played a lesser role in their life, but mostly I think it was because the four of them are living in threes. A truly outstanding work Robert, worthy of at least 9 'Kate Bush's' out of 10.

I learnt more about Aussie history from Tony in this relatively short chapter than I learnt at school back when Noah was a boy. I have forgotten (at least I hope I have forgotten rather than did not know), Captain James Cook landed in Australia on 28/04/1770 (is it a mere coincidence that this date was 3 days after the date i.e. 25 April 1770, which 145 years later would become one of great significance?), and was not the captain of the ship which arrived on 26/01/1788 in Sydney Harbour. I also learnt something courtesy of @Paladin. Some dickhead decided they did not like the word Botanical so changed the name of all such gardens across Australia. Did Botanical offend someone or was it too hard to spell without a spellchecker? A splendid chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I dare say Lydia Thorpe will not be a guest at the Australia Day celebrations. In honour of one of the greatest Australians ever (and I am sincere when I make this statement), I post this tribute song to her (although there was more than one her, and in fact I think I read somewhere she was a him on one occasion). She was a wonderful ambassador for Australia, certainly significantly more attractive and far less embarrassing than some of the other "celebrities" who have promoted Australia to the world. And as for those who murder her brothers and sisters, with or without the law on their side, they are just #$@ts. Felix bless you "Skippy" and all of your kind.

They've got to partake of rimming, both giving and receiving, first @chris191070. I imagine given their heightened pleasure from cock sucking you and I may hear their screams of passion in Oldham and Sydney respectively. Once those holes have been sufficiently moistened the plunging will begin. I was very impressed the boys deliberately took their time, edging each other, extending their pleasure. Perhaps they listened to this masterpiece from those most fabulous of sisters, they of the Pointer kind. Hot, hot, hot @KKirk.

The boys appear to be taking to cock sucking like ducks to water. And as for kissing, they are now "veterans" at swapping spit. Although it is not what this song is about, I could not resist posting it given the song's title; it is rather apropos for this chapter. I don't think Kate would be offended.

They are showing "gay signs" @drsawzall; underwear "label queens".

The Monolith has arrived. Batten down the hatches.

Matt, a domestic goddess? Shame on me for stereotyping him and Luke, Tim and Guy, but I thought he would be the least likely of the three to trouble himself with work in the kitchen, unless he was telling porky pies. I thought him far more likely to be outside underneath his Commodore, spanners, wrenches and all manner of tools at the ready, whilst Luke pranced around the kitchen with a Margaret Fulton best-seller in one hand (not bloody Jamie Oliver thank you) and a Betty Sydney packet-cake mix in the other. What a difference a decade can make. Tony welcomed by his Uncle Tom, the same Tom who assaulted his own son, Luke, and referred to him as a poofter. His personal growth has been extraordinary, a complete contrast to his corpulent sister-in-law, the much derided, Monolith. Luke's mother, Helen, seems to have lost all respect for her sister now too, such that she, the Monolith, has no family that has any respect or love for her. She would no doubt not see this as any reflection of her own behaviour, the blame would lie entirely with her ungodly relatives, all of whom have forsaken righteousness for their sodomite sons'. What a sad, pathetic, small-minded, mass of blubber. Ben, sleep apnea perhaps? No wonder Samantha is tired. @weinerdog I too hope for a surprise visit from Aaron's brother, but think it is very unlikely. As far as we know he has not kept in contact with any of the household or with Justin or Scott. If he has had any contact with Justin or Scott, especially the former, I think he would have been urged to make contact with Aaron as soon as possible. The family gathering thus far has been peaceful and enjoyable @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I think the only thing which could spoil the gathering for the party tomorrow would be the unexpected arrival of an unwanted guest in the shape of the Monolith.

Is the frequent consumption of cake a very English habit @Robert Hugill? I recall once you commenting on your fondness for cake, so I suspect it might be just like eating fish & chips or a curry. It was something I certainly enjoyed until I left home at the age of 18, but I cannot remember the last time I ate cake. Perhaps I should rectify this omission, although I certainly would not make one myself. Gray and Matt's "first time" was not raunchy, mind blowing, butt-altering, power fucking; it was seemingly gentle and borderline genteel, which seemed to suit both perfectly. No dirty talk, ravenous power-bottom or brutal top; it was a coupling like no other. Matt seemingly emerged unscathed, with apparent nervous enjoyment, keen to partake again at a suitable interval. He is certainly one of your "mysterious" creations @Robert Hugill. There is something about him that many of we readers seem to be drawn to, a need to nurture and protect him.

"No. Please don't say that. I'm no hero. I killed a man. That's nothing to be proud of or celebrated. I just did what I had to do to protect my brother. I probably went overboard. I could have shot him somewhere else and stopped him without killing him. I just reacted." I am not at all surprised Stephen is troubled by his killing of his Uncle, regardless of whether it was justified or not. He has shown himself to be a boy of significant emotional depth since the outset of this story, one who has suffered at the hands of his tormentors on many an occasion and yet did not seek retribution. His Uncle Mark was a child molester and a murderer, a man who committed at least one pre-meditated murder without compunction. Would he have killed Leon if Stephen had not killed him first? He, Uncle Mark, certainly appeared to be behaving as if he would; he had no qualms about bashing Leon's head with such ferocity that he knocked him unconscious, a ferocity which could have resulted in Leon's death. Would he have been stopped if Stephen had just blown his balls off or incapacitated him by shooting him in the leg? Maybe, maybe not. He did appear to be intent on at raping Leon brutally, so I doubt Stephen could have stopped him if not for shooting him dead. I think you are granting Gavin far too much intelligence and decency @weinerdog. I doubt his motives for visiting, presumably Leon, are noble. Quality writing again @Lee Wilson.

If Judge Gina Hard-Faced Bitch and Attorney Mary Hilton have their way, Jonah will be confined to North Carolina to ensure he is kept away from all those sinners in New York, with their ungodly ways and their lack of love of and respect for Jesus. They well may be friends with Irene Caldwell, the "poor unfortunate" mother whose son was ripped away from her by sodomites. Oh please, these three bitches should the first in line for retrospective abortion. The audacity of Mary Hinton was disgraceful, her patronising comments disrespectful and without any basis. The dried-up old crustacean is clearly well past her 'best before' date, and maybe even her 'use by' date. They may have even met each other at their local chapter of Moms For Liberty. Conversely Karen Fulton and Carla have what is best for Jonah at the forefront. Hopefully, justice will prevail, and not the Tiffany kind. I loved James' response when Jonah informed him he had run into his birthing vessel, Irene Caldwell. “The reality is, the Vasilios are more worried about the charges being brought against their son than they are with the charges they pressed on you. Their attorney told me that to my face. They’re concerned that they’re precious son is going to lose potential scholarships or any advantage to a good university. Word on the street up there is that Victor is pining for Stanford.” This statement from Wanda infuriated me. If the Vasilios family is as wealthy as they like to portray themselves, why would Victor be eligible for a scholarship? Surely a scholarship should only be given to the children of those who cannot afford to send their child to such a tertiary institution? With only a few chapters remaining I am still uncertain of what will happen to Jonah. Will he be confined in Carolina or nurtured in New York? Very, very suspenseful still @irivera.

To quote Karen and Richard again @KKirk - Rick, Randy and Mike are now on Top Of The World. And to quote those fabulous super Swedes, with vocals from my beloved Frida and Agnetha - Rick, Randy and Mike to Malady, Gretchen and Cathy respectively, So Long, or Deborah Harry with a self-penned song performed by Blondie, Just Go Away. For three boys who have not even purchased their "gay training wheels" let alone put them on, they are certainly familiar with some very important gay facts of life: “Yes,” Randy said a bit demurely as if agreeing to go to the library instead of Fire Island." Mamma Carpenter will not be happy if she returns home to a daisy chain without any daisies.

I doubt Alan will voluntarily disclose it to Calvin @drsawzall, and Calvin may not reveal he overheard Alan and Brandi's early evening delight. I wonder if Alan used the same modus operandi with Brandi? "I am quite certain I am gay Brandi, but I would like to have sex with you just to be absolutely certain I am". "Oh Alan, you are such a stud, big boy. I think you have not yet met the right woman. Well come to Brandi baby, her talents will clear up any doubts you have that you are straight Alan. Lay it on Mamma Brandi and feel the love". "Wow, Brandi. Your pussy is so much nicer than Calvin's. You're making me soooooooo fucking hooooooot Brandi". "Wow, Alan. You sure are packing boy. You are making me so wet. Fuck me Alan. Fuck me harder". Brandi with her heavily dyed, overly Botox-ed and dermal filled face, fake nails and leopard-print pant suit, spreadeagled on her hot pink satin bed, being ploughed by Alan with brute force in an attempt to reinforce his masculinity to himself. I somehow doubt Alan has been monogamous @VBlew. This may not be the first time he has fucked Brandi, and I would not be surprised to learn he fucked Trevor too if the opportunity presented itself (or even if it did not). Alan's indiscretion may be fortuitous though; it has presented an opportunity for Calvin to pursue whatever he desires with Jordan without a misguided sense of loyalty to Alan. I found the chapter amusing more than anything else @KKirk. The contrast between Calvin and Jordan's chaste au revoir and Brandi's vocal wails of passion, hilarious. And I certainly bear Brandi no ill will. She has the right to sleep with whomever she likes, she may or may not be aware of Alan's "adventures" with Calvin.

I am in total agreement with you @pvtguy. Any work by @Robert Hugill is bound to be an enjoyable and worthwhile read. Toby has a great friend in Justin. Justin did not appear at all bothered by Toby's reference to his father, Gordon and Mr Russ having regular threesomes. I cannot imagine too many straight male teens, or any straight males of any age, not being bothered by the thought of three blokes shagging, with one of them being the father of a friend.

"Now was not the time to let a good dating relationship collapse out of, what, boredom?" LOL. What a ringing endorsement of the relationship Rick has with Malady. He is bored to tears with the seemingly uptight Malady. I can't help but think there is a lot less to Malady than what meets the eye. Although Mike's family name was mentioned in at least one prior chapter, for some reason it did not amuse me until this chapter. "At 2:45, I hopped into the Accord to drive to the Hammonds’ to pick up Randy and head over to the Carpenters’ house for our celebration, whatever it turned out to be." I half expected Karen to answer the front door singing Close To You or Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft, while Richard was in the basement playing Solitaire. Cathy Bellamy, the pretty sophomore cheerleader is a good girl whom Mamma Carpenter approves of because she goes to the same Methodist Church as the Carpenter family. Keep dreaming Mamma Carpenter, she is a ho, she is just better at hiding it than non-church going girls who don't bother with such outdated sexist hypocrisy as being virginal while the boys are out sowing their wild oats. "Mike" in his pale blue speedo is gorgeous @KKirk. If University is not for him I am sure he could get a job as a male "model" with Next Door Studios, Raging Stallion or Falcon, although he would probably need to add some ink to at least one arm, and maybe grow a bit of body hair. I am loving this story as it is just so amusing. Rick is appealing as he is so angst-ridden over such trivial matters, Randy and Mike somewhat jock-like and so unbelievably pleasant, and Malady so self-absorbed and shallow.

As soon as I read this I remembered the description well; Bo Derek without the braids. With all my work-related information, information about my cats past and present, and music and to a lesser extent movie trivia stored, there is little storage room left for anything else. If only it were as easy as emptying the "trash bin" on my laptop to make some more room. Perhaps I need an information destruction schedule, a reboot or my "hard drive" replacing with a solid state one.

“Forgive me for losing myself in admiration of you.” LOL. Ryder's formal manner of speech is so charming at times, something akin to a proper English gentleman. I "heard" the voice of John Gielgud, in a manner of speech similar to that he displayed as the valet to Dudley Moore's eponymous character in the movie, Arthur. Danny's selflessness is admirable, and unbeknownst to him, self-preserving. If Theodore was a mere human I would say to Danny "forgot about honour and selflessness, you fight for that man of yours, Theodore Pembroke be damned". Something's got to give. Perhaps the "curse" is on Danny as speculated by @Paladin, and the curse will be broken, revealing that Danny is in fact a shifter too, and that the building in which he lives at the top of is where Ryder's "true" fated mate is waiting for him, and Theodore Pembroke is an imposter, or the evil alpha of a rival pack hellbent on destroying Ryder and his pack. This story just keeps getting hotter and hotter, more bewitching and more suspenseful with each passing chapter @Laura S. Fox.

A canine concubine perhaps @Laura S. Fox?

"Benantha" have arrived, "armed" with three sprogs, one of whom, Jakey, will likely keep everyone on their toes. Although their appearance as parents has thus far been brief, I was immediately very impressed with both Ben and Samantha and their parenting skills. Firm but fair, with happy and polite children. I suppose once the children start school and are exposed to the misbehaviour of other children, tantrums and disobedience may start to raise their ugly heads, however I cannot imagine either Ben or Samantha ignoring bad behaviour, or worse still rewarding it with gifts (bribes) to encourage bad behaviour to improve. I will be interested to observe if there is any undercurrent between Ben and Justin, and if so, if Samantha is aware of it. Speaking of Samantha, I don't recall if her appearance has ever been described in any detail @Mark Ponyboy Peters. It is testament to her appeal as a character that I took any interest in what she may look like. I had a vision of her as a brunette Bo Derek lookalike, without the braids that she had in the movie 10. A healthy tan on a healthy athletic figure. A woman confident with her body and her attractiveness to her spouse, totally without pretence and guile. "Well, this is Uncle Tony and Uncle Aaron. They are from here too.’ I glanced at Samantha and then at Ben. They were both smiling at us. I suddenly felt . . . I don’t know . . . humbled by their acceptance of me, and of the relationship between Aaron and me" and "See, you two are naturals. If we need babysitters while we’re here, we know who to call on! And I think it’d be so nice to see you with kids of your own one day." The thing which struck me most about this chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters is how very ordinary Luke and Matt, Tim and Guy, Scott and Justin, and Tony and Aaron are, and how appealing their ordinariness is. Tony is perhaps the "odd one out" being an internationally renowned best-selling author, but this is such a small part of who he is. These guys, both singly and as one half of a couple, have similar desires, dreams and hopes as the average heterosexual couples. They by and large appear to be happy with their lot in life, and all seem to be aware they are in many respects leading charmed lives. They are not "scene queens" or one-dimensional stereotypes. Great chapter. Life keeps getting better for Tony and Aaron, and deservedly so.

Clearly Étienne made a lasting impression upon Charles as not only did Charles confirm receipt of the letter Étienne delivered from Cardinal Santino, but he sent some money for Étienne's safe passage to France and then some. A fascinating story @E K Stokes. I have found myself pondering on many an occasion how different life was for all humans many centuries ago. This chapter demonstrated that beautifully, with the journey Étienne and Corin are embarking upon to return to Florence set to take weeks, a journey which nowadays would only take a couple of hours by air. Life expectations were much lower for the average person, particularly for the poor and for women, and life expectancy much shorter. The contrast between then and now, very well captured by you, dare I say Austen or Brontë-esque (and I can say this as Jane, Charlotte, Anne and especially Emily were exceptional authors, even if Emily did only produce one novel, what a novel).

Keith may have thawed a little towards Jon, but he is still being an arsehole towards his father. Cammie and Jim raised a personable, polite and accepting young man in Alex, so seemingly Keith is inherently an arsehole. Until he drops his attitude towards his father I have nothing positive to say about him. Action speaks louder than words, and his actions are still childish, resentful and hostile.

Donna, putting the summer in SummerABBAcat.

You nailed it @Lee Wilson. Right-on Russell assessed Stephen's panic attack immediately and responded in a professional and respectful manner. Cool, calm and collected. Your description of Stephen's panic attack and the responses of those around him was understated, with just a little concern from Pauline initially, until Right-on Russell intervened and assuaged her fears. The whole scene was very well written, so much so I felt as if I was witness to the events literally. Many have commented that Stephen's quick actions in saving Leon from a certain rape, and perhaps even death, will strengthen the bond between Stephen and Leon. I have no doubt this will be so. Any verbal assault on either, the other will be quick to defend. The concerns voiced by @weinerdog in his comments are very valid, I am almost certain both boys will face some negative comments from ignoramuses who will take it upon themselves to pass judgment on the morality of both boys. Outstanding chapter @Lee Wilson.

Along with Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, whose men invariably beat them as well as cheating on them.