Summerabbacat

You may not be happy with it @Jeff Burton, but you should be proud. This chapter has provoked a plethora of discussion as well it should have, and all of it due to the quality and impact of your writing; it is a brilliantly written and powerfully painful chapter. Enough said.

In Taree where my mother lives they are expecting another 200-300mm in the next 2 days. Port Macquarie is now completely isolated as all roads in and out are flooded, and yet stupid fucking people still drive their cars into floodwaters and then have to be rescued by the SES.

If Tony maintains this level of affability and charm he is likely to become as popular with the desperate housewives of Lantana Lane as what Aaron was, and he will not even have to take his shirt off to do so. The character quality which has shone through in the past few chapters is how unaffected Tony is by his wealth and fame. He may not be a household name yet, but enough people in Thompsonville are aware of who he is that he could perceive himself a celebrité extraordinaire if he were at all egotistical. It appears he is still very down-to-earth, his main focus is on rebuilding his relationship with Aaron, everything else is window-dressing. A wonderful chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters. And although Thompsonville and Macquarie Harbour are fictional creations they are based, as you have previously stated, on several seaside towns e.g. Port Macquarie, you visited as a youth. As I write this comment these towns are under siege from floodwaters as are many towns along the mid North Coast of NSW. My own home town is experiencing the worst flood since 1929. My 83 year old mother has just informed me she has measured over 500mm of rain in the last 3 days, the rain is still torrential and is expected to continue for several more days. She has her bag packed ready to go if need be, which in the 46 years she has lived there has never been necessary. Many people have been evacuated from their homes and many more are being airlifted by helicopter from the rooftops of their homes. I am not religious but at times like this I do pray for their safety and the safety of all their pets. Many farm animals will already have lost their lives as many of the farms I recall are built on land near the river.

She was a "friend" of the Oak Ridge Boys, just like Bobbie Sue, wasn't she (LOL)?

Food poisoning from dodgy oysters?

I hope this was a freudian slip @Paladin (LOL). Nothing interesting about me.

Kat's scent was offensive and I love cats. I can just imagine the bitchy little drama queen walks through an aftershave mist each morning, a scent so overpowering it would burn many a human nose. I used to work with a woman who every afternoon before she departed work would freshen her perfume. She sat on the other side of the floor I was on, a good 10-20 metres from where I sat, but my nose would start to twitch and burn because she used to drown herself in it. Horrible. Ryder's affection for Danny is growing as is his desire to protect him it would appear. For someone who is so confused and physically drained by the contrary behaviour of humans, Ryder's understanding of them which appears largely based on their smell, is amazingly accurate. The joy continues @Laura S. Fox. You have got yourself a winner with this delightful tale.

The "hotties" in Olivia's Physical were hot, and when the two guys went off together at the end it was "shocking" at the time. Apparently many were appalled by the video and suddenly wholesome Olivia was reviled for "promoting" such depravity. And what a great song.

I too am Team Danny and Ryder or should it be Ryder Danny? I am totally charmed by this story @Laura S. Fox. It has a sense of whimsy which greatly appeals to me, and I am always a sucker for a story where the underdog wins (at least I hope Danny wins and he will be under a "dog" if he does). Woof.

I am a supporter of Team Danny already @Al Norris so I hope your supposition is spot on. The misunderstandings on the part of both Ryder and Danny were from a literal interpretation of what the other said. This could have happened between two humans as it has between a human and a wolf, but less likely so. It was a comedy of errors, each expecting a financial transaction was to take place. Danny has self-esteem issues, Ryder has been seduced by Danny's smells and Danny could be easily seduced by Ryder's "perfectly curved ass on one side and the equally perfect curve of a huge cock on the other side." It appears the perfect recipe for some really hot sex, but Danny has quashed the idea due to his integrity, which Ryder I suspect will respect. Bugger. Most amusing chapter @Laura S. Fox.

I am not drawn to stories about werewolves, shifters, paranormal fantasy generally, but for some reason I was drawn to this one, perhaps it was the story title and the premise of the story which intrigued me. I am glad I chose to at least give it a peak as, if this first chapter is any guide, I sense I am going to enjoy it. The title of the second chapter appears to portend what I thought of the conversation between Danny aka Average Joe and Ryder in this chapter; I see plenty of opportunities for misunderstanding. Ryder's very formal manner of speech suggests he has not brushed up on colloquialisms or slang and this is likely to lead to some very amusing misunderstandings I suspect. This first chapter also highlighted what appears to be one of the most glaring differences between the senses of the human animal and the non-human animal. Non-human animals have a much stronger sense of smell and rely upon it heavily. Ryder's disgust at the foul smells of the city and the stench of many humans was very funny. It appears Danny's smell was one of his greatest attractions, his smaller stature and 'Average Joe' appearance of little consequence to Ryder, a totally different appreciation of beauty. A most enjoyable chapter @Laura S. Fox. Perhaps the S. is for Serenity.

Did it "tickle your fancy"? It is a song from the fabulous Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.

This one may also appeal @Ticklishboy30; plenty of tickling may have taken place, and although there is no surfing it is still a "sporty" song with a gymnastics display and some swimming.

I was pleased to see the reappearance of Adam Connelly and Killian's continued acknowledgment of him as Dad. He is perhaps the one character whom I thought was "undersold" in Bleeding Hearts i.e. I would have liked to know more about his backstory. Nikki is a character rich in dramatics, both physically and verbally. Her comment on the Glitter Guild "You’ll know them when you see them. A flock of very determined widows in aggressively loud outfits, think sparkles, sequins, floral polyester, the works. They travel in a pack and will monopolize you for the entire night if given half a chance." was very amusing. I think JW would highly approve of her @Josh Aterovis.

I call it fucking annoying @Lee Wilson, amongst a whole litany of other profanity. My iPhone 6 is virtually useless now for anything internet related which is OK as I only use the internet on it for reading GA and Nifty (I cannot write comments, give ratings or anything like that as it does not allow me to do so); definitely not for banking on anything which requires passwords, usernames etc as it is too small. Both it and my laptop (12.5 year old Apple Mac) need updating, but they are so expensive and I live in the 2nd most expensive city in the world for real estate (2nd only to Hong Kong) according to statistics I saw published over the weekend.

What a horrible thought @pvtguy, something Jasper well may have contemplated. @drsawzall may be right, Jasper may become a liability for those he was involved with and may end up dead.

Daniel, Vanessa and Michael?

It seems Laura shares your suspicions regarding Caitlin @drsawzall "....know this. I’m keeping a close eye on little Miss Caitlin. I do not trust her". @Josh Aterovis has commented they are going to butt heads, which I assume means sparks will fly. Laura made it quite clear she thinks Will is a fool in committing to financially supporting Caitlin, which I am also very dubious about now. Her appearance at Avant Garde suggested she is not the impoverished student she has portrayed herself to be. The real "fun" is now beginning @Josh Aterovis. I expect to see cat fights, at least between Laura and Caitlin, and a significant number of @drsawzall's beloved red herrings as the murder investigation progresses.

Jeff has appeared contrite on the last few occasions he has fucked up, but he has not learnt from his mistakes. I know he is only 15 years of age, but something has to change. Will sending him to military school be sufficient to curb his unruly behaviour? I am at this stage somewhat sceptical. He is not a villain in the worst sense of the word as some of your vile characters have been @Lee Wilson.

Will this one suffice @Ticklishboy30 from the mega-fabulous singer, actress and animal rights activist.

A wonderful chapter @Paladin, one which has only increased my swollen eyes. The "swelling" started with the reading of the latest chapter of A Good Place by our very own @Mark Ponyboy Peters, and continued with the reading of this fine chapter. The reunion between Joshua and Daniel was very emotional. I was surprised Daniel did not recognise Joshua; I suspect (a little speculation is a must @Paladin) he may be even more traumatised than Josh by their abuse at the hands of those involved in the pornography ring. The police sting seems to have worked well; hopefully any danger to Josh and Daniel may now be eliminated. It may not be necessary for Daniel to talk to Patrick now, although I suspect Daniel may have been subjected to treatment the younger children may not have been subjected to e.g. repeatedly raped by his Uncle, Horse, the other police arrested and other adults involved in the pornography ring. I hope he does speak to Patrick and in doing so is able to drive further nails into the coffins of the adults involved in the pornography ring. I hope Jake and Nate make further appearances, and I am almost certain we will see Brody again.

I do too @Gary L, and more than a bit. I was hoping Brian might even give the silly cow a hug. WTF. I think Brian's comment: "Your Mum’s a regular person, Toby. I know we didn’t like Jasper much, but none of us expected him to be a criminal. Your Mum didn’t know about it, just that the jobs were a bit dodgy.” sums up Deirdre's involvement in the shit show best. If I understand correctly, Jasper's brother has not fled the country and was only involved in the smuggling of the counterfeit handbags and perfume; however, Jasper, whom many of we readers dismissed as not being overly bright, was involved in something more sinister, possibly drug or people smuggling, although more likely the former, in addition to what his brother hired him for. You are a genius @Robert Hugill. With a few well placed words from Brian, you got at least two of the faithful feeling a little sorry for Deirdre. Wonders will never cease in the Hugillverse.

The two extracts Tony read to the group from Shifting Sands were profoundly moving; however, it was with this observation by Tony that a tsunami appeared, and it wasn't the bloody weather in Sydney at the moment which was the cause: "As I read the passage I glanced up, continuing to speak, but no longer needing the printed words. I knew it by heart. I had written that passage for one person, and for one person only, and as I reached the final sentence I saw him there, sitting in the back of the room, the sunlight from the nearby window highlighting the trail left by a single tear which had rolled down his cheek." To quote one of your favourites @Mark Ponyboy Peters, Words Are Not Enough to do justice to the emotional depth of this chapter.

He was certainly "full" with one surprise @drsawzall, and after an initial reluctance he took to it like a duck to water. His "deflowering" sizzled, I almost had turn the heating off. I wonder though if Calvin's obvious enjoyment of topping Alan for the first time will impact on his date with Jordan. Now that he has had the full "Alan experience" will he be satisfied and not seek anything other than a continuing friendship with Jordan. I am very interested to see how their "date" pans out. This chapter 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 @KKirk. Well done.

Well it WAS worth the wait, even though Jim described it as when "everything came crashing down" (WTF). As a number of we readers speculated, Alex knew his father and Jon were more than just friends, and he finally coaxed it out of him. What Jim had convinced himself would be a catastrophe of gargantuan proportions did not register on the disagreement scale at all, Alex could not have been happier for his father, totally nonplussed that it was Jon with whom he is in a relationship. Way to go Alex. And Alex's acceptance had an immediate positive impact on both Jim and Jon, the 'l word' was mentioned, and it was not lesbian. Finally, it appears Jim is ready to respond in the affirmative to Elton and Thom Bell's Philly soul classic from 1979, although I also like the 2003 remix which was a substantial hit. Way to go @ChromedOutCortex.