Summerabbacat

I too assumed Joan and Dan were the VIP guests arriving to celebrate Andrew and Ryan's 10th wedding anniversary. To add Janice and David, Craig and Donna, and Claude to the mix, was an extra special treat for the boys. The visit to observe the newly born cheetahs (which I hope will be described in a forthcoming chapter) would I believe be a fascinating and beautiful and perhaps even humbling experience. I can only but imagine what it would be like to witness such beauty. I was very pleased to see multiple appearances by my favourite Devlin-Major "child" in this chapter. I know I am predictable, but every time Rascal is featured in the story it adds immeasurably to the story. I have an acquaintance who has a dachshund and his ex-flat mate has his dachshund's sire and several more of his offspring, most of whom I have met a couple of times. Exquisite and very intelligent dogs. Another delightful chapter @Andre Delport. It is very evident that not only do you have a wealth of experience in the industry the boys are involved in, but your joy writing of your experiences shines through. And of course the food, almost a constant "character" in this story, made a very welcome appearance again.

And you are in very good company @Robert Hugill with @empath at #1 and @Paladin at #4. Congratulations (and jubilations) again.

Colin appears to be genuine in his love for Harris. The permanent position at Sandy's Hideaway adds further to his connection to Ft Lauderdale, and now a new home with the five Golden Boys. He has certainly landed on his feet. I hope there is a few more chapters at least left in this story @chris191070.

If I understood Joshua's explanation of the inquest findings correctly, Adam had previously undiagnosed heart problems and had a heart attack, presumably as a result of a massive spike in adrenaline as the shark attacked him. If I also understood Joshua correctly (and I am being my usual snarky self here), this was Jordan's fault and thus he was told he was unwelcome at Adam's funeral. Reading between the lines he may have even been threatened by Adam's parents with harm if he attended. I have to agree with @CincyKris, it appears Adam's parents have not moved on from his death, hence the plight of Joshua and his desire to kill himself. I do hope we learn more of what has motivated this urge, have his parents abused him and/or have they ignored him because they are still consumed with grief/bitterness/hatred for Jordan? Both Jordan and Joshua have painted a very unflattering picture of them, albeit not deliberately, as self-centred and uncaring. A very powerfully written chapter @Paladin. "Adam’s scream and the thrashing in the water. Rushing over and driving off the shark. Pulling Adam out of the red water and onto his board. Making the dash for the shore. People helping lift him onto the dry sand and tending the wounds. Himself performing CPR until the ambulance paramedics arrived. Being held back while the defibrillator was activated once. Then again. And again. The paramedic shaking his head. Hearing the screamed “no” coming from deep within his own heart. Wrenching himself away from the restraining policeman and wrapping his arms around Adam’s still body and kissing his unresponsive lips. And the tears." I managed to hold it together until the text in bold, then I lost it completely. And another top 5 placing for this story, in the Mystery genre this time. #4 in the top 10 Most Read for the month ending 24/01/25. Well done.

Scott appears to have researched his body parts well to ensure no negative impacts from his sexual exploits, but I cannot help thinking something is bound to be impacted if not in the short term then in the long term. The PA ring is tame in comparison to the prostate and bladder "massaging".

Another week at #1 @empath. This time in the Top 10 'Most Read Mystery' genre for the month ending 24/01/25 (up from #2). Frida, Agnetha, Bjorn and Benny would be proud of you.

A provocative chapter which has elicited some very strong reactions and considered comments by my fellow readers. Like @austinbiguy, I was also very disappointed, almost to the point of being outraged, at the response from Principal Bowers. He acknowledged he was aware Neil is being bullied, but is he going to do anything about this, seemingly not. The message he sent to Lucas, Neil and Neil's bullies was that fighting in school will not be tolerated because it is what the school administration expects, but if you are going to "choose" to be different e.g. gay, and you are bullied for it, well that's acceptable as long as no one assaults you. At the very least Principal Bowers should have investigated further and Owen should have been suspended for sending the texts to his fellow students. As for the other sheep, Ned and Sammy, they are as spineless as Owen. Like @weinerdog, I also fear Lucas' volatile temper is going to have a detrimental effect on his Granny. I thought at first he might harm her in a fit of rage, but I now believe @weinerdog's speculation that it could cause his Granny to have a fatal heart attack, is a distinct possibility. If this were to happen he would be placed into foster care and I don't imagine he would last very long in any foster home, and he would not likely be adoptable given his violent outbursts. I found Brenda's behaviour in this chapter contradictory. She clearly has a good relationship with her ex-husband Brian, even enquiring after Dwight. She does not appear to be bitter about her divorce and encourages the relationship between her children and their father, and yet she does not want him coming into the house and does not want Dwight to be around them. I do not understand this at all. Does she think Dwight is going to molest them or does she not want them to know their father is gay? I think if this is the case she is being very selfish, the children have a right to know their father and he has right to be the person he is as well as their father. If his new partner was a female would she be issuing the same demands? Whilst I admire her for maintaining a cordial relationship with Brian and not being bitter, these demands just seem out of character. Terrific chapter @Ronyx. There was even a little humour with Brett twice commenting Neil was hiding in the closet.

I was subjected to religious instruction as a pre-teen which is why today I remain by and large mistrustful of organised religion, particularly religion as practiced by zealots of any religion. I was shocked at first, but when I gave it some thought, not at all surprised uncircumcised males were considered heathens or outsiders. What utter nonsense, almost as ludicrous as a virgin birth or a man living inside a whale. What did not surprise at all is the hypocrisy of Solomon. He impregnated Mary at 16 when he was 18 and now considers her his "property". What does surprise me though is that he has not sought to divorce her for being barren. I imagine if he ever discovers the real reason why they have not had more than one child he will go ballistic. A deadbeat husband and a deadbeat father disguised as a morally upstanding man, the pillar of his church. Hopefully, one day Mary may grow a spine and kick his arse to the kerb.

Another riotous romp through the Hugillverse with a varied assortment of characters gathered for the journey by esteemed author @Robert Hugill. Richly drawn characters abound, mostly delightful, with only a duo of not so pleasant characters, but they are a great source of snark and ridicule. Robert's usual quirky sense of humour with a touch of whimsy, vivid physical descriptions of people and places, and some wonderful Hugillisms, make this a must read for any fans of well-written stories. I really felt I tret myself with this one; it delivered so much more than I originally thought it would. Did I use tret correctly @Robert Hugill?

Sheila haughtily to Ralph "What did you receive for Christmas Ralph ?". Ralph mischievously to Sheila "Rimming, sucking and fucking or tongue, cock and arse". It seems man-scent was on the wind in this part of the Hugillverse too. Ludo and Arthur, with the promise of even more to come with a threesome with DI Marcus, weren't the only ones to experience a feast of carnal pleasures in their latest chapters @Robert Hugill. Perhaps if Norman and Sheila took the club(s) or is it the wood(s) out of their respective arses they might experience some joy, although I dare say both would need a very generous application of moisture to be even able to approach such bacchanalian delights. I do hope Ralph and Nolan and the rest of the cast, even Sheila and Norman, return to the Hugillverse at some point in the not too distant future. Who knows, by then Norman and Sheila's only appearance may be as they board a plane for Texas to "golf" away their remaining days, or aboard a hearse bound for the cemetery.

The Grammar Police (are they the cousins of Cheap Trick's Dream Police @Tris?) do not need to visit as unpleasantness is a proper word. I consider Jake's name for Uncle Bob far more fitting than Domenico's. I guess Domenico may think he is an arsehole, but as he does not cuss (yet?) Boob will have to sufffice. And like most of my fellow readers I am glad he has no control over Domenico's trust fund as I would not trust him one iota. He certainly missed out on the "compassion" gene and likely the "passion" and "fashion" genes too. One has to wonder why Aunt Carmela married him as it was almost certainly not for his personality. Domenico Martini. What a great name for a character @Lee Wilson, and I am so glad he refuses to be called Dom or Dominic, although I dare say this may cause him some grief at school as children can be such arseholes, just like Uncle Bob.

Although Richard has irked me with his attitude to date, it appears he is going to make the effort to at least improve his attitude to Grayson. If Grayson is able to be patient with him as evidenced by his revelations to Rafael's parents "To be honest, this is all new to me, and my family. Since Raffa and I have become close he has helped me through what had been quite a difficult time, for which I will be eternally grateful. I've really only just come out to my family and for the most part they have been supportive, even if my father is still a work in progress." and "Officially . . . only yesterday. So I guess it's a bit too soon to be passing judgement on my father just yet." then I think I can cut him some slack and not be my usual impatient and snarky self. Antonio and Katherine presented very well, both with a sense of humour and liberal views on their gay son. I was surprised Antonio was Spanish, I would have laid odds he would be Portuguese as I have worked with a number of de Silva's over the years and all have been of Portuguese descent. We now know where Rafael gets his fair complexion and red hair from too, his mother of Scottish descent. Grayson's first consensual sex appears to be off to a great start, blissful one might say. Another great chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters. Rafael's living arrangements brought to mind Matt who also had his own "man cave" separate from his parents main residence. Matt, Luke, Rafael and Grayson are all of a similar age too. I wonder what Matt would think of Grayson's Toyota though? I doubt he would compare if favourably to his Commodore.

In the age of the millennials the "brown stuff" no longer "hits the fan" it "hits the phone" instead. Most inconvenient for PC. Well done @Lee Wilson. Another feather (faux of course) in your cap.

...... they walked away laughing? Let go and poured ice-cold water on his penis? Shoved a "vintage" Jeff Stryker dildo up his butt? Sat on his face? The possibilities are endless @Wombat Bill. Scott lost none of his arrogance and egotism with Joshua's second visit to his boudoir. I imagine Scott has managed to "charm" Malcolm as much as he did Joshua. He is about as appealing as a case of amoebic dysentery.

Is that a truncheon in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?

Cherry-picking the Buybull is a favourite of fundies @VBlew.

Testosterone central this chapter. Horny gardeners', horny policeman and horny Dads. Man-scent was in the air, only Damian and Adam appeared to be immune to it. And yet with all that horniness, not a drop was spilt, well not that anyone was letting on. What a reprieve for Ludo and Arthur, the only reminder of Jackie in this chapter, the telephone call from Hansi, the Teutonic tigress, desperate to maintain her business independent of her "stupid husband" and his passion for embezzling. It appears money is his only mistress. I am going to "borrow" a word I saw @drsawzall use recently in describing a chapter of a story I am reading at the moment, it may have even be this story @Robert Hugill, in rating this chapter and your writing thereof. Stupendous.

"Boy tried to step forward in his mind, but Micah slammed the protective personality into the background as his legs began to move. He was terrified, but nothing could keep him away from his mother’s eyes. Moments later, Micah stood in front of the sobbing teenager. Mimicking Thomas, the boy reached up to gently clear the teen’s tears with his small thumbs. “Mom?” Micah was confused by the sacred word Arturo ripped from his mind; Arturo had found his anchor even as sixteen years of emotional control disintegrated." One word. With one word only my resolve not to shed tears at such a late stage in this chapter was shattered. How do you do it @empath? In the hands of a lesser author it may seem like blatant manipulation, schmaltz to ignite the tear ducts, but in your hands this is not the case. You laid the groundwork for the first meeting between Arturo and Micah, but nothing prepared me for the impact of that one word, the hitherto unrevealed connection between the two boys, a connection only realised because of one very observant FBI agent. And what of Micah's courage to finally banish "boy" so he could react without fear to his mother's eyes. Surely a milestone for Micah. Although there was so much more to this chapter than the meeting between Micah and Arturo, everything else was overshadowed and I do not say this unkindly or to diminish the other events of this chapter. The joy experienced by all the boys in selecting clothes and toys/games of their very own, the joy experienced by Elio and Emilio (and just quietly their great-grandfather) to be welcomed into a family outside of "The Family", the joy of a promised first date between Daniel and Juan, the joy of acceptance experienced by Patrick and Cassius, and the joy experienced by Roger in recognising he is becoming so much more, so very very very much more than he thought he ever could become. Many have commented during the course of this story that the available emoticons to rate are inadequate. That was highlighted yet again in this chapter @empath. I shall give it a word only rating, the very highest rating it could possibly earn in the world of @Summerabbacat. It was Summer-esque, ABBA-esque and feline-esque.

Scott went from hero to zero very quickly with his overinflated ego quashing any sex appeal he may have had. His initial insult he wanted to be friends with Joshua because he was invisible was just the beginning, with “And I thought that’s what your type wanted” “My type?” “You know…the quiet…slightly girly type, who want a real man to screw them” being the death knell of any attraction Joshua had for him. I suspect Joshua will reveal Scott's attempt at seduction, if for no other reason than to warn Malcolm that Scott may try the same thing on him. A large cock and a very talented tongue might go a long way to improving Scott's appeal, but I doubt it would be sufficient to overcome his insufferable egotism.

I agree with all my fellow readers, it certainly appears Stinky Shane is behind Grayson's assault. Mike may be able to identify the culprits if he is aware of Stinky's friends, who if they are anything like him, may be dangerous. It was interesting to learn there have been other complaints made about Stinky, he has quite possibly intimidated, harassed and/or threatened others. It certainly appears his retrenchment was well deserved. Oliver delighted with his direct approach "I thought he was your boyfriend". I imagine he is going to prove popular with Rafael as he is eminently likeable. Richard appears to be making an effort to address his past in attempt to better the future. His relationship with Grayson may be rocky for a while, but with time and counselling it should improve. He may even find his obvious distrust of and animosity towards Brian lessening.

@Cane23 and @drsawzall I love your speculation that Daddy "doth protest too much". Marcus the dick-deprived Daddy, jealous of his son's refusal to compromise and hide in the closet. It certainly has merit, the dissatisfaction with his marriage, the drinking, the troubled relationship with Jonah. @Lee Wilson love your comment he deserved more suffering as I had the very same thought when he kicked the bucket.

It is certainly the most relaxed, most cheerful and most positive Jonah has appeared to be in any chapter to date @irivera. Jonah is making progress even without his newly appointed therapist, Laura. Her honesty at his first session was reassuring for Jonah, the challenge to think of a positive experience he had with his father at some point in his life, effective. Jonah's father was hardly a model parent; who leaves a 6 year old child in a car by themselves outside a bar where they go drinking for some time to escape their spouse. It appears to me there were cracks in Jonah's parents marriage long before the funeral at which Calvin appeared wearing a rainbow pin and eyeliner. This may have been the final straw, the death knell for a marriage beyond repair, one which was not worth salvaging given the unhappiness of both parties and the constant state of animosity between them. William's explanation of his relationship with Victor certainly appears feasible, but I think there is something more to it than the superficial response provided. Perhaps as @Cane23 previously commented, there is a "history" between the two, one of unrequited passion, for which Victor is very bitter.

No it would not Claire, LOL. I loved this description "I'll buy you a burner phone from a backwards convenience store without cameras, pay cash, and you can use that to call." A sad indictment of our world that because it accepts cash and does not have security cameras the store is considered backwards or antiquated. Lindy did well to get out of Tennessee. I cannot imagine her "gift" would be well regarded by those with dogmatic religious beliefs. Burn her at the stake, she must be practicing witchcraft.

What a useful gift to have, one which Elisa has put to very good use to help others, the missing boy, the missing cat, the missing shirt and the missing porno magazines. Finding Teddie was a delight to read of. I can only imagine the grief I would feel if one of my cats was genuinely missing (I occasionally have locked one in the pantry on the bottom shelf where she loves to hide sometimes and I freaked out). I dare say the latter may have saved not only her brother Kevan grief but also her father Neil. One word of advice to Mrs Drummond. Get off your fucking phone and pay attention to your child. Well done @Lee Wilson.

Keeping children ignorant of sex and their bodies is what can lead to unplanned teenage pregnancies. I sense very troubled times ahead for Matthew. If he is gay and his father is made aware of this there is no telling the harm he will almost certainly cause his son. Enforced conversion therapy as a bare minimum I envisage. Matthew will have to be hyper-vigilant whilst ever he still lives at home. If he is exiled from the family home he may well end up living with Granddad, a situation which would vastly improve his quality of life. I am curious as to why Solomon and Mary only have one child as I have always understood that reproduction was one of the central tenets of dogmatic religion. Perhaps Solomon has a low-sperm count, a blessing that has borne fruit in that he has only reproduced once, thus forcing his nonsensical beliefs on one child only.