Summerabbacat

Just remember the weather, the cold bleak weather, although I guess Seville has some of that too.

@Robert Hugill perhaps Ralph and Gordon may become friends again with the benefit of time and distance having been put between them. Perhaps Ralph may delight in introducing Norman and Sheila to Drew and Evie again. Now wouldn't that put a cat amongst the pigeons. No doubt the parents of "that boy" would also be considered perverts by Norman and Sheila. Perhaps Evie could bare her breasts to them or Drew could moon them (LOL). I can think of so many things "one should not do" which Evie and Drew would delight in doing to taunt Norman and Sheila. They are soooo miserable and pretentious. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

"Streams of water were running from a net that was bulging at the seams, alive with shimmering, silvery bodies twisting and turning and writhing in their nylon prison". This powerful image expressed the terror for those fish caught for human consumption. This filled me with such sadness @Mark Ponyboy Peters, even greater so because I only gave up eating fish, prawns and oysters, three and a half years ago, although my consumption had been decreasing for some time. I cannot even tolerate the smell of fish cooking anymore and the thought of eating such food fills me with shame. As all have commented Cye and the boys are at the mercy of nature and at present they are subject to its fury. Let us hope Poseidon is their friend rather than foe, otherwise they are fucked. A very well written chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, the growing tension between Ben and Justin, parallel to the growing atmospheric tension. Will they survive, will Flipper come to their rescue or will they become food for Jaws.

The intrigue continues, the mystery deepens. From the acid-tongued Beverley to the cool level-headed Nora, the competition between Alex and Jack, the quiet but I suspect calculating Arnold, and the very observant Giovanni. Anyone of them could be Roland's murderer. Sultry, sinister and spellbinding @E K Stokes. A gripping story thus far.

It is even discussed in polite company now @Mark Ponyboy Peters, no longer taboo, a bit like rimming.

The twins seem to charm all with their antics, apart from uptight Sheila and to a lesser extent Therese. Morrie seems especially taken with them, although he has to date only witnessed them in relatively small doses and has likely been flattered by their interest in his boat and car. He may not be quite so enamoured with them if they were to misbehave in his presence or when they are intrusive or incessantly inquisitive or chatty. "After a slight hesitation, the two men kissed then Nolan greeted the girls and had to try and make sense of a somewhat incoherent narrative involving Morrie, an old lady, cake and going to sleep." Who woulda thunk it at the beginning of this story? Ralph in a public display of affection and with another man no less. If Norman and/or Sheila had been present they would have had a conniption, worriting about what their friends might think of such a brazen display of perversion. A rather calm chapter this one @Robert Hugill after the dramatic events which have taken place in more recent chapters. Perhaps the drama will occur when Ralph and Gordon finally meet and acknowledge each other after all these years. Tears before bedtime? A good snogging? A slap across the face?

But was it a well known "thing" then like it is now?

I had the same thought @chris191070, but was not sure if "pegging" was "a thing" back in 2003.

Maybe the gayteway might be a three-way, a throuple @Danners.

And the dildos and butt-plugs.

I am as surprised by Ben's behaviour in this chapter as was my esteemed fellow reader @weinerdog. I really did not think Ben's attraction to Justin was anything more than a little man crush. Apparently, this is not the case, and apparently Samantha is the only one who has not noticed Ben's staring at Justin for the past 5 months, or has she. I was even more surprised Ben's primary curiosity is what it feels like to be buttfucked. This certainly "flips the lid" on the stereotype, the butch rugby-playing top wanting to try bottoming for the much smaller twink. If Justin and Ben do end up having sex I suspect Scott will be far more forgiving of Justin than Samantha will be of Ben. Scott very well may punch Ben's lights out, but I don't think he would harm Justin. I am unsure what Samantha might do, but she has shown herself to be no pushover in the past. The rolling of the boat and the description of the rough sea was very effective @Mark Ponyboy Peters. I felt myself starting to feel a little unsteady whilst reading this and I was seated. I can only but sympathise how poor Lovey Howell must have felt.

Roger should consider severing his representation of the mafia and take on cases pro-bono if he has more money than he can ever spend. I am certain there would be many in Chicago in need of the expertise Roger could offer who could not afford such expertise, even if he was to restrict himself to representing members of the LGBTQI community only. He has the opportunity to make himself known to the LGBTQI community with Sam writing an article on Thomas and his defence of him. Chief Monroe may be a "dinosaur", but his experience in policing without sophisticated technology and "science-y shit" alerted him to the fact something suspicious was taking place in the interrogation room. Fortunately the recording device reminded him of his VCR, so unless it was faulty he should have recorded the whole conversation between Joe, Sal and Charlie. He has likely assisted Detective Ramos and the FBI agents immeasurably as they now have on record who is the mastermind of the underage male porn racket and have exposed the moles, one of whom is now dead, within the Chicago PD. “We might be the only horny teenagers in Chicago trying to get out of each other’s pants!” was a moment of comic relief for Thomas and Brendon (and for we readers too). Each has been brutalised not only physically and emotionally, but intellectually too, both victims of filial and social intolerance, some of which results from the literal interpretation of religious dogma. It appears from this chapter @Danners that any same sex interaction Detective Ramos may have is likely to occur with Special Agent Janick rather than Roger. A rewarding read again @empath. I like @pvtguy's comments above that "several stories going on at the same time that will come together at the end in a connected manner." I could not have said it better myself.

We don't know enough about Jackie as a person, other than that she is a scheming, selfish and manipulative bitch, to suggest any unusual punishment befitting her crimes, her embezzlement being the lesser of her crimes in my opinion. Usually, one might recommend a mother be deprived of ever seeing her child again, but I don't think this would upset Jackie as it appears Damian was merely a prop, as suggested by @CincyKris. A life of poverty is obviously something which would not appeal to her, but if she is captured and imprisoned she will not be forced to live a life of poverty. Perhaps an enforced orgy on a regular basis with Andreas after he has consumed a huge amount of food and is very sweaty, flatulent and lecherous may be something which would revolt her. I could also suggest all manner of nasty things be done to her various orifices singly or in any combination or all at the same time, but some poor sucker(s) would have to perform said nasties on her and one would not wish such a thing on one's worst enemy. I just hope if she is caught and is still alive that our author has something dastardly planned as her punishment(s).

A fun-filled story again @ObicanDecko. Reggie is the last person I would have pegged as the murderer. Poirot or Marple I am not. I have to agree with @chris191070 and @VBlew, we definitely need more Samson and Troy.

Like our waistlines in later years the Hugillverse is expanding @Gary L.

It was my impression too @Philippe that Uncle Rick was much loved by Todd, which made his witness to his murder so much more devastating.

Thank you @drsawzall. I thought perhaps my eyesight was even worse than my latest eye test revealed. It is a comfort if you cannot read it either, unless of course we are both 'as blind as a bat'.

@KKirk one thing which has intrigued me from the start to the finish of this wonderful story of hope is, what is written on the top border of the two red stockings affixed to the mantlepiece? The one on the left appears to have the word 'Christmay' and the one on the right appears to start with 'Heist' but I am just not sure.

A chance meeting in an environment totally foreign to one of the two protagonists in this story leads to a catharsis for both, resulting in a love neither thought he would ever experience. A beautifully crafted story about two men, one in particular who has a number of endearing quirks. There is little in the way of melodrama, the strength of the story being the character growth of the two protagonists, both individually and in their relationship with each other. I echo the comments of @Gary L, @empath impresses with this marvellous literary debut. An author to follow as evidenced by this and his newer work Kept Boy to Made Man.

We all have those "moments" at times @centexhairysub. I find the frequency of those "moments" increasing with age, particularly when using technology. I think Russ' generosity has perhaps always been there but it took a genuine friendship with Brian and Gordon to fully realise it. If I recall correctly, he expressed surprise on more than one occasion in Brian: Taking Courage that neither Brian nor Gordon wanted anything from him other than friendship and sex, with no financial strings attached whatsoever. He seemingly blossomed after that. I also think his friendship with Toby and Toby's respect for him as an interesting and kind person was a real boost for him in realising his worth as a person rather than just being a "lending institution".

Jake's revelations of home life for the Sheridan children, particularly for Todd, added further to the portrait of a tyrannical and violent father, and an enabling and complicit mother. May they both rot in hell if such a place exists. Perhaps Todd had a propensity for mental health problems even before his father forced him to witness the murder of his Uncle and bury his body to cover for his father, but this event and the ongoing beatings sealed his fate. I found myself feeling almost as much sorrow for Todd as for his victims as he too was a victim who perhaps could have been saved in the right family environment and with therapy. And as much as I disliked Zach and Gilly, neither deserved to die in the manner in which they did. As for Mr and Mrs Sheridan, karma is a bitch. Jake's future was left somewhat open ended. Given his experiences I hope his Aunt Judy was able to protect him from the "celebrity culture" which often results from such horrific events, anonymity a must to help him heal. Killian's father got what he deserved. I had zero sympathy for him. Riveting from start to finish, with a strong emphasis on fully developed characters rather than one-dimensional caricatures. A superbly written story @Josh Aterovis, with splatter and gore kept to a minimum rather than becoming the focus of attention. I look forward to reading more stories featuring Killian in any order you choose to publish them, although being of ordered mind, I would prefer to read them chronologically.

Russ is proving to be far more down-to-earth and generous than I ever imagined he would be when first introduced in Brian: Taking Courage. Although obviously still a shrewd businessman, unlike Francis Heyward, Russ is essentially also an honest and caring friend, unlike Francis Heyward. Morrie's comment "I think the private Russ Kahn, might be a bit different to the public one" appears well founded based on Russ' behaviour hitherto in Brian: Taking Courage and now with several appearances in this story. I am so looking forward to Ralph and Gordon meeting again. I envisage the meeting is going to contribute significantly to Ralph: Breaking Free, on this occasion breaking free of the guilt he continues to harbour over his treatment of Gordon. Gordon will no doubt set his mind at rest very quickly, and when Ralph observes how happy Gordon is with Brian and his stepson, Toby, I believe he will be greatly affected. It may be that Gordon and Brian being a more established couple will be a positive influence on Ralph and Nolan as they traverse the complicated waters of cohabitation, and perhaps Toby may take an interest in the activities of the girls given their penchant for activities considered more aligned to boys (such bullshit of course). Delightful as usual @Robert Hugill; Russ Kahn and a Scottish country dance.

I am reading this story, purely coincidentally on Armistice/Remembrance Day 2024, and it is without a doubt one of your finest works @Mark Ponyboy Peters. The horrors of war only hinted at thankfully. The yearning for news of a loved one, even if bad news, centre stage in this simple story of a boundless love at a time when such love was illegal in most parts of the world. And yet it was a love accepted by the parents of both Davy and Jack, parents seemingly untainted by the bigotry of many, their pride in their sons' blind to social constructs. I seem to recall Mark that you mentioned an older gay couple, one of whom was a Thompson, in The Seventeenth Summer. Am I correct in believing it may have been Davy and Jack to whom Danny or Nate referred? As I age I appreciate more the sacrifices made by many to ensure an ideal of a freer world. Although the sacrifice has not always achieved this aim, or the achievement has not proved lasting, it was an ideal motivated in many instances, but not all, for the good of all.

Perhaps Guy's concern is the perception Tim might have that he was calling home to ask for money, the call taking place so soon after Tim made his plea for independence in response to the vandalism of Guy's car. $600.00 to replace some plastic bits and pieces, another good reason for why I have never owned a car, nor driven one for almost 40 years. My legs still work very effectively and when needed the bus gets me from point A to B. I can understand the necessity for a car in regional Australia though where public transport is almost non-existent and distances between point A and B can be problematic for some. Tim and Guy's public friskiness was cute and a sign of their growing confidence. As noted by @Paladin the observer, Tim and Guy should recognise the acceptance shown by the people on the boat. A "light" chapter as described by @Paladin @Mark Ponyboy Peters , dare I say a chapter worthy of a newly minted Dame @weinerdog.

I had a great laugh at your understated assessment @Paladin. He is a loose cannon amongst those he so respectfully referred to as "the ancient Italian artifacts who supposedly ran the city". I suspect no one in the mafia is watching him not only because no one wanted his books, but also because they are hoping he will come to the interest of the police and his business will be shut down when he is offered no support to maintain it.