Summerabbacat

Another very enjoyable chapter @Ivor Slipper with much to admire about both Brian and Ryan. I had to admire Brian's honesty in admitting the reason he hung around with the bullies was because he was a coward and it was easier to go along with them as they had bullied him too. It also took great courage on Brian's part to not get into the car with the bullies and Terry to go to the rave, knowing they were likely to jeer him for being a wimp. I also admired both boys for their honest disclosure to their parents that they were gay. My only disappointment is that the story is now complete. It was an obvious place to conclude it, but if you are ever inclined to continue with it @Ivor Slipper I am sure many readers, myself included, would enjoy to read more of what becomes of Brian and Ryan.

Robot Voice is not a man. Robot Voice is a woman. Robot Voice has an extreme hatred of attractive young gay or bisexual men because they remind her of her son, a son whom she despises because she believes he left her to die in a fire which she believes he also lit. A fire which destroyed her voice box and left her disfigured, a fire in which it was presumed she had perished but she did not. Robot Voice's mind was long destroyed before the fire though, poisoned by alcohol and other drugs and by her own toxic hatred of her son whom she also blamed for her "husband" having left her. Her son whom she thinks was fathered by her "husband" Adam Lambert, whom she believed was as besotted with her as she was with him. Her son whom her mother nurtured to adulthood, a woman whom she hated and whom she managed to slowly poison unbeknownst to anyone but Robot Voice. Robot Voice is Otis’ mother. Jackie showed a different side of himself in this chapter, a side which was more attractive than he had previously revealed. I just hope he has not sealed his own fate by agreeing to become an informant. Will he be smart enough not to give the game away to Watkins? Will the beef stew still be palatable enough for a carnivore to consume? If it is anything like my vegetable curries and vegan bolognese, its flavours should be further enhanced by time unless the beef goes off. Another suspenseful chapter with a very dark element now emerging @Laura S. Fox.

That is a very good point @raven1 which I had not considered.

Additionally @Paladin, if all the characters behaved beautifully all the time, we readers would be less likely to comment or at least comment quite so vocally, as there would be nothing to criticise them for. Imagine the dullness of the comments without some form of provocation; saccharine and benign, rather than robust and harsh. It would be like watching Dynasty without Alexis Morel Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan or Dallas without Sue Ellen Ewing. No fun at all. You would be thinking "Not happy Jan!".

My apologies @Paladin if I have inferred you indicated you were going to ensure they behaved better. My comments were meant as encouragement for you to have them continue to behave authentically, which includes behaving "badly", as it is more interesting and believable when you paint your characters "warts and all".

@Mancunian I was just reading about the most generous philanthropist of all time, one Jamsetji Tata who donated $102 billion during his lifetime. There are some well known philanthropists e.g. Melinda and Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckenberg and Priscilla Chan, but whether they covet the recognition this brings one does not know. Whilst the published ethics of some of these people is questionable at best, one has to admire them to some degree for their philanthropy even if it is just "for show".

It has become very apparent that my "allergies" flare up whenever I read a new chapter of this masterful work @Mancunian, and it happened yet again with this chapter, particularly with Harry's disclosure that he considers his home now the family home for Charlie, Michael and himself. Christian once again showed himself to be the quiet, generous and caring person that few know him to be. His selfless charity brings to mind the reports which emerged after George Michael passed away of the number of charities which had benefitted significantly from his generosity over the years, something which he never called attention to whilst he was alive. The one which resonated for me was his generosity to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, to which Paul O'Grady was also very generous. Whilst I am not happy to learn the story is about to conclude @Mancunian, I am pleased to learn you will continue to entertain, educate, enrage (a healthy provocation of course) and engage your readers with further examples of your literary prowess. Happy New Year to you too. May the New Year be kinder for all animals on Planet Earth, human and non-human.

I for one do not want them to behave better @Paladin as part of the fun of commenting is harshly judging and bitching about the characters who don't impress. Without "bad" behaviour they would be dull and uninteresting and not at all believable. As I remarked, I think Andre is behaving very much like I did at his age, with little thought or care for the effect of his behaviour on others because it is "all about me". I believe you have painted a character, with all his strengths and flaws, who is authentic, believable and very much a product of his time. Although it may appear I have picked on Andre, I have to say I much prefer him to Beau as Andre appears to be exactly how he presents himself - selfish, shallow and entitled on one hand and loveable, loyal and caring on the other. Beau however, I do not trust.

We learned much in this chapter, not the least of which is that Russ likes his "roasts", especially if he is the one being spit-roasted. He is a supremely talented cocksucker and rimmer, especially when being spit-roasted. I have to say he has "grown" on me with each chapter @Robert Hugill and his sexual talents aside, I think he genuinely enjoys the friendship being offered to him by Brian, Gordon and Toby because none of them expect anything from him. It also appears Evie and Drew are genuinely fond of him too and he of them. A couple of hearty laughs in this chapter for me @Robert Hugill, none moreso than "Good morning, sleeping beauties. I thought coffee would bring you round. Luckily it's one of my few culinary skills." Although Russ is obviously a man of considerable wealth, he does not really boast about it or use it to demean others. His only real faux pas to date was the offer of the free gym membership AND the free holiday, but I don't believe his motive for either was anything other than a gesture of friendship. I think Gordon and Brian are becoming more comfortable with his generosity too as they can see it comes with no strings attached and is not being offered to them as a "slight" to their lesser wealth or social status. This story is such an enjoyable easy read @Robert Hugill, much like No Going Back. Your portrayal of the men in both stories, all of whom are quite ordinary really, apart from Russ' with his wealth, is a delight to witness. They all appear to be just getting on with the living of life, and because of the healthy status of their relationships with each other they are able to deal with the moments of drama with a minimum of fuss. Angst and melodrama are entertaining, especially in smaller doses, but they can be so "draining" even if you are only reading of them.

This chapter once again illustrated the difference in the emotional maturity and life experiences between Andre and Chris, which are seemingly mirrored at least to a certain extent, by Jamie and Michael. Andre raised his concerns regarding Chris' apparently "overly friendly" reconnection with Michael at the party. Were these concerns raised in jest or were his concerns genuine? It appears his concerns were genuine and it appears Jamie, who is I believe a similar age to Andre, shared these same concerns. One could dismiss both Andre and Jamie as being petulant airheads, but as their concerns appeared genuine, they had to be addressed. What a contrast the post-party behaviour of Andre and Jamie to the post-party behaviour of Chris and Michael. Neither Chris nor Michael seem to have been concerned by the "disappearance" of Andre and Jamie for some time, apparently so Andre could assist Jamie in trying on his new sexy underwear, or if they had concerns they have kept them to themselves. Given Andre and Jamie's behaviour in general I would not have had any concerns because both appear to be rather vain, shallow and self-absorbed, just as I was at their age. I understand the concerns of several of my fellow readers about their "disappearance", but I suspect they were just having some non-sexual fun, probably gossiping and revealing things to each other about their boyfriends and their sex lives at the same time. I do share @Cane23's concerns about Chris' and Andre's living arrangements. It does appear to be the case that Andre is very "selective" in when he is "prepared" to live with Chris. They have known each other as friends for 12 months although their relationship as lovers is relatively short. I understand Andre's caution as his life experiences have been far less than that of Chris, however, I believe Chris is the one who should be the more cautious as he has far more to lose if the relationship sours as the result of living together, although this would depend on how long they lived together before splitting if this eventuated. I also believe Chris is too easy going, to the point where Andre may take advantage of his easy going nature either knowingly or unknowingly (we have already witnessed this with Andre's insistence that Chris needed new bedlinen as what he had was boring). Beau's behaviour is at times a little puzzling I think. Most of the time I think his behaviour is innocent fun, but there are other times when I think he is a bit of a user. A very revealing chapter @Paladin, particularly with regard to Chris and Andre progressing their relationship to cohabiting. I don't think their relationship would survive if they were to cohabit yet as Andre is way too immature and expects everything to be as he wants it to be. Perhaps I am being too harsh on him, but I don't believe he is yet ready, willing or able to compromise, or if he is he certainly has not demonstrated this.

Thank you @Andre Delport for sharing this experience with me. Such examples restore a smidgen of respect I have for our species as a whole, a respect which diminishes with each account I read of animal cruelty or neglect, each plundering of the environment for monetary gain and each poor justification of such behaviour, especially if the justification is for "religious or cultural reasons" i.e. complete bullshit.

@Rossco, @weinerdog is being very restrained and polite (he has far better manners than I). What he is really trying to convey is persevere with reading the story as it is well worth it, even though Stacy is and remains a c..t to the very end.

My favourite chapter in this story to date. You thought of many things which impressed me @Andre Delport, from the early morning appearance of the white rhino parents and calf to the "folding wooden slatted tables were surrounded by wood framed canvas directors chairs, each with a thick, loose seat cushion in traditionally patterned fabric and a throw over the back in the event of it being chilly. There was even a chair for Rascal ......" to the "Faux ivory handled cutlery and white crockery with an African pattern around the edge....". I was a little concerned what a game lodge was when you mentioned it in the last chapter @Andre Delport, thus looked it up on the 'net to find such lodges are generally not for loud fat wealthy human hunters keen on murdering wild unarmed animals, rather for humans wanting to observe wild animals in their natural environment. I was also very impressed with the accommodation and had not ever heard the term glamping. Again I have just consulted the 'net and it appears glamping is quite popular and would certainly appeal to someone like me who has never been camping in my life and has no desire to ever do so. The menu options seemed to be a little more "restrained" than usual, which I for one welcomed. I would think it in poor taste to be consuming the usual quantity of meat eaten by a group of this size when in such a location. I know they had a barbecue but I am telling myself it was a meatless barbecue, vegetable kebabs, veggie burgers, fresh pineapple (love it barbecued), tofu and for those so inclined tempeh (I had it for the first time recently and hated it, but I love tofu). A very beautiful addition to the Devlin-Majors portfolio indeed @chris191070. I would love seeing the big cats in particular in their natural habitat. I wonder in real life @Andre Delport if attempts are ever made to infiltrate game lodges by loud fat wealthy human hunters, and if such lodges have to protect the human occupants and more importantly the game from poachers. I hope if this ever happens the offending "hunter gets captured by the game" (to quote, out of context obviously, Smokey Robinson).

What a delightful, therapeutic and thought-provoking chapter, not just for Colin and Owain, but for we readers too. It seems both enjoyed the domesticity Owain's recurrent bout of ill health brought with it. If I had to hazard a guess I would say he has had something which has left him vulnerable to chronic-fatigue syndrome. Whatever has ailed him appears to be something which can flare up, which to his credit does not seem to have dissuaded Colin from continuing his relationship with Owain. Mhairi appeared to be a little prickly again this chapter. It seems she is very wary of disclosing too much, perhaps this is a habit gained from living with their overbearing parents and her overbearing ex-husband. I assume the drink before dinner was something akin to Aperol and they had an Aperol spritzer @Robert Hugill. I normally baulk at such drinks, but I had a couple of Aperol spritzers before Christmas lunch and they were very easy to drink and were a very pleasant accompaniment to the assortment of roasted vegetables and multiple berries I indulged in.

Steve is a calming influence on Diego, who like me, appears to be affected, whether negatively or positively, more quickly and significantly by the events or circumstances of life i.e. he stresses more easily than Steve. Steve is a very smart man too, he recognises the worst thing he could do is to argue with Diego or take him to task over his visit to Billy.

I am hoping he may just be a little cheeky @drsawzall rather than a "player". I thought his criticism of Drew for "outing" Charlie was uncalled for as he was unaware of their personal circumstances. Joey and Charlie seem to be coping relatively well with their parents death with the help of their friends. Joey wears his heart on his sleeve whereas Charlie seems to keep things to himself a little more, which is perhaps not as healthy.

It must be PFSSD (Post Festive Season Stress Disorder) @Ivor Slipper. I always find it very difficult to go back to work the day after New Year's Day even though it is my favourite season of summer in Australia, although this "summer" has mostly been fairly mild (it was only 25°C yesterday so I had my hoodie on all day). I think not another year of this working for a living. If only I could retire to a beachside paradise NOW instead of in the future.

I have just read my comments again @Ivor Slipper and cannot see which names I have confused, unless I am losing the plot.

The only question Ryan should ask himself is this, is Terry a bully and as horrible as his brother Justin? If the answer is Terry is as horrible as Justin then why interfere with fate. If he tried to stop Terry, Justin, Carl and Rory from getting into the car they would not likely listen to him, and if by chance they are not killed it would just be something more they would likely use to bully him with. If they are killed in the car accident then so be it. The death of Justin, Carl and Rory may also release Brian from a cycle of bullying which he seemingly is not relishing like the other three. A release may result in a declaration to Ryan which will be mutually beneficial so everyone's a winner, except for Justin, Carl and Rory. Oh well, shit happens. An interesting start to this story @Ivor Slipper. I do like a story when bullies lose their advantage and suffer the consequences of their bullying, and death would certainly stop them in their tracks.

Who needs enemies if you have “friends” like Rory. I almost felt a smidgen of sympathy for her until “It’s over eighty thousand dollars!” I open my mouth to reply, and she lashes out. Leans forward and stabs a finger in my face. “Oh stop, Michael. Just stop. You don’t get it. You get money dropped into your account every damn month that you don’t lift a finger for. You have no idea what it’s like to have the sort of debt I have.” Trees often get uprooted in hurricanes and become dangerous missiles, crushing people in their cars or their homes. Oh look out Rory there is a tree about to drop on your car or crash through your roof at home! Oh well, shit happens bitch and your dead. At least you won’t have to whine about your student loans now, will you princess. It seems all my fellow readers have believed Rory’s disclosure to Calhoun. My initial thought was how do we know she is not lying again. She has lied before, so why not again. Has she come forth because she felt she had wronged Micco, or has she done so for her own advantage? Only Miss Libby knows and she it not telling (yet). It also seems all my fellow readers and up until now myself, have assumed Sam was murdered for the money or because of drugs. But what if neither of these scenarios was the motive for his murder. Perhaps there is an extreme homophobe amongst the likely suspects who delighted in killing Sam because he was gay, has attempted to frame Micco for the murder because he is gay, and believed Micco would be devastated because he was really in love with Sam. I have not given up on the idea Martina is the killer, could she be a member of the Florida chapter of Moms For Liberty and thus a rampant homophobe? Or was her deceased husband somehow involved in the rape and murder of Micco’s mother and sister and Martina blames Micco for this? Or another scenario which occurred to me very early on in the story but which I dismissed because I did not want it to be so, what if Burke was the killer and has tried to frame Micco because he believes Micco should have done something to protect his mother (whom I believe Burke may have been in love with) and sister, even though he was only a child at the time. @Libby Drew you have entertained, enraged (at times) and befuddled us all from the very beginning of this outstanding work. I don’t feel I am any closer to working out who the killer is and what his/her motive was. Whatever the motive, I agree with several others in that Sam may just have been collateral damage, the real purpose of the killer’s actions was to intimidate and institutionalise Micco.

I had a "well fuck me" moment when reading this chapter @Robert Hugill, getting my "Hugillite" characters mixed up for a brief moment. “What Mr Kahn was saying about strippers and that. Well, Nathan’s kid brother does a bit of stripping though Nathan pretends not.” Warren smiled, amused at the attitude." I got the Nathan of this story mixed up with the pious Nathan in No Going Back and for a moment had a great laugh at the expense of Nathan and his embarrassment, before I realised I was in the wrong story. Many of your chapters present an educational opportunity @Robert Hugill and this chapter was no exception. Knocking shop, a term for brothel I had never encountered before.

That scene reminds me a little of the shower scene in Can't Stop The Music. I wonder if Jacques Morali had any input into it as he worked with both the Village People and Eartha and was known for his appreciation of the male physique. Is Queen Som aka Queen Orange? If so, you are right she is beautiful.

Being the feline lover I am @raven1 I love her purrfect delivery of the lyrics in Where Is My Man, I Love Men and Cha Cha Heels. And the video for I Love Men looks like it was filmed on a gay porn set, although the men are mostly clothed unfortunately. I was of course also very fond of her as the final Catwoman in Batman, although I have to say Julie Newmar will always be Catwoman for me, statuesque, beautiful, haughty and sleek like a cat. She is 90 years of age now and still looks fit and healthy.

I was very pleased to see Harry and The Major (Grandad Ox, LOL) introduced to each other and a friendship formed. Let us hope it is a friendship which can be strengthened and sustained as I feel it would be beneficial for both. I was also very pleased to see Liam, in his wheelchair no less, included in all the musical numbers performed by the Choir Boys. This sends a very powerful message of acceptance and inclusion of disabled people, even if his being wheelchair-bound is not permanent. I had a wonderful image of Miss Daisy Chain performing Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby with a saucy combination of Eartha, Shirley Bassey and any number of drag queens I have seen perform in my lifetime in "gay" Sydney. She could have just performed it ala Eartha Kitt, who although not a cock-in-a-frock, was adored by gay men of yesteryear for her camp rendition of many a song. It appears the "cast" have a real penchant for the movie Grease. I recall its release in 1978 as a teenager and enjoyed the film immensely, although I preferred the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever (the movie for it was not particularly good though I thought). As I have matured (no not aged, matured) my fondness for Grease the movie has only increased (alas it has not for Saturday Night Fever the movie). I also loved both the movie (a guilty pleasure) and soundtrack for the atrocious Can't Stop The Music (hugely popular here in Australia) and the soundtrack only for the atrocious Xanadu (not even the presence of Olivia could save the movie, it was a shocker). My only "disappointment" in this chapter @Mancunian is with all that young talent you were unable to find anyone to sing my two favourite Christmas songs (not carols), 100 Degrees by Kylie and Dannii (love it, love it, love it and Dannii's 'Disco Christmas' T-shirt is fabulous) and Last Christmas by Wham (so sad watching the video and knowing George died on Christmas day 7 years ago). Perhaps if they have another Christmas show to raise funds for The New Boot they could consider inclusion of these two gems (and I would love to hear Miss Daisy Chain performing any one or more of Eartha's ultra-camp disco classics from the 1980's Where Is My Man, I Love Men and Cha Cha Heels). All in all a thoroughly enjoyable chapter, although like a number of others have commented, Harry's fear of the imminent departure of Charlie and Michael needs to be addressed. I cannot see any reason why Michael should consider moving out yet, Charlie perhaps, but who knows, Harry may even welcome Brad into his home given Brad's connection to his deceased son.

Hudson's sole mistake was underestimating Jackie. Like me, Hudson has assessed Jackie as being not terribly smart. It seems Jackie is not as stupid as Hudson (and I) believed. As much as I dislike Jackie, I hope Hudson has not broken his neck and does not plan to eliminate him. I don't believe he will, but I am wondering what he is going to do with him as Jackie will not remain silent, regardless of what Hudson threatens him with, particularly if he believes Hudson's investigations are likely to jeopardise Watkins, for whom he feels an obligation, misguided as this may be. What I want to know is how Jackie discovered Hudson is Otis' boyfriend. He has either deduced this based on Otis' physical description of Hudson, particularly the tattoos, or he has followed Otis home from the restaurant. I think the latter is more likely. Hudson is either going to have concoct a story to cover his arse with Jackie or disclose the truth to Otis. A pivotal chapter I would say @Laura S. Fox. Jackie's discovery was inevitable; Hudson is going to have to convince Jackie of an "alternative truth" to protect his undercover mission and his burgeoning relationship with Otis. Whatever the outcome of this event with Jackie, I do not believe Hudson wants to end his relationship with Otis.