Cane23

Ahahaha...actually, that's the moment I knew Casimir is going to be ok! 🤣

Despite Radoslav's initial surprise at Casimir's recovery, it seems that everyone who arrived still fails to notice the true improvement in his condition. To them, he remains not a player in this game, but merely a dying boy - a pawn on the chessboard. But Atreus saw his real strength. Now all eyes are on Atreus. Is that part of the strategy? A way to keep Casimir's emergence from the shadows unnoticed? The perfect distraction?

Amazing chapter - emotional, tender, and also heartbreaking because of the trauma Taggert still carries from his past. This new ranch has become a sanctuary for him, but the time will come when he'll have to confront his family. The difference is that this time, he won't be alone. Ash will be by his side, along with his new cowboy friends.

Some lessons can only be learned through experience, not through words. They have to be learned the hard way.

I know... another reason to write another book!😄 By the way, is the scene with the pirate kidnappers from this book?

Eric, Sab, and their family are really missed at this gathering! How could you not include them?! 😁

"Caring" is a beautiful English word, but Brian made it sound cheap. This relationship is just as unhealthy as Brian himself. Whether Brian eventually dies or disappears forever, I hope Tommy values himself enough to move on and put his own well-being first.

Aww, the first kiss!

"Who was this man?" 😂 I asked myself the same thing! I was so confused for a moment that I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to check whether I'd mixed up the characters! 😁 Anyway, it looks like the plan is working out well so far. I hope the boys will be settled and prepared by the time Albert finds out!

My first surprise was the word 'gay' in book 1. After that, I caught on to the writing style.

What kind of opera are we talking about at the beginning of the 12th century? I thought the term Frankish opera was one of the @Topher Lydon's playful jokes with 'modern' terms... 😁

That's what I was talking about!

I'm 100% pro-nature, but I can't imagine being happy about having bats in my backyard!!! 🦇😱 Then again, they're still better than the alligators in @kbois's Florida. 😂

Ahaha... There's something Tom Sawyer-ish about their camaraderie. There's also something Heidi-ish in Casimir's recuperation. It reminds me of Clara learning to walk again. I can just imagine King Radoslav watching his "dying" boy running happily through the mud!

"I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful, highly treasonous friendship."

All is fair in love and war.

Darien just never stops adopting, does he? It's some kind of "father syndrome"! 😂

I think Prince Casimir could benefit greatly from learning ancient Eastern martial arts from Arteus and Ashot - perhaps even from Erik eventually. It could set him on a path similar to the one Prince Ishan walked, who was once dismissed as weak, a boy some believed should have been born a girl. These martial arts are not primarily about physical strength. Instead, they emphasize movement, balance, the flow of chi, and working with gravity and an opponent's force rather than against it. Unlike the more linear style often associated with medieval knightly combat, many Japanese martial arts incorporate circular and vertical movement, redirecting energy instead of meeting it head-on. Practicing Aikido for several years has helped me appreciate this philosophy on a deeper level, and I think it would be a great and helpful skill for Casimir's character as well.

Great chapter! The prince is in the right place at the right time... or should I say, just in time to save his own life. I loved the interactions between the boys because I honestly thought they wouldn’t have much in common. On the contrary, when it comes to adventure, boys are just boys! I really hope Wylan and Steffy will find a cure for Casimir!

I wonder sometimes... do you ever sleep? 😄

Anton helping Bastien carry a heater to 'Cinderella's tower'!? If I was surprised by the heated sandwich in the previous chapter... I'm even more surprised now. 😄 Sure, maybe Anton just can't say no to Bastien, but... it feels like there's something more going on. Anton might not be the easiest character to love right now, but he's definitely one of the most intriguing. And I really like that he's so much "less sugar" than Bastien! 😁

Remember The Martian, where Matt Damon gets stranded alone on Mars for months and has to survive with nothing but disco music?

Tough choice - five hours of Wagner hell or five hours of disco hell? 😜

Whenever @CasualWanderer82 starts a new story, I know I'm in for something that is anything but casual. The Futile Devices is no exception. Once again, the author effortlessly brings together mythology, theology, philosophy, and deeply human emotion into a story that feels both intimate and epic. What makes this story special is that even its complex metaphysics always serve the people at its heart. The Creator, Mr. D, and Mr. Mezenga are not simply fascinating pieces of a grand cosmology - they illuminate Luka and Devin's choices, sacrifices, and unwavering devotion to each other. Like Dante's cor meum, their hearts become the true compass of the journey, carrying them through darkness until love itself becomes paradise. For me, The Futile Devices is ultimately a story about hope. Love here is not a reward - it is a choice, made again and again, even when everything seems lost. In the end, it reminds me of Andersen's The Snow Queen: only a love willing to cross every distance, endure every trial, and refuse to let another soul be lost can finally melt the shards of ice and lead both hearts home. It's an original story, yet unmistakably @CasualWanderer82's - layered in philosophy, grounded in psychology, and carried by characters whose emotional journeys are its true heart.