Cane23

Cinematic atmosphere you bring in this chapter @CasualWanderer82 is not merely aesthetic, it is deeply thematic, beautifully wrapped in Bobby's admiration for Bergman and Tarkovsky! Tarkovsky’s films are slow, meditative, and visually spiritual—he is less interested in plot than in the soul’s weather, in time as felt through breath and silence. I was mesmerized watching Andrei Rublev, almost hypnotized by the close-up scenes, camera focus on icon or huge church bell... This chapter...wow, it becomes Tarkovskian in its soul. The camera lingers. Time stretches. Sound recedes. And what remains is a ritual of presence—two people enduring each other’s silence until it softens into care. Five years later we see new Bobby, integrated Bobby, man reshaped by trauma, loss and insight. Once angry and sarcastic boy now moves with quiet intelligence. Scene between Bobby and the film professor subtly echoes and reflects the earlier scene between Caleb and Nick. Bobby appears far more like Nick's spiritual heir than Adrian's biological son. Not in mimicry, but in tone, restraint, and philosophical presence. We can see now that Adrian was attracted to the similarity between Nick and Bobby, and that attraction was deeply conflicted, twisted, and psychologically loaded. If he couldn't own Nick, he could own the part of Nick that lived inside Bobby. In the scene where Adrian almost strangles Bobby, by asserting violent control over Bobby’s body, Adrian is trying to destroy the part of Bobby that reminds him of Nick. Or, more disturbingly, he's trying to possess that part. To reassert dominance not over Bobby—but over Nick, through Bobby. In present day, we face another revelation. What initially seemed like a heart attack is now confirmed as a stroke (an injury to the brain) and it isn't just a clinical detail. It’s deeply symbolic. A stroke in the brain—especially in the right hemisphere, which governs emotion, creativity, nonverbal memory, empathy...means that Adrian’s collapse was not due to too much feeling, but the failure of his ability to suppress, manipulate, and control those feelings. The man who sought total mastery—of his image, of others, of his narrative—loses control itself. His downfall is ultimate! Back to the previous chapter and therapy scene, we see that Adrian survived, but did not transform. And he is he is utterly, profoundly alone! Bobby’s voice, "What now?", isn’t just logistical. He asks, what now when the father figure is destroyed, when the bruises are visible, what now when Nick sees a real Bobby! "We rest". We return to the house. We survive this night, together. Simply beautiful...and so comforting! Nick doesn't give solution or answer, he gives hope! The return home is dark and emotionally heavy. Bobby's ambivalent feelings about Adrian raises the question - what does it mean when your abuser is also the person you love most deeply, or the only person who’s ever claimed to love you back? Now, they go into house, which is supposed to be a sanctuary, instead it is a storage of bad memories! Nevertheless, there is nowhere else to go and surviving means confronting the 'crime scene'! Nick becomes the therapist with small gestures - perfect sandwich, changing sheets... They communicate more in quite than in speech (Tarkovsky again). Bobby showers, he doesn't recognize himself in mirror. This moment is not just about looking different. It’s about realizing that he doesn't reflect the person who defined him, anymore. If at the beginning of the chapter we saw Bobby's psychological resembling of Nick, here we see his physical detachment from his biological creator. It's both liberating and terrifying. We see Richard as Jung's personification again. He is not giving morals or some guru guidance, he merely gestures toward a gentler path and walks away, leaving Bobby with a choice. And of course, there is a dog now. A silent comforter. What follows is magnificent, silent dance between Nick and Bobby. They are not healed, but they are, for one hour, held in the same silence. Nick's refusal of both alcohol and a joint, mark a sharp character contrast between him and Adrian, and also reveals key differences in their attentions, intentions, and emotional strategies toward Bobby. This is Nick’s way of loving differently - not with passion or seduction, but with stillness and presence. And that may be what Bobby needs most. The scene while they are watching movie brings the kind of intimacy that doesn’t speak in declarations, only in touch and timing and silence. At this moment they are (still) not lovers, they are something more - they are survivors. The closing scene is not romantic ending. It looks like two broken bodies breathing together. @CasualWanderer82, you have written a masterpiece! My sincere respect and admiration!

There's not even Penis Enlarge Magic! Fuck, for some things there is never solution! 😜

These teenagers are way too much impulsive! They don't know when time is to be quiet! So what if Victor is in love with Will! It makes him almost human! Stealing phone in the moment of Victor's break down...to do what?! Find some gay porn or Ginder application to blackmail Victor...?! I have no excuse for Victor's actions, but this is the first time I see him as victim too!

Adrian can have mask and performance for Nick and Bobby but, he cannot fool the death!

You write a great smut but, there are no 'sex' scenes in this story! It's very graphic, cruel and painful violence. Second 'sex' almost a rape! The purpose of the first scene was Nick's shocking revelation and awakening. The purpose of the second scene is Bobby's awakening: 'Suddenly aware, painfully so, of the harm his adoration for his father was causing. Was this love, Bobby wondered? Was this the only path to Adrian's heart? To completely annihilate himself? To die, if need be? On any other occasion, Bobby would have believed so. He would have convinced himself of it'. So, in this story sex is not something joyful, it's a tool in domination game!

@CasualWanderer82 brings one of the most tragic, the most shocking, the most devastating and disturbing turning points in literature! It's not just disturbing because of the violence. It's disturbing because it ruptures something precious: a fragile, long-awaited glimpse of fatherhood, of tenderness, of humanity. And then, suddenly, Adrian turns. Snaps. Reverts. Or rather, something out of subconscious erupts as volcano, and it's monstrous. We don’t just watch a character act badly; we watch the destruction of something sacred, something we hoped might last. Adrian's Eleventh Hour - his last chance at redemption as a father and human being, the moment where everything could have turned, and yet didn't. It is also death before rebirth. My own impression of the chapter theme would be 'awakening'! After few chapters being nearly a shadow, psychologically dormant, Adrian is awakening in empty, cold, bed. But this is not awakening in his reality, this is new reality. Nick’s absence is felt like a wound, Bobby’s loyalty is no longer guaranteed, his body is failing, the past is no longer deniable, love will no longer tolerate domination. Interesting thing - seems that Adrian was likely more 'emotionally satisfied' when Nick and Bobby were fighting. If Bobby and Nick turned toward each other, Adrian would be left out - exposed, irrelevant, or even replaced. Bobby is in the ocean which mirrors Nick’s earlier moment almost exactly. He hates the ocean but walks in anyway - not as act of rebellion but as surrender. Nick and Bobby are undergoing transformations. They’ve entered the "church" of the ocean. It is noticeable that Adrian haven't yet entered the ocean. He is just watching, refusing to surrender, refusing to leave control... Maybe afraid that if he let's go, he won't come back. Bobby, very openly, shows Adrian that he sees him, a real him! He sees the performance - Adrian trying to play the role of a loving, responsible father. But he also sees through the performance to what he believes is the real Adrian underneath: someone deeply flawed, self-absorbed (narcissist), haunted or damaged (traumatized). What follows is change in dynamics. It is a fragile opening of possibility. It’s a scene that balances humor, tension, and quiet hope, showing that while the past can’t be erased, the present holds the chance for something new. Dance of a father and son, a dance of hope! That fragile moment, too intimate, too close, too real - is what broke Adrian. And than - the twist! Adrian’s behavior embodies an aggressive, almost cruel dominance combined with possessive obsession. His words and actions humiliate and control Bobby, while also revealing a deeper, chaotic need to assert power in a relationship marked by pain, vulnerability, and unresolved emotional wounds. Adrian remembered the way Bobby looked at Nick! And it triggers complete madness! That look burned. It confirmed Adrian's worst fear: Bobby is slipping away emotionally, and maybe he’s realizing there is a life beyond Adrian’s gravitational pull. Bobby is, finally, aware of everything - saying farewell to his father providing the last, merciful, lie! Before violence, there was a Dance of father and son, in post-coitus 'bliss', we see the Dance of a madman! Adrian explodes into a caricature of swagger and chaos! Quoting Muhammad Ali, Adrian makes his final performance of bravado, it becomes grotesque—a madman’s line in a ruined play! So, when the heart attack happens, it is not just physical. It’s the body collapsing under the weight of the psyche's unbearable truth. The moment is deeply symbolic: a total failure of his defenses, emotional, psychological, even physiological. The subconscious revolts and the heart breaks—literally and metaphorically. Finally, we are at the beginning of the chapter - a psychotherapy session. Adrian is clearly suffering. There’s remorse, guilt, and shame but progress is slow—almost nonexistent. He hasn't still stepped into the ocean. Adrian is still on the sand, drenched in sweat, guilt, blood, and ego. He hasn’t washed it off. He hasn’t allowed himself to feel. The therapist starts where the fire is burning hottest - with Nick and Bobby, but the source of the fire is much deeper. “I didn't exactly have the best example growing up.” This is the door to the answer 'why'! Unwrapping the past might be the Adrian's first step toward the ocean. Seems that confronting death put Adrian to another extreme. Instead of integration he is drowning in self-pity and despair. So, Adrian is diagnosed with 'narcissistic personality disorder', in a way, I have to agree with Adran that it is a label. It is a description, not explanation. @CasualWanderer82 humanized NPD's pattern, going further - he reveals what might create it, and gives a sign of possibility of a crack where the light can get in.

I thought for a moment that American Captain might be Travers' father! 😜

Earl must have been shocked! Poor guy probably thought George lost his virginity with Arthur! What a relief for old aristocrat! Caroline sounds like a perfect match. She is calculated but not malice. Without too much emotional drama, she considers her marriage a life investment so she will protect it by all means! Good that George is 'sailor'; they are both prepared for long absence and, more or less, separate life!

Gray sounds a little bit provincial here (daddy's son), but I like his ability to psychoanalyze himself!

After many delays, I've decided to jump onboard and sail on this fantastic cruise with captain @Mark Arbour! This is the first 'harbor' I decided to stop. Mainly, fascinated by encounter of two brothers. Bertie is much more than we thought of him. Really great, honest and perceptive conversation, even emotional at the end. Hope that the Prodigal Son is going to find his happiness in India.

He's marvelous actor, Pagliaccio from this Commedia dell’Arte! Pagliaccio is the sad clown, often cuckolded, made a fool of, but he must play his role—sometimes knowing it, sometimes not. Brad gives his forced cheerfulness, obliviousness, and emotional contradictions a tragic, theatrical feeling. But let's not fool ourselves. Brad is not naive; this is only his mask. The best role of his life!

Luckily, my first impression of this chapter didn't disappear with comment and chapter itself! These are not The Three Musketeers, they are The Three MASKeteers! Each of them has hidden his true self deep under the shield. Brad is almost delusional! Saint, merry, Brad - he wants everybody to be friends, he wants everybody to be happy, he wants...world peace! His performance so seamless that even he half-believes it. His joy feels too rehearsed. Almost like he's afraid of letting anything real seep in. As others have noticed, Brad might know Lyn is gay so, why is he playing ignorant - to protect himself, denial...or, simply, he never took Lyn seriously? Oh my...Alexander the Cynical! Divorce, smoking, quitting smoking—but we don’t yet see why he’s guarded or what cracked his shell. Alexander’s cynicism gives him a sharp edge, and his honesty acts like a scalpel (once a surgeon, always a surgeon): precise, cutting, impossible to deflect. He sees through people. Lyn - the guy on a mission called The Revenge of the Nerds! The guy who is trying to present a polished, confident version of himself. Lyn feels exposed around Alexander who doesn’t play social games and would likely point out, with(out) malice, exactly what Lyn is trying to hide. On some deep, unspoken level Lyn wants to be Alexander. There is some envy of his status or career, but the real, deep feeling is in the way one haunted person envies another’s armor. The main point here is that Lyn doesn't want to be Alexander! He just wants the freedom Alexander seems to have - to say what he means, to want what he wants, to hurt without bleeding in front of everyone. @Laura S. Fox gave us a hint of the fourth Musketeer - d'Artagnan. Brad's brother-in-law! So, who is this guy, this newcomer? He might be a test, a mirror...intruder or even replacement!

Of course he is NOT! He can suffocate them with poetry! 😜

When a chef writes a story about coo(c)king lessons it must be a success! Mother's decision to discipline her sloppy son by arranging cleaning of the apartment and cooking lessons, leads to a fateful meeting between Kyle and Frank. Read this charming little story and learn how can culinary course in twelve lessons bring two guys to their HEA!

Straight to the point! Ok...maybe not so 'straight'!

You forgot the epic fail down of the system during the weekend! Well, it happens but for me, the experience has been 'special' because it happened in the middle of writing comment at @Laura S. Fox's 3rd chapter of https://gayauthors.org/story/laura-s-fox/misaligned/! Drama was because it wasn't one of those 'amazing chapter' comments; I was analyzing the main characters! 🤪 As for the AI drawings, I LOVE them (although, I agree it is never clear as photograph)! Since @raven1 (btw, haven't seen him active for a while, hope he is doing fine) showed me AI Bing Image Creator some time ago I've enjoyed playing with it. @JJQuinn made fantastic gallery of her characters at GA using this tool. @CasualWanderer82 makes fantastic description of his characters so, it was fun using his own words in AI Binge to create pictures. The best and the most entertaining discussions over the looks of the characters were in @kbois and @Mrsgnomie stories! I still believe Scott Eastwood would be great Caleb in https://gayauthors.org/stories/browse/series/hybrid-journey/ series! I remember, we were torturing @Mrsgnomie for her choice of Kyan in Dichotomy of Love - Fiction - Gay Authors.

Oeus haven't infiltrated only in Arcum, but in Fae kingdom too! Zereth is a candidate for firing squad, any prolonging gives him more possibility for plotting. Seems Garran is going to be a perfect addition for the team! Rory and Kieran should visit him asap! Ash & Desmond as spies - first Arcum and Fae kingdom joint intelligence! 🙂 Finally, this was a wild chapter. Crowning, then massacre, battle...followed by funny card game, sex in front of 'audience' (btw, I expected applause) ... And it is one of the shorter chapters...

I absolutely and totally agree!!! The last paragraph of this chapter stabbed me like a dagger in a heart! I know this story is a fiction and characters are fictional but, I wanted to scream - She loves you Henry, she LOVES you...and...Come back to his room, come back!!!! Incredibly emotional scene! Another, very emotional scene was meeting of two mothers! Again, @empath has brought tears to my eyes! Dmir/Matthew/Wolf has become one of your most complex characters @empath! Matthew has been hidden in subconsciousness after killing his foster parents, Damir has been hidden after dissolution of Soviet Union... There is Wolf now but there are cracks in his mask!

Great interview! The FBI thing has misled me completely! 😁

Bravo @Summerabbacat! Bravo!!! 👏

A question for Robert Fenton, I suppose! But I think yes. The main thing that gives us a hope for that is crack in Damir's armor that happened moment he has seen Devon's protectiveness and made connection to his own foster parents. This trigger is not just coincidence. That’s the subconscious breaking through the assassin’s mask. When he sees the Devon protect Teyshawn, it’s a mirror. And mirrors make people see what they didn’t want to. I suppose it is @mayday's remark that inspired @empath not to make psychopath out of Damir! But the problem is that Damir's integration can be devastating. Can he live with knowledge what he did and who has he become?

I'm just a little Maltese dog people but, based on general opinion about cats, I suppose 'your' cat is showing who knows the best, editing your work including!

What kind of negotiations were that?!? They accepted everything! I assume, the Fae bastards were thinking - why didn't we ask more?! Faes to have control over Dauphin's upbringings?! Not enough neglected children and frustrated kings? Ask Ash if you don't believe me...how 'good' parents Faes are! And 'scandal' clause - I mean, Kieran has already violated this clause by opening his mouth!!!

Quoting Bulgakov!!! I'm already hooked!

3. I got a cat.