a_dragon

I dunno man, that was pretty brutal. I mean, the writing was superb and you've really proven your storytelling chops (again) but kicking the poor dude while he's down like that? Cold man, really really cold... And ya know, maybe that's the point and all. But still, definitely didn't expect that level of cruelty. On the upside though, now I know

Your writing is, as always, on point. Just one gripe...well, not a gripe per se, more of a hmph really - poor Michael my ass. You did this. You deliberately created and unleashed that innocent pup on sulky Noah knowing full well his only purpose is to push Noah back into Seth's arms. You don't get to - after the fact - go all 'poor dude, such a pity' and think I'll believe you for half a damn second. I don't. Unless I'm wrong, in which case, I'll be unavailable for commentary...

So this comment thread is actually really interesting. Largely because most folk seem to be under the impression that Seth actually has a choice to behave differently here. The reality, of course, is that he doesn't. Not yet. And you, Mr Writer-Dude, know that on some level at least, which is (probably) why you aren't letting them be happy...yet. Seth is, in fact, not a dumbass. At all. And here's why: Seth is a young man struggling, quite literally, to survive (very little money & 2 jobs, remember?) while also providing for his sister - which, let's face it, is a massive endeavour all on its own. But wait, there's more! Because our man Seth also has to endure severe cptsd, deal with crippling anxiety & depression, as well as manage what sounds to be one or two other - possibly neurological, possibly developmental - challenges. (which is, I'm sure we can all agree, one hell of a lot to ask of a human being. Even a fictional one) And all of this while under the constant influence of a hyper-aroused, hyper-vigilant, deeply stressed, wired-for-survival nervous system and brain. Under such conditions he would not - realistically speaking - have reliable access to higher brain function at the best of times, never mind under the additional load of trying to cope with what is, arguably, a hostile situation. Cptsd, depression, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, attachment disorder and whatever other challenges Seth faces on the daily are all well known to deeply impact, if not completely rewire/rewrite, brain function. One of the many ways this can - and does - present is with an inability - due to neural pathways literally not being available - to always make rational decisions despite (possibly) intellectually knowing better (after the fact). So no, definitely not a dumbass. Just a man at the mercy of a system drowning in cortisol. And frankly, it's a bloody miracle he is as functional as he is. Remember he hasn't even started therapy yet! He hasn't begun confronting, never mind actually processing, his past or current reality yet. Just to be very clear, none of what I've said above in any way excuses abusive behaviour (not that there's been any of that on Seth's part up to this point) or continued reliance on maladaptive coping mechanisms when other options are available - my only goal here is to try and show that what might look like garden variety dumbassery may not actually be garden variety dumbassery after all. So let's cut the dude some slack, hey? Because whether or not it looks like it, he is doing his best. And it is enough. For now... Man this story is seriously taking over my brain - it's just so damn good!

“Now that the knight in shining armor is here, the damsel saved himself, and they made out.” Called it.

Must admit, "sweetness" is pretty cool. For Noah anyway. Although tbh - imo - "beautiful" was still the best. Quite a heavy one that... But as usual, really well delivered.

Wheel! Of! Drama! ??? Yay, I guess. By which I mean, *sigh* wonder what's on tv... But look at Noah, using that safeword like a seasoned pro! And Mr Broody instantly Doing The Right Thing by honouring it! Despite there having been no negotiation to that effect! Good trustbuilding move nonetheless. Go team!

Well. That was... perfection? Yes indeedy. Per-fec-tion. 10/10 5 stars 2 thumbs up A++ Green from start to finish...

Ngl had to look some things up...turns out that the bandywhatever top isn't at all what I thought it was (which, tbf is probably not that surprising, yeah?). On the whole, this story has been quite the education clothing & room decor wise... Anyway yeah, great chapter! While the traffic light system isn't everybody's fave (probably due to its simplicity & efficiency, haha) it's definitely a winner in my book. And again with the super accessible content warnings. Really doing your readers proud here, man. Kudos.

Oh man. This chapter... So good. So very very good.

#bestgrandpaever In the red corner, dad (can't remember his name & I ain't scrolling back to check #sorrynotsorry), in the blue corner His Highness, Noah-the-now-you're-gonna-get-it-Crane. Flag goes down and they're off! Dad goes first with a quick jab, oof!! he missed! Noah hits back with a one-two combo and dad is down! And he's up again, another quick jab but Noah is ready with a block & a solid left hook. Dad is down but not yet out. Enter the Grandpa... reeling from the killing blow dad goes down & out for the count - epic KO. The crowd goes wild. But wait, is that the shadow of another round lurking on the horizon? Only time will tell... Things are heating up nicely in the Noah-&-his-pet-knight-Seth-Saga. Great chapter, man!

One step at a time indeed... You know, this whole "therapy is for the weak" bollocks of a dumpster fire really needs to burn itself out already. Not that doing so will help those already trampled by the heavy boots of social stupidity but it will help prevent further carnage. And stories like this are exactly the gusts of wind needed to fan the flames. Good on ya, man. And great chapter. Obviously

"like some severely depressed knight in crumpled tinfoil armor' You really went there, huh? While our Noah certainly isn't some poor damsel in distress and he is indeed perfectly capable of defending his own honour, we all know that Sir Seth-the-Mightily-Depressed-but-Staunchly-Devoted stands solidly beside him, implacable in somewhat dented, slightly rust-spotted but otherwise shiny as a mirror, fully armoured readiness to cheer him on. And maybe take out - what's left of - the trash when His Noahness is done kicking it. Crumpled tinfoil, my ass...

Well Mr Broody sure cleans up nice, armour might not exactly be dent free but as knights go, he be shiny af. Thanks for another banging chapter, Mr Writer-Dude <fistbump>

Everybody needs an Ophelia in their lives. Especially Seth... Listen man, your writing is some next level shit all on it's own, but your story telling? Let's just say that you have a way of making stories come to life that is pretty damn impressive, and in any other world would probably be illegal. Respect.

Says the person with an entire library of awesome all to themselves... Glad to hear it, man. And not just because devouring entire novels gives me life

Well that escalated quickly... So many quotable bits in this chapter but I'll spare you and just say damn fine writing, bro. Damn fine. And that library comment up there? Seconded.

Boundaries are, in fact, a thing, Lilith. Really hope you learn some respect...and soon because damn, must be seriously hard work putting up with all that noisy, nosy interference. And oh ho ho, our Noah, a math whizz - nice! Great chapter man, really enjoying this story!

Hmmmm, things are moving along nicely. Wonder how long Seth will be able to hold Noah at arm's length though... Great chapter, as always

"oh god, she's here" Haha, you've got nobody but yourselves to blame, my dudes. Excellent chapter! I will overlook the creamer/coffee nonsense this one time. But just this once, mind...happens again, I'm definitely deducting points.

Is this where I offer headpats & tissues, and gently remind you that inviting chatty af dragons (with or without a block of free time on their hands) into your home is a risky endeavour?

The edges are slowly coming into view and it is looking more and more like acceptance. But there is still a whole lotta story to go so we'll see, I guess? Seth's discomfort due to their very different circumstances is painful. And only going to get worse, I would imagine... One of the things that drew me to this story was the alluded to intersection of bdsm/kink and mental health - specifically in the context of a responsible d-type striving to manage their depression/anxiety/past trauma whilst - presumably - not allowing their struggle to interfere with/undermine their relationship/sexual dynamic. Because, despite being a complex and nuanced topic (and like everything else in life, wide open to interpretation) the majority of stories dealing with such things - in my experience anyway - tend to portray d-types with mental health challenges in a very negative - stereotypically toxic - manner. Which makes finding one where the kink oriented characters are allowed to simply be who they are - fully realised/in-process, multifaceted, kinky human beings with problems just like everybody else (as opposed to the more commonly encountered one dimensional facsimile of what is essentially nothing more than a toxic character trait) pretty damn refreshing, and all the more satisfying. Of course it's early days yet and things may very well go sideways in all the worst possible ways but based on what I've seen so far, I think this might be a good one And hey, awesome chapter!

I definitely do not have the patience, forbearance or whatever else is required to successfully endure a teenage girl. Especially the way our man Seth has to & does. I mean, she's cute and all and, knowing my luck, will most likely end up being one of my favourite characters but yeah. Really really glad I only have to read about her... You know, overall, there's a realness in and to this story that is almost jarring in it's unexpectedness. In a good way I think, it's just that it's that little bit too on the nose for one to be entirely comfortable while reading it. Not in a "ugh the unnecessary angst is coming, wait for it" kind of way (which would be the quickest way to get rid of me just btw), more in a "this is real life transposed as fiction" kind of way. So yeah actually, definitely in a good way... Anyway, great chapter, Boss! Again! You're absolutely killing it

Oh well played, Mr Writer-Dude. Very well played indeed.

I tried not to laugh, really. But the truth is I'm still sat here chuckling at Mr Broody taking out the trash. Twice. I do wonder though, if what we think is coming is actually coming because while it's clear that Seth & Noah (probably) have the same destination in mind, based on the window-staring & stressed-hair-fondling, the journey may not be as straightforward as party-dude emoji is alluding to. Besides, with everything about this engagement being a series of firsts for Noah, the lovetrain is bound to stutter a bit, if not outright stall at some point. And honestly, I don't see Seth handling that too well. Not because he's a douche because that he most certainly is not, but because above all else he will need to do The Right Thing, and sometimes what that is, is not so easy - or simple - to discern. Or act upon... Thanks man, another excellent chapter!

Two things stand out for me this chapter: 1) the overall - and each individual's personal - aesthetic. Which, tbf, won't be everybody's goblet of absinthe but is somewhat of a fave in my house. That it's described in a way that allows fairly instant imaging is a bonus. 2) the glimpses beneath Seth's armour. Nail varnish. Smirks. Hair that is 'coped' with. Sandalwood & clove. Despite being obviously socially challenged, quick to make decisions (probably quicker to regret said decisions but eh, he's used to that). There is actually a third thing that stands out for me but it's across the chapters I've read so far, not specific to this one, and that is Noah's apparent acceptance of himself. I'm interested to see where the edges of that lie, because acceptance & resignation are very different things and it's not yet clear - to me - which one holds sway in Noah's heart. Good chapter, Boss - thanks