Jack Poignet

As a new writer, I find it quite bizarre to stumble across my own name right next to some of my favourite stories on here … Anyway, there‘s definitely some stories that are new to me, looks like a plan for the Christmas vacation

How embarrassing. Today, I compiled the story so far into an ebook, put it on my kindle and reread it. (Just to remember who knows what at the moment) How did I not spot all my mistakes despite using a paid-for grammar checker? And in the last few paragraphs Jacques even had "his hands loose now in his lap". Hands, plural 🤦‍♂️ Oh well, just another 10 points or so of "reputation" and I can go in and fix this mess without sending a chapter back into the moderation queue ... Sorry 🤷‍♂️

Why go full vampire story? Why don’t you just put „the elite“ on a path to vampirism by harvesting the blood of young people (for the public good of course)? And everyone on the (harvest) program gets free tuition and health care. Of course, without proper tuition you wouldn’t be able to get a proper job … You don‘t need to stray very far from today’s possibilities to make the story hit hard. I have to admit, I wouldn‘t read a story about such a young guy, especially if I‘m expected to believe that he has the capacity to grasp and possibly resolve the whole situation.

Thanks, @Danners. Basically I just took some of my own experiences and observations from my recent visit there and mashed them up with the story. I guess there won‘t be many other chapters to just stroll around doing touristy stuff. And now I can send the other guys home without feeling too bad about it… if that is what will happen 🤔 This is the point where I really want to go into plot details but have to refrain from it 🤷‍♂️ CU around 🤗

It never actually crossed my mind that Marcus' family could be related to Jacques'... but I'm certainly willing to discover this possible aspect of the story as I write it down. However, other options immediately come to mind that might be a better fit... Keep guessing, I'll just pretend I had planned it all along the way it turns out in the end 😜

The atmosphere was lively at Café du Monde, but Jacques picked quietly at his beignets. Marcus, ever watchful, leaned slightly across the table. “Hey. You good?” His voice was quiet enough to escape the rest of the table’s notice, but Marcus held Jacques’ gaze pointedly. Jacques tried to shake the feeling off. “I’m fine,” he lied, his voice low and brittle, “powdered sugar crash.” Marcus didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press further. Jacques appreciated that—he didn’t have th

This is an outrage! It‘s been over seven years since this story concluded and there is still no part two! When there are so many possibilities to continue… There‘s also lots of other potential endings that could have been great, lots of story lines that deserved more attention… but then again, I guess that‘s just what makes a story great and stand out from the rest. I love shifter stories, even in their well trodden paths, but always hope to find new twists and perspectives. I found plenty of that here, reread the story a few times and several parts in it even more often. It’s easily one of my favourite shifter stories. I‘d offer my help in finding ideas for a plot for part two, but obviously that‘s not a problem the author suffers from. Thanks for the great read!

The glowing thing will hopefully become clearer with the next chapter … Jacques is just as confused about it as us.

Alex? Who is Alex again? ... oh yeah, him, right. Maybe I should give him a mention in the next chapter

Catching up with Devon and Marcus at the entrance to the large hotel lobby, they went looking for the rest of their group. No surprise, Jacques spotted them lounging near the bar, drinking. “There they are,” Marcus said, tilting his head toward them. “Tweedle Dumb, Tweedle Duller, and King Knowledge are back from their plantation postcard tour.” Devon snorted, his playful energy still running high after their earlier excursion. “Man, we’ve been waiting forever to reunite with the ‘cult

The limousine crept along the streets of the French Quarter, careful to avoid tourists. Inside, Jacques slumped in the backseat between his friends. His tense shoulders showed he was not in the mood to joke as the city slid by. Devon, though, was in high spirits, his voice already cutting through the awkward silence. He leaned forward, practically spilling into the front seat, pointing an accusing finger at Solomon. “Alright, Mr. Fancy Chauffeur Dude, you gotta tell us what the hell just ha

Thanks for reading and commenting. I‘m well aware that people can‘t really connect with the story because there‘s no likeable character in there they could root for, but I wrote it for the interesting/different aspects. Of course, there‘s a lot of story line that could be extended about addiction and, because Ethan is not a typical vampire, I‘d have a whole blank canvas to paint on… But who would be the likeable hero? Lucas? Maybe Jake? It actually could be Ethan… ! Oh well, I‘m glad I finished this one for now and can return to my other story. Maybe I‘ll come back to this one later…

While this is a vampire-ish story, I’d like to think that there‘s a meta layer. Have you considered that Ethan and his actions could represent addiction in general? …but that would be a much longer story 🤔

The gym felt suffocating, the air hot and heavy against Lucas’s wet skin. The towel clung to his hips precariously, the corners barely tucked in as he sprinted out of the showers. He didn’t notice the ripple of whispers that followed his hurried steps. All he could see was Ethan walking away, his slim frame slipping effortlessly through the crowded gym floor. The clang of weights and low murmur of voices were dull in Lucas’s ears, drowned out by the pounding of his heart and the surge of despera

@VBlew In my short time as a writer on here, I‘ve realized that comments are used by the reader to reflect on the story and speculate about what will happen. Unfortunately I tend to actually answer these questions, which obviously takes away the joy of reading the next chapters. In case of this story, it is pretty clear what will happen, after all, it‘s based on chapter 3 of Shadow‘s Reach (Halloween Noir) and @Danners comments on „hungry bottoms“ and a possible vampiric nature. However, while writing chapter 3 of this story, I realized that I could include a meta level to this story. Before I spoiler too much here, let‘s just say I‘m happy that you picked up on the fact that there might be something more going on here… I promise, things will come to a close in the next chapter (I‘m waiting for the shitstorm I deserve for that sentence then )

OK, no comments so far, so I‘ll just stick to my planned story line. The next and probably final chapter is now written It just needs to be refined. Lucas will find out what Ethan‘s really up to… that animal needs to be caged!

Thanks a lot. Been there, done that …. Well, not so much the lifting and getting bigger thing but at least I‘ve been observing. I knew it was good for something. Here‘s to the art of writing 🤣

The Forge pulsed with a primal energy. The clang of weights created a savage rhythm, in sync with the bass from the loudspeakers. The air was thick with the tang of iron and sweat, clinging to the skin like a lover’s embrace. Lucas strode through the entrance, his movements fluid yet powerful, a predator in his natural habitat. His tank top was plastered to his torso, every muscle exaggerated under the harsh gym lights. Veins snaked across his forearms, prominent like rivers carving through

After spending a week in New Orleans, I’m sitting at the airport right now, waiting to go home … While here, I took the time to have a look at Union Passenger Terminal and it’s surroundings. The access street/loop and the carpark had brand new tarmac, so that was good. the two highrises more or less in front of the station still had obvious Hurrican damage and it didn’t look like anyone was in a hurry to fix them … the CBD looked better than I remembered from way back when I was last here, but all in all, especially considering Alex‘ mental state, I wouldn‘t change much of the description if I rewrote/edited this chapter now.

Lucas woke up with a foggy mind and a strange heaviness in his limbs. He blinked against the harsh sunlight filtering through his bedroom window, stretching to get the soreness out of his body. But this wasn’t his usual post-leg-day ache. His muscles seemed weak, powered out, empty. His stomach ached. Groaning, he pushed himself out of bed, still a little dazed. What happened last night? He remembered the gym, the usual lifting routine, and—what else? Ethan’s smile flashed in his mind. The

Inside the room, there was a small table in the corner and a chair in front of it. A normal office setup. There were also instruments to measure body fat content, scales, a tape to measure chest, biceps, and so on… The main part of the room was actually set up for massage therapy, with a large and comfy looking massage table, a few plants, relaxing beach pictures on the wall and even a few strategically placed candles. Cosy. Ethan turned to Lucas. “This doesn‘t leave this room. You mustn‘t

The Forge. Lucas’ second home, and his favorite place in the world, was packed tonight, prime time for the regulars. Heavy bass music, syncopated with the crashes of clanging metal, powered the guys through their workouts. The stench of sweat and testosterone filled the air. Lucas gripped the barbell, veins popping as he pulled through the deadlifts, sweat glistening on his shoulder and leaving dark stains on the shirt down his broad back. He could feel eyes on him, judging, admiring glance

Lucas is serious about Lifting. However, he notices some strange things are going on at his gym. Guys show unnatural gains and there‘s a group of twinks acting rather suspiciously. Soon, the twinks make Lucas an offer he can‘t refuse… This story is based on a reader’s comment on chapter 3 of my „Shadow‘s Reach (Halloween Noir)“ story, where he thought about „hungry bottoms“ and if the action in my story could possibly be vampiric in nature. It wasn’t, but it got me thinking … So that‘s what this story is about. The first 5 chapters used to be a self-contained short story that I now have slightly revised.

Apologies if I caused any confusion by renaming the story. The originally planned „short story“ would have played solely around Halloween, the novel now will take a few days longer to play out, so the old name would have been misleading… and some people just don’t like reading „seasonal“ stories 🤷‍♂️

The other factions should be given a chance to look at Jacques and Alex. That is, if Jacques accepts his heritage (of course he does). What exactly are their powers? Do the factions deem them dangerous or powerful? Do they have plans with them for themselves? Of course, Jacques and Alex first need to learn a lot about magic and their powers… And no one can tell Jacques what he needs to do to get his new hand. But, despite being „the typical football jock“ he‘s actually a very clever guy … (and the author in real life has the equivalent of a masters degree in physics, which for many people sounds like magic )