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Post by silentreader on Dec 6, 2015 20:28:44 GMT -5
Thank you, David, for editing and posting Ryan's story.
I had the biggest smile just now while I was finishing reading Isn't it Bromantic?. What a very neat, pleasant, happy story.
I'll go back and re-read it in a few days. I often find little details I've missed the first time around when I do that. (Many of the Sanitaria Springs are quite re-readable, I've found.)
But for now, I'm enjoying smiling about a happy story. (And I'm wondering about the future. Will Philip behave himself around Boomer? If Philip does start acting like Little Phil again, how will Boomer react?)
Oh - one more thing - I'm going to admit something (hanging my head in embarrassment)... in the middle of the story, for just a few paragraphs, I wondered if maybe Jamie was going to romantically date Philip. I was thinking to myself, no, that just wouldn't/couldn't happen (could it?) - but I wondered for a while.
Your and Ryan's character Jamie is growing up to become quite a remarkable fellow, isn't he? Wouldn't he be an amazing friend to have in real life when he's all grown up?
You know, I think that may be part of what attracts me so very much to these stories. Believe it or not, it really isn't the sex by itself. It is the caring and the friendship these characters demonstrate in these stories that keeps me coming back. I have had a few such friends in my life. Now, not so many. I read these stories and long for friends like that for myself.
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Post by Dabeagle on Dec 6, 2015 21:41:34 GMT -5
Ryan and I tossed around a few ideas about sexuality and how it affects each character. While I can't seem to get all the new labels in order (and I probably should, considering) we ended up thinking that Jamie is sort of hetero-flexible. His encounters with the same sex have taught him a few things - and his first hetero experience taught him, as well. It helps to give him depth and nuance.
Jamie was one of Ryan's favorites - thus his football exploits in this one. But, he also wanted to show the good guy under that deflective outer shell. In some ways, Jamie is the new Alec.
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Post by PaulR5 on Dec 6, 2015 23:55:11 GMT -5
Jamie was one of Ryan's favorites - thus his football exploits in this one. But, he also wanted to show the good guy under that deflective outer shell. In some ways, Jamie is the new Alec. I thought Lucien was somewhat the new Alec. However, Jamie is closer to a "smart-donkey" than Lucien.
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Post by silentreader on Dec 7, 2015 0:26:47 GMT -5
Well, you know, in real life it is possible for a football player to be a kind and gentle human being.
Decades ago, when I was in high school, I was a clumsy, dorky sort of fellow. (No, I'm not being modest. That's the truth.) I was not well coordinated, overweight, and I loved to read. Can you picture what sheer torture P.E. classes were for me?
But there was one hopelessly straight football player - on the real varsity football team - who was in some of my regular classes and in my P.E. class. Everybody else either laughed at me or ignored me in P.E.. This one football player would try to quietly encourage me and help me. He never laughed. He'd just whisper a quiet kind word or maybe try to show me how to do something in a gentle, positive way. He was kind to me in regular classes, too. I remember him all these years later. We've even kept in touch a few times a year. What a kind, gentle soul (to me, anyway) - not at all a stereotypical football player.
Jamie the character in Sanitaria Springs is not like "my" quiet gentle football player. But Jamie has some similar qualities in the kindness realm.
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Post by silentreader on Dec 7, 2015 0:32:38 GMT -5
Redemption for Philip is an important part of the continuing plot, too, isn't it?
(You all are too kind to say "duh!" to me, aren't you?)
Maybe that is quite important in real life, too, that it is possible for people to change and grow and maybe overcome some of their poorer qualities? And the rest of us (the rest of the characters) can help the person change and grow - or we can laugh and lock people into pre-judged catagories in our minds. I'm still thinking about this one.
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Post by Dabeagle on Dec 7, 2015 6:29:22 GMT -5
For me, redemption has always been a strong sub-story. I think I had been toying with redeeming Philip in Perils of Lucien, but it just didn't happen. The timing wasn't right, it may have been expected of me to try and salvage the character, etc. In the real world, guys like Little Phil don't usually learn their lessons very well. Their screwed up ideas from their youth persist well into their adult years and, sometimes, even get reinforced along the way. In fact, I'd even say that there are plenty of teen boys who act in that way toward girls because that's the kind of low-class example they are living down to or it's the kind of idea that they've picked up from somewhere.
I don't think Ryan and I had discussed Philip's story much beyond this point - other than including him as part of the ensemble.
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Post by PaulR5 on Dec 10, 2015 13:32:59 GMT -5
I notice something in the picture which is probably an accident.
On the house is the address number, 304.
Are the Kirkwoods living at #304 something, or someone else in Sanitaria Springs living at #304?
Just curious....
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Post by Dabeagle on Dec 10, 2015 14:51:09 GMT -5
I notice something in the picture which is probably an accident. On the house is the address number, 304.Are the Kirkwoods living at #304 something, or someone else in Sanitaria Springs living at #304? Just curious.... The image was the best I could do to represent the guys - Ryan was better at it. The house number is just what was in the photo.
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Post by silentreader on Dec 13, 2015 1:56:00 GMT -5
Had the time to re-read Bromantic just now.
Yes, I was right the first time, I like it. And I smiled at the happy story again.
I wouldn't have enjoyed it so much if I hadn't experienced the earlier stories with the pain and challenges. Those make the happier times all the more sweet.
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Post by jnwrx1 on Mar 4, 2016 14:08:47 GMT -5
I never commented on it at the time, but I noticed a few anecdotes in this story... For one thing, Lucien must be some sort of superhero (maybe there was radioactivity in the old bus, or something), because he sure seemed to be out of the hospital, completely healed, not to mention having the 'new' bus running and driving it around in record time. Also, I was pretty sure, that Boomer never told anyone his real name (at least not on screen)... That might have been a fun scene, to see what kind of charm Jamie would have had to turn on to get him to reveal that info, I really would have liked to have a friend like Jamie growing up, too. Loyal, romantic, funny... He's also a lot like Logan, definitely sticking up for the underdogs. In both Alec and Jamie, we definitely get to see characters that don't conform, mostly to the old stereotypes of how football players are supposed to be, but in other ways, too, they both transcend social boundaries with ease. After all that, though, I was kind of a little hurt by the reference to Sean having mood swings... I'd think after all that he's been through, he might have every right to be a bit sensitive over some things, and I was kind of shocked by Asher's comment seeming a bit insensitive, considering how in love he is with Sean.
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Post by Dabeagle on Mar 4, 2016 17:31:38 GMT -5
I never commented on it at the time, but I noticed a few anecdotes in this story... For one thing, Lucien must be some sort of superhero (maybe there was radioactivity in the old bus, or something), because he sure seemed to be out of the hospital, completely healed, not to mention having the 'new' bus running and driving it around in record time. Also, I was pretty sure, that Boomer never told anyone his real name (at least not on screen)... That might have been a fun scene, to see what kind of charm Jamie would have had to turn on to get him to reveal that info, I really would have liked to have a friend like Jamie growing up, too. Loyal, romantic, funny... He's also a lot like Logan, definitely sticking up for the underdogs. In both Alec and Jamie, we definitely get to see characters that don't conform, mostly to the old stereotypes of how football players are supposed to be, but in other ways, too, they both transcend social boundaries with ease. After all that, though, I was kind of a little hurt by the reference to Sean having mood swings... I'd think after all that he's been through, he might have every right to be a bit sensitive over some things, and I was kind of shocked by Asher's comment seeming a bit insensitive, considering how in love he is with Sean. There is a lull between each chapter, but yes you're right, maybe it was a little soon for Lucien to be driving, potentially. Sean having mood swings is a critical element to another story that has yet to post and establishes that he continues to struggle with his sexuality and how it meshes with his ideas of self.
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Post by jnwrx1 on Mar 4, 2016 22:29:15 GMT -5
I guess i can live with that, ha-ha... Hope to read that story soon, but I already warned you about breaking Sean up,
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Post by Dabeagle on Mar 4, 2016 22:51:23 GMT -5
I guess i can live with that, ha-ha... Hope to read that story soon, but I already warned you about breaking Sean up, You did?
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Post by jnwrx1 on Mar 5, 2016 1:03:06 GMT -5
Yeah, I mentioned somewhere else that Sean and Asher were my new favorite couple, so you better not do anything to break them up, ha-ha.
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Post by PaulR5 on Mar 5, 2016 9:06:34 GMT -5
I never commented on it at the time, but I noticed a few anecdotes in this story... For one thing, Lucien must be some sort of superhero (maybe there was radioactivity in the old bus, or something), because he sure seemed to be out of the hospital, completely healed, not to mention having the 'new' bus running and driving it around in record time. Also, I was pretty sure, that Boomer never told anyone his real name (at least not on screen)... That might have been a fun scene, to see what kind of charm Jamie would have had to turn on to get him to reveal that info, I really would have liked to have a friend like Jamie growing up, too. Loyal, romantic, funny... He's also a lot like Logan, definitely sticking up for the underdogs. In both Alec and Jamie, we definitely get to see characters that don't conform, mostly to the old stereotypes of how football players are supposed to be, but in other ways, too, they both transcend social boundaries with ease. After all that, though, I was kind of a little hurt by the reference to Sean having mood swings... I'd think after all that he's been through, he might have every right to be a bit sensitive over some things, and I was kind of shocked by Asher's comment seeming a bit insensitive, considering how in love he is with Sean. There is a lull between each chapter, but yes you're right, maybe it was a little soon for Lucien to be driving, potentially. Sean having mood swings is a critical element to another story that has yet to post and establishes that he continues to struggle with his sexuality and how it meshes with his ideas of self. Okay, let's look at at a couple of things from Bus Boys. Lucien had eye damage and burns. Evidently, no broken bones are mentioned; however, a hard bump or crack on the head is mentioned, and Lucien was bleeding, apparently badly. It took "several days" for his vision to come back and before he was able to return to school. The discussion with Claire on the porch swing happened, and Griffin organized getting a new bus for Lucien. NOWHERE in Bus Boys does it say the new bus does not already run. It talks about other needs, but if the bus already runs, that saves a lot of time. Okay, Dave or Lugnutz, in which other story does it give Sterling/Boomer's first name? The implication on the discussion boards was that it is not an official SS story--yet. As to how Jamie and Sean would have already known that is simple; when the football came was going on where Boomer first appears, a lot of kids were introduced to each other before Jamie and Sean gave Sterling the nickname. I agree with the assessment of Jamie. Mood swings. In Sean's life, a lot has happened in the last couple of years. Cecelia, his mother, gets very sick. He suddenly is living with his Dad and stepmother, Evelyn, and the three half-brothers he was mostly unaware he had. He transfers to a new school system; he visits his mother in a strange-to-him town once a week; he's persuaded by Jamie to go out for football when previously he seems to have not been very athletic; he has a near twin; he is wrestling with his sexual orientation; he dates a girl who too much resembles his mother; and he then has to deal with the loss of his mother. Also, he may be going through puberty at a different rate than Jamie. Asher's comment was not insensitive, since it was not made to Sean─ it was truthful. No wonder he has mood swings! I look forward to reading the story where his mood swings play an important role. Has anyone in the Sanitaria Springs writing universe considered writing a story where Sean, Niki, and Philip are discussing how they feel like outsiders at times? After all, Sean was not raised in the Springs. Niki was raised in a country where culture and language were very different. Philip made himself an outsider by his talk and actions when he was Little Phil. Has either Gavin or Philip, or both, considering changing their last name from Ashmore to their mother's maiden name? Any chance of a story from Boomer/Sterling's viewpoint soon?
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