Date: Jan 23, 2022 1:36 am Title: Chapter 2
Thanks for another incredibly intense chapter! These glimpses into their thoughts are very interesting. "Brian locked the man he had shown Justin away" - Oh, I so agree with Daphne. You mention all those events that I also hated so much about S2 and Brian's behavior. I mean, really, a hustler for a birthday? It would have been so much better if he hadn't given him anything. But that was about the most disrespectful thing he could do. And it hurts me so much to see Justin's face, the joy, then the disappointment and how he tries to pretend he's happy for Brian afterwards. There were already so many little hurtful disrespectful things with whom Justin could deal before the bashing, because he had an almost naive, courageous, self-confident and enthusiastic way of approaching life, but after prom and after everything he had to experience at the age of 17! And that scene "Take a shower. You stink"! I can understand so well that this experience could completely destroyed Justin mentally - it was so cruel. And while reading this chapter and thinking about it, I wonder how the authors could deal with the bashing and the aftermath so carelessly...There would be so much more to say about all the things that happened between Brian and Justin in S1 and in S2 and about their effects...
[Report This]Date: Mar 08, 2018 12:05 am Title: Chapter 2
Well, you may have just broken me and I am only two chapters in. Please tell me this ends well and that Brian can prove himself and show Justin he isn't the asshole he made himself out to be? That Justin can recover from this???
Author's Response:
*Grins* Wait and see.
[Report This]Date: Dec 09, 2017 11:51 pm Title: Chapter 2
Justin has been through so much and no one wanted to see it they all just expected Justin to go back to being who he was before.
The signs were there but no one saw them :(
Author's Response:
No, they didn't - Justin did a very good job of hiding them. There is no real blame for that - you can't help someone if they don't ask for it, and you can't ask for help if you don't think it will come. It's a vicious circle.
[Report This]Date: Nov 26, 2017 10:07 am Title: Chapter 2
SO sad. Poor Justin... TAG
Author's Response:
:)
Date: Nov 25, 2017 2:56 pm Title: Chapter 2
Very disturbing: Justin is in deep trouble. I always loved this scene when Justin comes back and Brian is already there after the bowling party. It is highly charged with frustration, anger, pain and desire. Brian was showing his dominant side and Justin couldn't do anything to prevent the damage.
The way you revisit the events and propose a potential scenario is really interesting.
Author's Response:
Thank you! And yes, Justin is in deep trouble.
Justin couldn't do anything to prevent the damage
And there has been damage done; I titled this fic the way I did because all actions have consequences. How far-reaching are they? It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a tsunami halfway around the world - Chaos Theory. So what have certain scenes in the past done? ;) I'm glad you are enjoying this. x
Date: Nov 19, 2017 4:24 pm Title: Chapter 2
Wow, I'm completely loving this story. I also 100% agree with everything Nochaser said as well as your responses back to her! I love Brian as well, BUT in my opinion, he totally abused Justin. Emotionally and mentally. As Nochaser said, you can understand Brian's actions but there is no excuse. If anything, you would think that he wouldn't WANT to do anything to someone else, especially someone he cares about, that was done to him. He KNOWS what that feels like. He wanted to give up Gus because he was worried that he would become Jack and abuse him. When in reality he was already acting like both Jack (in his verbal abuse to Justin) and Joan (in his indifference to everything). I just have a hard time with him not realizing he acting like both his parents. Please don't misunderstand me, I am far far from a Brian hater, I absolutely love Brian and want to help "the little sad boy inside him" and show him that love is okay. BUT, that doesn't mean I condone how he talks and acts. Thank you so much for this wonderful story, and I look forward to reading more!! Patty
Author's Response:
I agree 100%. I love the character of Brian; he's interesting, and complex and has the capacity to love deeply and strongly, but he was a total prick. He allowed his childhood to dictate who he became - I remember reading a fic a while ago, and in it, Justin said to Brian, if you don't want to be like your parents - then don't be. Circumstances only dictate a section of our lives - choice dictates the rest. And as Justin said in this particular fic - his father (Craig) was a prick, and he chose not to be like his father.
That really struck a chord with me.
So thank you for reading, Patty, and for taking the time to leave me a review. I'm really glad you are enjoying this. xx
Date: Nov 19, 2017 3:06 pm Title: Chapter 2
Holy shit! I love this story! It's so different from other fics, totally new concept. Every single paragraph is even better than the one before. It's so interesting!
Poor Justin! OMG my heart is breaking for him...
Wow...how often will you update?
Author's Response:
Thanks, hon, and yeah, I tend to think way outside the box when it comes to fics. And I'm glad that you have the feels for Justin - I love Justin! ;)
As for updating, I tend to work really closely with my beta, and I have 6 chapters in total written and squared away. I will be updating weekly - you guys got this one early because I am working stoopid hours later this week, (my daughter's words) and won't have time to scratch my bum, let alone think about posting and stuff. ;) And over the two week Xmas period, I'll be lucky to kiss my kids, let alone sit down to write. But I hope to keep up the flow of this with Kim, (my beta) so we'll see. As I said to her, it's flowing, but there is no doubt a wall in my future, lol.
Thanks so much for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. xx
[Report This]Date: Nov 19, 2017 1:58 pm Title: Chapter 2
God I love your interpetation of what happened. I'm hoping that there is light at the end.
Author's Response:
Thank you! I'm a sucker for a happy ending, but that doesn't mean it'll be smooth sailing to get there. Someone else said that this felt real - that was my intention, so *shrugs* I'm glad you're enjoying my story though, and thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it. x
[Report This]Date: Nov 19, 2017 12:11 pm Title: Chapter 2
oh this is breaking my heart. Poor Justin. And I appreciate the fact that Ethan isn’t a bad guy. Looking forward to the next chapter. :)
Author's Response:
Thanks, hon!! Glad you're enjoying this. x
Date: Nov 19, 2017 11:20 am Title: Chapter 2
"How's Molly doing, Mom? Is she still enjoying her dance lessons?"
"Justin..."
"Is Dad still paying for those lessons? How about her tennis lessons? Her swimming lessons? Her fucking education?"
"..."
---------------------------
This is one of the most telling passages. Justin is carrying around a ton of hurt and anger over his parents' betrayal. It's crushing to feel, whether you're right or not, that your sibling is loved and you aren't.
Anyone who's read my own stories will know that I'm pretty Justin-centric. His family turned their backs on him, he was immersed into a sexually charged adult world right out of the gate, was almost killed, had to deal with a lover's 'best friend' who continually reminded him of his impermanence, had no roof over his head that he could depend on, and had to maneuver an emotional minefield with Brian, all within the span of a year. We make a lot about Brian's horrific childhood and excuse a lot of his behavior because of that. I love his character to the bottom of my soul, but ultimately, hurting another because you've been hurt can't really be excused. It can be understood, but not excused.
The Liberty group was really very, very dysfunctional, wasn't it?
Author's Response:
We make a lot about Brian's horrific childhood and excuse a lot of his behavior because of that. I love his character to the bottom of my soul, but ultimately, hurting another because you've been hurt can't really be excused. It can be understood, but not excused.
This. Yes! Thank you! And this is something that I plan on delving into with this story. I was raised to see that all actions have consequences, and it is a lesson that I am instilling in my own children.
It's crushing to feel, whether you're right or not, that your sibling is loved and you aren't.
And this too. Loved, or preferred, no matter what they do. Thank you for reading and for taking the time to leave me such a wonderful, in-depth review. I so appreciate it. xx
Date: Nov 19, 2017 11:00 am Title: Chapter 2
This was a perfect chapter! Perfect. So much information, so much pain, so many questions and answers and more questions...
You touched on the two scenes in canon that made me literally hate Brian, and you ended on one of those. The 'blond boy ass' comment and the rape - because in my mind that's what it was. Brian emotionally raped Justin that night. He manipulated Justin's need for him and twisted it into a physical attack. It reminded me of a child just wanting to be held by a parent, being coaxed to that parent for a hug, and then getting slapped by them instead.
Very, very well done. I'm such a masochist. My heart is breaking and I can't wait to have you hurt me a little more.
Author's Response:
You touched on the two scenes in canon that made me literally hate Brian... the rape - because in my mind that's what it was. Brian emotionally raped Justin that night. He manipulated Justin's need for him and twisted it into a physical attack.
As I said ^^^ I was raised to see that all actions have consequences, and there are and will be consequences for this. You'll see what I mean as we go forth, but you've already picked up on a thread that was planted with that much-hated scene in mind because I agree with you 100% - it was a physical attack, and I hate that we never saw what it did to Justin. So you'll see it fully within this story. And while I apologize for breaking your heart, I'm so glad that you are letting me do so. :)
Kerri. xxx