[Su Cuy' gar]

We're really trying to ingratiate ourselves to him, here... Have to make sure we do everything possible to keep him writing.

[Hamster]

Was still being entirely facetious, but I guess I was taking away the beagle's bone, or stepped on his tail.

We definitely need to have more characters moving in, though.

I should find him a new random place name somewhere to write a character from, though.

[Hamster]

Anyway, so at that point, 5 gay boys and a bi boy. Then we got Kale and Chase and then Robin and Charlie and finally, Lucien - and Robin loves the person, not the gender.. So in the whole school, we had ten (counting Robin) and a bi guy. Then we lost Charlie. Then Alec and Sash graduated. Then we got Hamster. Cole Darby doesn't count because he's out of town. So we're at 8.

Frankly, Scarlett, I don't care about how many kids we think need to be there in order to tell stories of gay kids in Sanitaria Springs. We've had Lucien move in to town, Charlie moved in and passed away. Hamster moved in. More to come. I think some folks get wrapped up in the idea that there are all these gay kids - but really, it's that you're getting these kids stories. I don't care about writing the straight kids stories - because there are a billion and one of them out there. I wasn't to write about Robin and Lucien and any gay boys they come across. I want to ride sidecar with Alec and Sash and Kale and Chase. I want to see these gay kids growing and falling in love and if you feel like it's unrealistic because potential school pop figures might not support it...it's fiction. This is our playground to build as we see fit.

I plan to keep building.

My school averaged 400 each year, but that's different math.

Didn't need to get into the whole stats and percentages side of it... I was being entirely facetious, and probably borderline sarcastic about it.

I just happened to notice that by looking at the town on a map, you can tell it has no interest in the facts.

[Su Cuy' gar]

It was a second hand lions kind of story. I loved it. I also had an aunt that was . . . eccentric. She was known to break out in a yodel now and then and she was really good at it if that can be, perhaps skilled or gifted would be a better choice of terms. And there were rumors she won a peeing contest against her two brothers from the second floor of a Howard Johnsons in their youth. Having known her . . . it's probably not a rumor. She was never seen without her favorite drink in hand, a mixture of milk and pepsi. Go figure.

It was a most wonderful story and in true Dabeagle style. But does the guy write anything not top notch? Saved to my private Library is all I can say. I always worry about the loss of so many great works when the internet apocolipse occurs. So I give santuary to the best of the best. :-)

Now I have to find an adult beverage to help stem the pics in my head of my dear aunt Ruth. GAH! Make them stop!

Is it my imagination or does Aunt Ruth have beard...?

Dabeagle is an inspiration to us all. We should all pay tribute to him by hoarding away his stories safe from the internet, so future generations will know.

[Hamster]

As Columbia has progressed, in my mind, there are feeder schools in the neighboring small towns to fill it up. I reach for a balance between what's actually in Sanitaria Springs (next to nothing) and creating enough to have a story.

I worried at one point that there were too many gay characters for one town. However, at this point in the time line many have graduated and I remind myself that I'm telling the stories of gay characters - just to help me keep things going.

I discovered on a map that the town seems barely big enough to have the barber shop let alone be worthy of a Greyhound stop.

I'm thinking both the middle school and high school (with such a large gay population) could most likely be in the next largest town, and not Sanitaria Springs itself.

I did notice on the map a fairly sizeable town not too far away named Kirkwood Center... I guess now we know where the Kirkwood family came from, at least, so maybe that`s where the school would be, too, although why didn`t the local family dynasty not name it after themselves?

And even if two of them have graduated, Austin is going to be going to that school, and there's that boy he danced with, so you've already got a replacement population right there .

[Su Cuy' gar]

"Wayward Son" would have to be in the contender lineup.

R

Ha-ha... It could be, but not at the very top:

Tull Unification is definitely my next favorite, and then pretty sure it`s the whole Sanitaria Springs universe.

After that, for me, my next favorite is a bit of an older one: I really liked Rainbow's End, and then next is The Meaning of Living.

Wayward Son would probably be next, but I'd be hard pressed to actually try ranking the rest of his library. I like them all, but I think I've stroked his ego and patted his head enough.

[Su Cuy' gar]

I just had to comment on this, especially after reading the story notes, which aren't available on Dabeagle's site since the updates.

I agree completely with DesDownunder about the how story is so true to real life, and creates a complete sense of its own reality.

I`d really be willing to nominate this as the best all time Dabeagle story, ever. (There are still a couple other contenders).

Nothing else really comes close to the depth of the characters and the completeness of the world from the story. Reading the story notes has also given me some new ideas of things to try to maybe actually start some writing of my own. I have a few characters who are looking for a place to be, so...

I do also agree it really begs to have a sequel, but if it does, I would really love to see something from Torian's point of view, especially if it somehow included an exploration of his feelings while he was waiting for Q to finally notice him. Having said that, though, I had a sudden thought that the end result might be something very close to the love-at-a-distance story we just had from the Sanitaria Springs universe.

[Hamster]

I should probably say that Flubberbuster wasn't my first choice. I think I was going with Fatburger first, and discovered that such a chain actually exists - and not in NY. I went through a few others before settling on this.

My characters are the way they are because I love them. Well, most of them. I don't want you to dislike them and I hope that you find something of yourself in each story.

Robin has become very dear to me and I love writing him. If I have one true regret it's that I didn't create him, but I think I make him pretty happy.

...

I think you probably are giving too much away, although we can never know what to expect, especially where Alec is involved.

Also, as frightening as it is to hear it, I'm not surprised to find out there is a Fatburger restaurant chain. I'm sure it lives up to it's name quit handily.

I could never possibly dislike any of your characters, especially the ones from Sanitaria Springs. The only thing is, we may get to liking them too much, and fall too much in love with them. In a way, when we read these stories, we are all like Lucien looking at Robin from a distance, and falling in love. When we are finished reading, it leaves our minds tumbling back to reality, wanting to hold on to the illusion that we can find someone to actually fall in love with, but it is an ideal that just always seems slightly out of reach. Or, sometimes completely out of reach.

I definitely see myself in a lot of the characters, too much of myself, in some of them. But most of the time, it's also only an ideal of myself, or the person I would have wanted to be, but could never live up to. I guess that's why the stories can stir up so many emotions, and on different levels, because we want the best of endings for the characters, but we also want the best for ourselves, but what actually happens in reality is oftentimes starkly different, so we can still feel a some envy and jealosy of the characters when they get a happy ending.

[Hidden Talents]

Who knew a one line comment about the superiority of the piano would spark such a lively discussion.

Guess that's my fault, since I agreed with Kale on it. Once I give a listen to the posted videos, maybe i can make a more clearheaded judgment.

I'd just love to have a guy like Kale around all the time, though, cause I just love listening to solo piano playing. Couldn't be a guy who's shy like Kale, however, cause I've already got the shy part down.

[Hidden Talents]

Everything doesn't sound better on the piano. A perfect example is the suite Pictures at an Exhibition written for piano by Modest Mussorgsky. It's probably his best know work and is a wonderful piano composition.

But, it's far, far better known as adapted for orchestra by Maurice Ravel, and is more satisfying to hear.

Many symphonies have been reduced to piano scores, and almost none of them are superior to the orchestral version.

C

I may have to change my opinion on that one, and Kale definitely needs to come out of the closet and join an orchestra.

[Sanitaria Springs Wiki]

Just for fun, I looked for the town on a map, and I'm sure it's barely big enough to have a barber shop or be worthy of a Greyhound stop, let alone have both a middle school and a high school (not to mention such a large gay population ).

I did notice, however, a fairly sizeable town not too far away name Kirkwood Center... Hmmmm. I guess now we know where the Kirkwood family came from, at least, even if the rest of population seems to be completely in the wind.

[Hamster]

I can't stop myself saying that Flubberbuster Burger has to be one the best, most cynical snipes at the fast food industry. The very name seems to make you feel you gained fifty pounds from eating too much grease.

I can never get over how prescient and wise beyond their years all Dabeagle characters are. When I was fourteen, I had no sense of self like Austin does, and I still barely do now. I would never even have found myself in an environment where it was safe to dance with another boy at the country club, much less find one to ask.

I am truly envious of the 'found family' the guys have. I'm especially jealous of Lucien and Robin, though. That sounds like a relationship that's about as perfect as it can get, despite Alec spreading all kinds of false rumours about them.

I think we definitely need a few stories to showcase their developing romance, without getting it second and third hand with Alec's false reports of their private activities. However, after reading the latest story, where they both join the wrestling team, I definitely think the book called 101 Sex Positions might definitely come into more play.

I'm also not sure we want to know what Alec got for Chase and Kale for Christmas

[Noah and Jordan]

Negative: some overdone angst, need for a proofreader, extremely irregular updates

Okay, not great.

The negatives here are intensifying through the run of the story, especially the overdone angst and extremely irregular updates.

The buildup of the relationship was good, but now the author seems bent on ripping it apart, again. They could long ago have ended the story on a completed and satisfying note.

[Sex in Stories]

I think I can use the recently posted "Hidden Talents" as another discussion example, mainly because, although there was sex in it, it actually seemed to be really immaterial to the story. It was all about showing the emotional commitment of two people who are already pretty experienced and mature at loving each other, and could easily spend the rest of their lives without having any sex at all, and it wouldn't impact the deep love they have for each other.

There was one story chapter recently on GA where someone said that it's more important to be with someone you can talk to, because eventually the that is going to be all you have. Being able to talk and do things together, just like humans are wont to do, far outweighs the value of sex. Just like the common stereotype that implies when you are sexually aroused, you are thinking with the wrong brain, sex is really all just about getting an orgasm. Whether or not you laid the emotional groundwork before hand and have built some respect for each other will determine what it actually means once it is over.

[Hidden Talents]

I'm probably gonna fall in the category of people who might be able to appreciate ballet...

But I agree with Kale... Everything really does sound better on the piano, and I wish I had someone who could do that for me.

And everyone knows Beethoven was the original rock musician, so if Kale played something from him, that would really be coming out in style.