Charlie Foxtrot's Blog, page 16

Beautiful faces

Here is my ‘go-to’ list of actors, models, and celebrities to use when I’m building character images or looking for character inspiration.  I’m sure there are more celebrities rising up in poularity every year, but the people on this list have both a broad set of features and plenty of images in the public eye that mean their specific look may be captured in the GenAI models that have been trained.  In fact, it’s the use of their images in the training of an AI model that have many actors and celebrities worried about studios being able to recreate their most memorable characters without hiring the actor to perform.  Given the current US copyright rulings that AI generated images cannot be copyrighted, I don’t think it would be smart for a studio to publish content generated by AI, since it could not be protected under copyright.  This is still an evolving space, so who knows what the future will hold.  In the meantime, here is the list that you can start using in your own explorations of GenAI.

All of these people are already included in the __celeb__ wildcard file included with the Dynamic Prompts extension.  I just like to have a more currated list.

Feel free to follow and subscribe to make your own suggestions and get alerted as the list is updated.  

Some sample combinations are at the end of the post.  Fair warning, I have not tried all combinations on these lists, so cannot guarantee results.  Good luck!

Females (alphabetical order)Adriana LimaAlexandra DaddarioAlicia VikanderAlicia WittAmanda SeyfriedAmber HeardAmy AdamsAna de ArmasAngelina JolieAnn-MargretAnne HathawayAnnie LennoxAriana GrandeAshley OlsenAudrey HepburnAvril LavigneBella ThorneBeyoncéBlake LivelyBrenda SongBrigitte BardotBritney SpearsCandice SwanepoelCara DelevigneCarla Bruni Carmen KassCarrie UnderwoodCeline DionCharlize TheronChristie BrinkleyChristina AguileraChristina HendricksChristy TurlingtonCindy CrawfordClaudia SchifferConstance WuDaisy RidleyDeepika PadukoneDemi LovatoDemi MooreDiana RossDolly PartonDua LipaEliza DushkuElizabeth HurleyElizabeth OlsenElsa HoskEmilia ClarkeEmily BluntEmma StoneEmma WatsonEmmy RossumEva GreenFlorence PughGal GadotGigi HadidGisele BündchenGrace KellyGwen StefaniGwyneth PaltrowHailee SteinfeldHailey BieberHalle BerryHayley AtwellHeidi KlumHilary DuffJane FondaJasmine TookesJenna ColemanJennifer AnistonJennifer ConnellyJennifer LawrenceJeri RyanJessica AlbaJessica BielJessica ChastainJessica SimpsonJolene BlalockJulia RobertsJulianne MooreKaley CuocoKaren GillanKarolína KurkováKate BeckinsaleKate MaraKate MiddletonKate UptonKate WinsletKatee SackhoffKaty PerryKeira KnightleyKendall JennerKristen StewartLady GagaLena HeadeyLily CollinsLinda EvangelistaLindsay LohanLittle CapriceLiza SoberanoLucy LuiLupita Nyong’oMadonnaMargot RobbieMaria OzawaMariel HemingwayMarilyn MonroeMary-Kate OlsenMegan FoxMichelle YeohMila KunisMiley CyrusMilla JovovichMinnie DriverMiranda KerrMonica BellucciNana (Im Jin Ah)Naomi CampbellNatalie PortmanNicole KidmanOlivia RodrigoOlivia WildeP!nkPriyanka ChopraRachel CookRachel McAdamsRania Al Abdullah RihannaRiley ReidRuth WilsonSasha GreyScarlett JohanssonSelena GomezShakiraShania TwainSigourney WeaverSophie TurnerStephanie SeymourSummer GlauTaylor HillTaylor SwiftTina TurnerTricia HelferTwiggyUma ThurmanVanessa HudgensVictoria BeckhamWhitney HoustonZendayaZoe SaldanaMales (alphabetical order)

Fair warning, some models assume female gender so you may have to expand your prompt for male faces.

Alec GuinnessAnsel ElgortBen AffleckBenedict CumberbatchBing CrosbyBrad PittBradley CooperBruce LeeCary GrantChris HemsworthChris PineChristian BaleChristian BaleClint EastwoodColin JostDaniel CraigDaniel RadcliffeDavid BeckhamDenzel WashingtonDwayne JohnsonElvis PresleyEwan McGregorHarrison FordHarry StylesHenry CavillHugh JackmanGeorge ClooneyIan McKellenIdris ElbaJake GyllenhaalJames FrancoJason StathamJohn WayneJohnny DeppJude LawJustin TimberlakeKeanu ReevesKenneth BranaghLeonardo DiCaprioLiam HemsworthMarlon BrandoMark WahlbergMatthew McConaugheyMatt DamonMichael CaineMiles TellerMorgan FreemanMuhammad AliPatrick StewartRalph FiennesRobert Downey JrRobert PattinsonRyan GoslingRyan ReynoldsSean ConnerySylvester StalloneTimothée ChalametTom CruiseTom HanksTom HiddlestonTom HollandZac EfronA Few Samples

This first sample an exploration of specific combinations using Combinatorial generation in the Dynamic Prompts extension.

This is a random combination using the Dynamic Prompts wildcards feature to create random combinations of [female:male:0.5] combinations.

You can see additional samples of my character images at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images/

A world of possiblities – Dynamic Prompts in Stable Diffusion

In my last post, I shared how I generate character images.  I use that approach when I have a firm idea in mind of what the character looks like or needs to represent.  This post will talk about one of the extensions I use when I’m exploring combinations of characters looking for inspiration.   

Dynamic Prompts

Using Automatic1111 as the UI for my stable difussion install, I’ve added in an extension for enable Dynamic Prompts.  As the instruction page says, it implements an expressive template language for random or combinatorial prompt generation along with features to support deep wildcard directory structures.  Crystal clear, right?

Install the extension via the Automatic1111 Extensions tab.  You can use the Install from URL option and put the GitHub url in the field to handle the installation easily.  You will have to restart your installation to make the extension active.

If you have installed it correctly, you’ll see this on the Generation section of the main page:

Click the arrow on the right side of the control to see the options available.  For now, we’re intersted in the Combinatorial generation logic of the extension, so click it to enable.

We are now ready to create some combinations patterns to see what sort of images we can create for inspiration.

The syntax for a combinarion is to place the options we want inside curly brackets, seperated by a vertical bar:  {option one|option two}.  if we only have one set of curly brackets in our prompt, we will generate two version of the final image the first with option one in the prompt and the seconde with option two.  The power of this approach comes when we have multiple sets of brackets for options:  {option one|option two}, {option A|option B} will generate four images (1A, 2A, 1B, 2B}.  This can result in some intersting images that we can then iterate and elaborate on as we did in the prior post.

Let’s give it a try

Prompt: glamour photograph of a 21 year old woman[Jennifer Lawrence:Audrey Hepburn:{0.3 |0.7}] wearing {miniskirt | thigh-high boots} with {corset top | camisole top}

You can use this approach to get intersting face combinations such as: headshot photograph of  21-year-old model[{Halle Berry | Jennifer Anniston | Cara Delevingne}:{Taylor Swift | Lady Gaga | Tina Turner}:0.5].  

You can use this combination approach across your prompt for scenes as well:  ( pencil and ink \(medium\) artist sketch of {Futuristic|steampunk} city street with {elvish | fairy} merchants selling their wares.

The Dynamic Prompts add in also has the capability to generate semi-random images through use of it’s rich templating and wild-card files.  If there is interest, I can show more about those features as well.

Feel free to follow and subscribe to make your own suggestions and get alerted when new content is posted or old content is updated.  

You can see additional samples of my character images at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images/

Creating Character Images with Stable Diffusion

I’ve written about using Stable Diffusion after the fact to create images of characters, and shared samples of my results, but did not detail my specific workflow or process, so I thought I’d share a little about it.  I like to let the computer churn out possible images while I’m working on writing or other things.  Depending on how many images I’m running in a batch, reviewing the results can be a nice break and reminder to stand up and stretch.

What is Stable Diffusion?

Stable diffusion both a term of art and a reference to a specific software used to generate images.  As a term of art, it is a concept in mathematics and physics that describes how certain systems evolve over time in a smooth and predictable manner. Imagine a calm river where the flow of water remains steady and uniform. In stable-diffusion, a similar principle applies to various processes, where changes occur gradually and smoothly without sudden disruptions. This concept is often used in fields like statistical mechanics and finance to model the gradual spread or diffusion of quantities such as heat, information, or financial assets. In simpler terms, stable-diffusion helps us understand how things spread or change in a stable and continuous way, much like the steady flow of a tranquil river.

In the context of generating images refers to a method used in machine learning and artificial intelligence to produce high-quality and coherent images. Imagine starting with a vague and blurry image and gradually refining it, step by step, like slowly bringing an out-of-focus picture into clear focus. This technique ensures a smooth and stable transformation of the image, avoiding sudden and jarring changes. In the process, details are added progressively, resulting in realistic and visually appealing images. Stable-diffusion is particularly valuable in image generation tasks as it enables the generation of complex and intricate visual content in a controlled and gradual manner.

For the rest of this blog entry, I will used Stable Diffusion to be the software used to generate images.  The software is developed and maintainted by stability.ai .  You can see the git code repository here.

Introduction to my set-up

I’m running Stable Difussion 1.5 on a Mac Pro with a M2 processor.  I started on an older Intel based Mac, but still followed the same install journey discussed here.  This article covers the installation of the Automatic1111 GUI for use via a browser to manage the generation of images.  The mac specific instructions for installation can be found here. (As of this writing, I’m running version: v1.6.1  •  python: 3.10.13  •  torch: 2.0.1  •  xformers: N/A  •  gradio: 3.41.2  •  checkpoint: 7a4dbba12f).  

Using the GUI allows additional tools and customizations to be added into the process, such as an Image browser to see all of your recently generated work, ControlNet which gives you control over the posing of the characters in the image,  and add-ins to provide finer control of lighting and contrast to make more realistic images.  The full range of what can be done with the tools and add-ins is beyond the scope of this write-up.  There are also several ways to run image generation online, but I prefer to have my tools and processes locally to give me greater control.  More infomration on online tools is only an internet search away.

Models

Stable Diffusion provides the framework and system to generate images, but needs a trained model to actually perform the work.  There are a wide variety of models across the internet that can be used.  Civitai.com is a great place to start exploring the world of possible.  You do have to register for a free account to use Civitai, but they appear to be responsible and don’t generate spam.  Huggingface.com is a good alternative if Civitai is not your cup of tea.  

Please note that your model is the biggest variable in whether you will see Not Safe For Work (NSFW) images in the generation process.  This can be controlled with your prompts, but if you pick a model trained with porn, you’re more likely to see NSFW images.

Many of the models are geared to fantasy realms, animae and other fictional settings, but there are a fair number of high-quality models focused on creating photorealistic images.  Depending on the genre you want to create characters for, pick an appropriate model. To illustrate, here are three character images created from the same inputs, but using three different models.

Common prompt: photograph of a young woman standing before a huge dragon, Seed: 2988225084, Sample steps: 30, CFG: 7

The first model is v1-5-pruned-emaonly and is essentially the default model most tutorials tell you to install while getting set up.

The second model is Ghostmix_v2, and can provide good images for a wide range of content.

The final model is CyberRealistic_v33, and seems to do well for me when generating photorealistic content and pictures.

My go-to model currently is the last, CyberRealistic_v33. Unless I state otherwise, that is the model I’ll used for the remainder of this article.  

There are several other settings within the UI that can have a large impact on your images.  These include the number of sample steps used (30 in all these examples), the CFG Scale (I’m using 7 in this article).  You can also select your sampling method and upscaler used.  My defaults are DPM++ 2M Karras for sampling method and R-ESRGAN 4x+ for upscaler. 

Prompts

A prompt is the natural language input used to generate the image.  Generally speaking, you want to keep your prompts as simple as possible.  Depending on the model you use, the “as possible” can still result in a long prompt.  Prompt length will also affect how quickly your images are generated.  Additionally, there are both positve prompts (what you want to see) and negative prompts (things you don’t want).  For negative prompts, I have an add-on the is specific for my preferred model called CyberRealistic_negative.  I can put this in my negative prompt input box and avoid a lot of extra typing. 

 For the first examples, I kept the prompt very simple “photograph of a young woman standing before a huge dragon”, with no negative prompt.  Now I want to be more character-image specific.  

If you want to have a consistent face as you iterate on other settings, you need to ’trick’ the model by having a common descriptor in your prompt.  Some creators use a name: “photgraph of young woman[ingrid] standing under a tree”.  Others suggest using a nationally in the prompt, such as: “photograph of a young Norwegian woman standing under a tree”.  

I prefer to have a bit more control over the facial features of the character, so I like to use real people so I can have an expectation of facial features, but I always blend two people to give a unique, but consistent look.  For example, “photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glau:0.5] standing under a tree”.

Using this approach has a few of benefits for me.  Firstly, I get consitent facial feaures and structure across multipe runs and many image settings.  Secondly, since I’m making character images, it generally produces faces that are easily visible in the frame of the image.  I can also blend the mix of features by adjusting the number part of the prompt.  Using 0.5 means it will shift between the two faces 50% of the way though the image generation.  I can easily change that to 30% [:0.3] or 70% [:0.7] by adjusting the prompt. Finally, I get natural hair and eye colors without adding anything to the prompt.  I’ll show you how to override that in a moment.

Let’s see what this approach give us.

Not bad.  I like the overall pose and compostion for now, so copy the seed (4115103065) so I can focus on the details of the character and not worry about the composition changing too much.  One thing to be aware of is that a lot of the models have a bias to asian norms for the people they generate.  To help make this a little less asian, I’m going to add the Asian-Less-Neg add-in to my negative prompt.  Just this simple change in the prompt has a noticeable impact on the image.

For this character, I want her hair lighter and I want her to have blue eyes, so I  modify the prompt to: “photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glam:0.5] standing under a tree, platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes.“

Notice that her dress changed colors to match her eyes, which I did not want, so I’ll tweak the prompt again.  “photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glam:0.5] standing under a tree, platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes,  wearing red dress”.

That did not change as expected, so let’s increase the strength of the prompt here.  Enclosing a term in parentheses will increase the weight of the element by 10%, so “(red)” will make the color prompt stornger.  The alternative syntax is “(red:1.1)” which I prefer because it gives me greater control.  I can put “(red:1.5)” to make the weighting 50% greater instead of trying to figure out nested parenthases.  That seems to do the trick. “photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glam:0.5] standing under a tree, platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes,  wearing (red:1.5) dress”.

I can now iterate and add details until I get close to the image I want.  I can also move back to a random seed if I want some alternative compositions to consider, or use the “extras” feature to create variations of an image.

Here are some of the variations I reviewed before selecting a favorite:

Here is my final result and the prompt that created it.

Prompt: (full body) photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glau:0.6] standing under a blossoming cherry tree, stream flowing in background, athletic build, fit, slender waist, narrow hips, platinum blonde hair, french-twist hairstyle, big blue eyes, smiling, (wearing a short (red:1.5) beaded cocktail dress with black details), (black lace gloves), rim lighting, sunset, twilight, soft focus, dof, 

Negative prompt: CyberRealistic_Negative-neg, Asian-Less-Neg, 

Steps: 30, Sampler: DPM++ 2M Karras, CFG scale: 7, Seed: 1017757063, Face restoration: CodeFormer, Size: 512×512, Model hash: 7a4dbba12f, Model: cyberrealistic_v33, Variation seed: 2310841748, Variation seed strength: 0.31, Denoising strength: 0.65, Hires upscale: 2, Hires upscaler: R-ESRGAN 4x+, Version: v1.6.1

Notice that the lace gloves fell out of the image, even though I boosted the weight of the prompt slightly to include them.  If I had to have that detail, there are other ways to re-work that part of the image or reinforce the prompt even more, but that would make this post much too long.

Additional Prompt Considerations

As mentioned above, some models have been trained using porn images.  If you want to minimize generation of questionable content, you may want the add “SFW” to the begining of your prompt.  Of course, if explicit images are your thing, you can apply it in the negative prompt instead.  

You can also adjust the number of sampling steps the process uses.  Generally speaking, more steps give you images closer to your prompt, but sometimes you will reach a point of diminishing returns.  

Finally, you can change the medium you want the image created in. Here is the same basic prompt, but using a water color medium and mimicking a specific artist’s style.

Prompt: ( watercolor \(medium\), IrisCompiet:1.2), , painting of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glau:0.6] standing under a blossoming cherry tree, stream flowing in background, athletic build, fit, slender waist, narrow hips, platinum blonde hair, french-twist hairstyle, big blue eyes, smiling, (wearing a short (red:1.5) beaded cocktail dress with black details),

Other add-ons

In addition to the default capabilities of Stable-Diffusion and Automatic1111, you can extend your workflow and tailor how images are generated using extensions.  The most common are LORA’s and Textual Inversions.   The negative prompts referenced above are actually Textual Inversions. The extension used to make the water color image in the style of Iris Compiet is a LORA in action.

It is also not uncommon to use a Dynamic Thresholding Fix (also called a CFG Scale Fix) to allow more dynamic range in the output images and make them look more realistic.  I use several of these on a normal basis.  For this post, here is the final image I selected and the full prompt and settings used to generate it.

Prompt: (full body) photograph of a young woman[Joanna Krupa:Summer Glau:0.6] standing under a blossoming cherry tree, stream flowing in background, athletic build, fit, slender waist, narrow hips, platinum blonde hair, french-twist hairstyle, big blue eyes, smiling, (wearing a short (red:1.5) beaded cocktail dress with black details), rim lighting, sunset, twilight, soft focus, dof, , , (low key), , , (perfecteyes blue eyes), 

Negative prompt: CyberRealistic_Negative-neg, Asian-Less-Neg, 

Steps: 70, Sampler: DPM++ 2M Karras, CFG scale: 25.5, Seed: 1017757063, Face restoration: CodeFormer, Size: 512×512, Model hash: 7a4dbba12f, Model: cyberrealistic_v33, Variation seed: 2310841748, Variation seed strength: 0.31, Denoising strength: 0.65, Hires upscale: 2, Hires upscaler: R-ESRGAN 4x+, Lora hashes: “epi_noiseoffset2: d1131f7207d6, LowRA: 0dfc93870ba3, add_detail: 7c6bad76eb54, lora_perfecteyes_v1_from_v1_160: a20338fde571”, Dynamic thresholding enabled: True, Mimic scale: 6.5, Separate Feature Channels: True, Scaling Startpoint: MEAN, Variability Measure: AD, Interpolate Phi: 0.95, Threshold percentile: 98.3, Mimic mode: Half Cosine Up, Mimic scale minimum: 4, CFG mode: Half Cosine Up, CFG scale minimum: 3.5, TI hashes: “CyberRealistic_Negative-neg: 65f3ea567c04, Asian-Less-Neg: 22d2f003e76f”, Version: v1.6.1

Final Thoughts

This has been a quick overview of how I approach making some character images.  I don’t want to even pretend this is the only way.  I prefer photorealisit images, but could just as eaisly generate pencil drawings, water color images, and much more.  Hoepfullly this will help some other person wanting to explore image generation via AI.  Like the post and follow if you want more this type of content.

You can see additional samples of my character images at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images/

 

Character Images – Chrissy

While my imagination is always the starting point for a character, I do occasionally like having a real image to help fix them in my mind’s eye. With the advent of do-it-yourself Generative AI tools such as Stable Diffusion, it is easier than ever to create realistic character images.

Chrissy is a unique character within A New Past: Book Three. In many regards the book is as much about her as it is Paul and his efforts to change the world as well as his past and future.  

What makes Chrissy unique?  She covers a ten-year character arc in the space of the book, growing from a seventeen year old woman to an engineer, as supermodel, an astronaut, and the significant other for the world’s most influencial man.  

Here are some images of Chrissy from my minds-eye, created with the help of Stable-Difussion. 

Chrissy is first introduces in A New Past: Book Thee – chapter six

She gets the opportunity to model for a fundraising show organized by Jeryl in chapter seven.

She visits Jeryl and Paul in Utah after their return from Australia.

The remainder of the book covers her journey into adulthood. I won’t spoil any of the story with captions, but here are a few more images of her growth along the way.

You can see more of Chrissy and other characters at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images

Character Images – Kelly

While my imagination is alwasy the starting point for a character, I do occiasionaly like having a real image to help fix them in my mind’s eye.  With the advent of do-it-yourself Generative AI tools such as Stable Diffusion, it is easier than ever to create realistic character images.

Kelly at her father’s Taos ski cabin. A New Past: Book One, chapter ten

Kelly in A New Past: Book Two, chapter eight

Vice President Kelly in A New Past: Book Three, chapter seven

You can see more of Kelly and other characters at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images

Character Images – Jeryl

While my imagination is alwasy the starting point for a character, I do occiasionaly like having a real image to help fix them in my mind’s eye.  With the advent of do-it-yourself Generative AI tools such as Stable Diffusion, it is easier than ever to create realistic character images.

Jeryl on her family’s farm. A New Past: Book One, chapter one

Jeryl is ready for the second season finale of “The Interns”. A New Past: Book Two, chapter thirteen

Jeryl on a training flight. A New Past: Book Three, chapter four

You can see more of Jeryl and other characters at https://www.charliefoxtrotwriter.com/character-images

A New Past Book Three – Bonus Content

As a writer, there are often scenes, dialog, and miscellaneous ideas that get cut from the story either early in the editing process or even shortly before publishing. Here is one-such sample.

It’s called “Interlude on an Island”  and would have been in  from A New Past: Book 3, chapter 22 (New Moves).  I cut this section from the book since it required a narrative Point of View change and did not really advance the main plot.

It does show some character development for two characters in the tale and may interest readers, but it really was extraneous to the overall story arc. It’s shared here purely for your reading enjoyment.

Warning: This work contains frank and graphic sex scenes between the characters. While the primary plot is not about sex, the characters do have a varied and fulfilling sex life that is portrayed within the context of the story. If works of this nature offend you, don’t read this scene. Consider yourself warned.

Available on Amazon Interlude on an Island

“You’ve really turned into a royal bitch.”

Jane sat on the warm sand and looked at the surf through tear filled eyes.

How could Jer be so mean?

How could his tone be so cold and emotionless? His pronouncement had sounded like he was saying it was going to be a warm day, or the sky was blue.

He had no right to call her that, she decided.

Of course, no one had defended her. They all must have agreed with his assessment. That stung as much as the words.

She flopped back on the sand and beat her fists against the unsatisfyingly yielding surface. Her feet and heels joined in the futile effort to inflict something on the world around her.

“I guess that’s what sailors mean when they tell you to pound sand,” Jer said from someplace behind her.

She immediately stopped her motions and sat up, turning to lash out at him.

“I’m sorry I called you a bitch,” he said as soon as she looked at him.

She wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Go away,” she managed to say before pulling her knees up, wrapping her arms around them, and staring at the ocean again.

“Running away doesn’t solve anything,” Jer said, closer to her now.

“What would you know about it?” she said. “You get everything. You and Ali can have anything you want, be whatever you want, go anywhere you want, do whatever you want. You’re not like normal people who have to deal with problems.”

He sat down next to her, clearly ignoring her desire to be alone.

“You mean like growing up without a mother?” he asked softly.

Jane felt like she had been slapped.

Jer had always been the easy-going member of their childhood trio. Ali and she had vied for the leadership of mischief while he had normally just gone along with their plan or gone off to do his own thing. She tried to remember the last time he had stood his ground in any confrontation with her or Ali. Jane had long ago classified him as a follower, not a leader.

She glanced at him, but he was not looking at her. Instead, he had flipped open his ever present sketchbook and pulled a pencil out while looking at the ocean. He seemed to be so mature, even though she knew he was a year younger than her. Last year when she had seen him, he was still a little kid, at least to her eyes. Now, if he were in a school uniform, he would blend in with the juniors and seniors easily. He had an even tan and had lost the last baby fat in his face. He had grown up and filled out across the shoulders. His unruly black hair looked a lot like his father’s and he had those cold blue eyes that would make him a dreamy boyfriend; if he were older.

Unless he thought you were a bitch, she thought.

She put her chin back on her knees and listened to the surf and the scratch of his pencil.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

She glanced at him again. His eyes were still on the surf and his sketchbook.

“About what?” In her own ears, her voice sounded shrill compared to his gentle tone.

“Whatever happened since the Winter Olympics,” he replied. “When you came up for the games, you were still you. You and Ali laughed and had fun. You listened to what other people said and didn’t try to put everyone down. You were pleasant to be around. I can’t believe you just woke some time after then and decided to be nasty to everyone.”

She straightened and looked at him. “That’s none of your business.”

Jer finally looked at her. He had a sad smile on his face. Those blue eyes had a hint of masked pain in them. He turned back to his drawing.

“Your Mom assumes it’s just hormones and that you’ll grow out of it. Your Dad worries it’s something more,” he said.

“Like my parents talk to you about me,” She put as much derision in her voice as she could.

“I watch things. I listen,” he said.

“Just leave me alone,” she insisted.

The worst part, to Jane, was that he was right. Something had changed after visiting for the Salt Lake City Olympics. She tried to put it out of her mind. She couldn’t change the past. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just in her past.

They sat there for minutes. Jane felt the sunshine and heat of the sand soaking into her as she listened to the surf and his damned pencil.

A sound broke the peaceful tableau. She looked up to see two sailboats out past the point, sailing away from the island. It was a faint sound, but she heard the laughter over the waves and a faint call of “Ready, about!”

Bile rose in her throat.

“Once again, Ali gets her way,” she said bitterly.

Jer looked up at the distant sailboats and then at Jane.

“You don’t like sailing?” he asked.

“It’s not that. It’s just that Ali always seems to get what she wants,” Jane replied with resignation.

Jer nodded. “I know it looks that way, but you might be surprised,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Ali used to always wheedle and whine to get what she wanted, but Mom and Dad never really let her get away with that. Almost anything you think she’s given, she has had to earn. Dad, especially won’t let her get away with crap anymore.”

Jane shook her head. “I sure don’t see that. She wanted to sail this morning, and now everyone else is sailing.”

“You didn’t want to?” Jer asked.

“It’s not that. It’s just she never asks what other people want.”

“That’s not true. I seem to recall the conversation starting with her asking what everyone wanted to do today. Our parents all just shrugged, and you were silent. Ali then asked if anyone wanted to go for a sail, and you blew up. What did you want to do?”

Jane paused. She had been ready to argue with him, but realized he was correct in his recollection of the events. She had offered nothing to do as they sat in the morning sun.

“I just want to sit in the sun on the sand, maybe swim a little, and relax. This is supposed to be a vacation for me, too.”

Jer nodded. “Then why didn’t you just say that? I’d agree with that plan, and anyone who didn’t would have just left us behind.”

“But I’m tired of being left behind!”

Jer actually closed his sketchbook and looked at her.

“Nobody is leaving you behind,” he said. “You’re choosing to not go along.”

“Why should I have to go along with what everyone else wants to do?”

“It’s not a yes-no kind of world, Jane,” he said softly. “You could have said you’d rather sail later, or you could have offered your alternative. Lashing out at everyone just isolated you and made them stop listening. Is that what you really wanted?”

“No, but nobody listens to me anyway, so what difference does it make?”

“I listen to you.”

“Really? Then why are you still here? I told you to leave me alone!”

Jer shook his head. “No. You spoke those words, but what you really told me is that you’re hurt by something and need a friend who won’t judge you or shut you out when you are angry.”

“Oh, just shut up!”

Jane thought about getting up and moving away from irritating Jer, and then realized he would probably just follow her again. Maybe he did care about her feelings a little. Ali certainly didn’t, and her parents were just as bad. Instead of getting up, Jane flopped back on the sand, sat up again, pulled off her coverup and then flopped down again.

She could feel Jer’s eyes on her, but refused to open hers and look at him. After a few minutes, she heard him moving a little and then the scritch-scratch of his pencil resumed.

Jer looked at his drawing and smiled. It was obviously the small cove they sat in, but not from his current perspective. Instead of just drawing what he saw, Jer had moved his mind’s eye several feet and imagined Jane in a slightly different position. The waves and the palm trees were in the background now, while Jane was stretched out between his viewpoint and the surf with the foliage on the arm of the small cove in the distance behind her. He thought he had done a good job of capturing the curves of her body and the lines of her bikini. Her hair had been a challenge to get just right, since it was so light and he only had a dark pencil to work with. He liked the hint of muscle in her abs and the gentle swell of her breasts beneath the bikini top. She would never be a voluptuous as Chrissy was, but she was very attractive in her own right.

He glanced up at the sky, noting how high the sun had climbed and glanced at Jane’s light skin and freckles. He smiled at her open lips and the small strand of drool starting at the corner of her mouth. He reached out to gently stroke her shoulder.

“Jane,” he said softly, “do you want some sunscreen?”

She shifted at his touch and then opened her eyes and looked at him.

She had lovely eyes, he realized.

“How long did I sleep?” Jane asked as she sat up and looked around. Her eyes saw his drawing and stopped to stare at it.

“Maybe an hour,” Jer said. “I just didn’t know if you had sunscreen on or not.”

Jane was silent, staring at his work.

“Is that how you really see me?” she asked a minute later.

Jer nodded, but she wasn’t looking at him. “That’s how you look, not how I see you,” he said.

Now she looked at him.

“You made me look beautiful,” she said softly.

“You are beautiful,” he replied.

Jane shook her head. “Chrissy is beautiful. I’m just plain Jane.”

“I don’t think so.”

She pulled her knees up to her chest again and frowned. “At school, boys see pictures of Chrissy on telly or online or in magazines and get all stupid about her. When they talk to me, it feels like they’re only interested in getting a chance to meet her. Then they see a picture of Ali, and I hear the same shit, but worded differently. Nobody thinks I’m cute or desirable.”

“I do,” Jer said.

“You’re just saying that,” she countered.

Jer reached to his sketchbook and flipped back a few pages to show another drawing. It was one he had captured on their first evening on the island. In this one, he had more than a single dark pencil. Her honey-blonde hair showed highlights with the glorious tropical sunset behind her. Her hazel eyes had a glint in them as she smiled at something and her lips looked fuller and redder, more than she usually thought of them.

“When did you do this?” she asked.

He told her. “It was just a quick sketch at first, but then I finished it later that night. I loved the way the light of sunset hit your hair and the hint of a smile on your lips,” he said.

“Wow. I guess you do see things other people don’t.”

She looked at the drawing for another moment, and then flipped back to the newer sketch. She stared at it and then looked up at him.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“My pleasure, ma’am,” Jer said with a smile.

“Can I look at some others?” she asked as she reached for the book.

“Sure.”

She dropped her knees to the sand and pulled the sketchbook to her lap. She jumped back to the start of the book and looked at each drawing in turn.

“Where’s this?” she asked when she saw one of a couple watching the sunset over wild red rock formations. At a glance, she knew it was Paul and Chrissy.

“It’s in Utah. We went camping for my birthday a few months ago. Dad and Chrissy were sitting on the ledge, watching the sunset and I thought it looked beautiful. They added just enough foreground interest to make the picture,” he said.

Jane nodded.

“What about this one? I didn’t think you went to Washington for the election,” she said as she looked at the drawing of Aunt Kelly behind a podium.

“I did that from the television. I’ve seen Aunt Kelly enough that I could draw her face from memory. I wanted to do a picture of her delivering her victory speech. I did a cleaned up version of that as s gift for Grandpa.”

“You’re so talented. I wish I could do something that well,” she said.

“It just takes a lot of practice,” Jer replied.

“Hurumph! There’s not enough hours in the day to make me that good at something.”

“What do you like to do?” Jer asked.

Jane gave a sigh. “I guess I’m a nerd. I really do like school, but get tired of some of the crap I seem to have to put up with.”

“What’s your favorite subject?”

“Easy, anything science related. I think biology is my favorite class this year. Mr. Delamont is pretty cool as a teacher.”

Jer asked more questions about what made him a good teacher and then asked follow-up questions, never letting her fall into a yes-no answer. He could see her relaxing as they talked, losing some of the tension in her shoulders and demeanor. He smiled when she started asking about his classes.

“I think we had better take a dip to cool off,” he said as the sun stood directly overhead. “It’s only going to get warmer this afternoon.”

Jane stood and brushed the sand off her legs. She and Jer had been talking for nearly an hour, and it wasn’t like talking to a boy at school. She knew he thought she was attractive, based on the pictures he had drawn. His interest in what she liked about school was refreshing as well. He wasn’t just interested in the famous people she knew, or trying to get in her pants, like so many ‘boyfriends’ were. He also wasn’t petty and bitchy like some of her friends at school. For the first time in a long time, she realized she felt comfortable alone with a boy.

“Is it still friends and family rules?” she asked impulsively.

Jer grinned at her. “I suppose. Why?”

Jane smiled and reached behind hereself to pull at the tie on her bikini. “I don’t need any tan lines, and you already think I look nice, so let’s be a little daring.”

Jer licked his lips as she pulled the top off and dropped it on her coverup.

She put her hands on her hips and then looked him in the eye. “Your turn,” she said before plucking at the loose t-shirt he was wearing.

Jer pulled the hem of his shirt up and over his head, revealing a well muscled chest with a few curls of dark hair. His long swim trunks were riding low on his waist and she took a moment to admire his firm abs. She had seen him swimming early in their stay, but had not really paid that much attention to him.

“It looks like you’re taken up working out like your Dad,” she said as she reached out to trace a finger down the dividing line of his stomach muscles.

“Ali and I both take martial arts now, and I really like hiking and camping. It’s good exercise in the mountains,” he said.

She put her hand back on her hip, and glanced at his swimsuit again. “So?” she asked.

Jer blushed and then pushed his trunks down. She was surprised at the size of his dick. It was as large as any she had seen before, hanging from his dark pubic hair. She smiled and licked her lips as she saw it stir and start to stiffen.

“Your turn,” Jer said, looking at her eyes.

Jane was suddenly nervous. When they were younger, skinny dipping at the pool at their Sydney house, Jer had almost never joined in. She also had only had the barest hint of hair on her pussy the last time she had been naked with Ali in front of him. She licked her lips and then pushed the bikini bottoms down, letting them fall to the ground before stepping out of them. She felt her cheeks warming as Jer looked at her, but she refused to meet his eyes. Instead, she kept her gaze lower, just high enough to see his prick stiffening. She smiled at the compliment and was about to say something when he turned and jogged toward the surf.

“Come on,” called over his shoulder. “It’s hot out here.”

Jane giggled and followed him. She noticed his flapping dick and balls as he high-stepped over the slight surf and then dived into the water. He swam out far enough to avoid the breaking waves and then turned to watch her as she slowed at the surf line. Suddenly, Jane realized he was looking at her nakedness as she paused at the water’s edge.

“Are you perving on me?” she asked as she felt the waves wash across her feet.

“Drinking in your beauty,” he replied.

She smiled and then ran deeper into the water before following his lead and jumping over the breaking waves and then swimming to slightly deeper water. She got close to him, bobbing on the swells so her toes just touched the bottom after a swell moved past them.

“Do you really think I’m beautiful?” she asked hesitantly.

“You saw my drawings,” he said. “Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”

Jane smiled and felt her cheeks blush again. “You’re pretty nice looking, too,” she finally managed to say.

Jer gave her a goofy grin and splashed some water at her before swimming away toward the point at the end of the beach.

“Hey!” Jane yelled before starting a more leisurely breast stroke after him.

They played in the warm salty water for a while and then Jane announced she was going back to the beach. Jer followed behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as they stood in the shallows and let the small waves help them ashore. As soon as he saw her looking, she noticed his dick getting firm again.

“I don’t think the friends and family rules account for that,” she teased as she gave his crotch a pointed look.

“The last time I saw you and Ali swimming naked, I was embarrassed you would see my reaction.”

“And now?” she asked.

Jer smiled. “Now’s better. You’re much prettier than you were back then, and I can appreciate it much more so.”

Jane felt her blush return. “You’re not looking bad, either,” she said.

“Good thing I brought some towels for us,” Jer said as they reached the dry sand. He grabbed his beach bag and pulled some towels out and handed one to her. They dried off and then spread the towels and laid down on them. Jane was a little disappointed that Jer chose to lie face down. She followed suit.

“So,” Jer said after a few minutes. “Why don’t you think you’re attractive? You must have a ton of guys chasing after you.”

“Not the right ones,” Jane said without thinking.

“What’s that mean?”

“Um,” she had not meant to talk about this with anyone, let alone with Jer.

She thought about what a pleasant day it had turned into after her less than thrilling start. Jer had been kind and friendly when she felt she needed a friend. She glanced at him and saw his blue eyes staring at her has he rested his head on his arms.

“You promise you won’t tell anyone? Not Ali, not Chrissy, not my folks?”

“If you don’t want me to, I’ll keep it to myself,” he replied earnestly.

Jane thought about what she had gone through and felt over the past eighteen months.

“There was a guy that liked me, or I thought he did,” she finally said as she closed her eyes and let the sunshine warm her skin. “His girlfriend took exception to his interest in me.”

She glanced at Jer again. He was watching her, but remained silent.

“When he asked me out, I was on cloud nine. He was a senior. He took me out to Coogee to a place a bunch of us used to hang out. It was pretty isolated. His girlfriend and younger sister and a couple of other guys were there, waiting for us.”

Jane felt her voice catch.

“Keri, his girlfriend, was a real nut job, but popular. She stormed up to us as soon as we were out of the car, and slapped me so hard, my head spun. Then she was punching me and I couldn’t catch my breath. It was horrible.”

The memories came flooding back again. She felt tears in her eyes, but forced herself to continue.

“They did most everything but rape me,” she finally managed to say. “I had to blow the boys, and she made me go down on her and his sister. It was horrible, when it was supposed to be sexy. When they were done, she told me if I was ever on a date with anyone she did not approve, it would happen again, and I believed her. After that, I became a toy for her and the senior cronies. His sister was only a year older than me, and she took up the mantle of telling me who to be with and what I had to let them do. I’m just a plaything for them now, and I can’t see a way to get out without ruining my life.”

Jer was stunned by Jane’s revelation and uncertain how to respond.

“Thank you for telling me,” he finally managed to say. “I’m sorry you went through that alone.”

Jane remained lying on her towel, crying.

After a moment, he stood up and grabbed his shorts to pull them on.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Jer looked down at her. “I think you could really use a hug, but after what you told me, it didn’t seem right for me to do that without anything on,” he said.

“Oh,” Jane replied. She looked up at him, turning and exposing herself without realizing it before she sat up on her knees.

Jer dropped to his knees next to her and wrapped her in his arms. At first she was stiff, resisting his strength, but after a moment her own arms wrapped around his waist and she pressed her breasts against stomach and her cheek against his chest. Her tears resumed as Jer held her.

This is how it should feel, Jane thought. Having strong arms around me feels good. Knowing they belong to someone who actually cares about me feels even better.

She lifted her own hands along his back and returned his hug, even as she felt tears on her cheeks again. She was embarrassed as she sobbed against his chest, but felt herself calming as he hugged her more tightly.

“You’re safe,” he whispered softly, barely audible over the sound of the surf.

She felt herself relax again. It felt wonderful in his arms, even if he was younger. She turned her head, pressing her ear against his chest and hearing the slow, steady thump-thump of he heart.  

They stayed that way, holding each other as she sorted through her thoughts. Minutes or moments later, she pulled back from him, separating, but not ending their hug.

“I’m sorry I was a bitch,” she said.

He smiled at her.  

“I’m glad I told you about it,” she added a moment later.

His eyes got darker. For the first time ever, she could imagine Jer hurting someone. The thought of him hurting someone for her made her appreciate him even more.

“If you tell me their names,” he said a moment later.

Jane shook her head. “It’s their word against mine. If I accuse them of anything, it will get out at school and I’ll be a social pariah. I just need to get through the next two years. Once I take a gap year or go to Uni, I’ll be free.”

Jer stared into her eyes.  

“Having to live in hell for two years hardly sounds like a plan.”

Impulsively, she pulled herself higher, lifting her knees from the towel, and kissed him.  

The first kiss was hard and fast, a very personal thank-you, more than a romantic overture. At least, that’s how she had meant it.

After Jer’s first look of surprise, he slowly leaned down and returned her kiss.

The second kiss was much more than a thank-you.

Jane felt his soft lips pressing against hers. She dared to relax into him, feeling his strong arms and chest once more embrace her. She felt her nipples stiffening as their lips parted.

“Wow,” she said. “You don’t kiss like a sophomore.”

He grinned at her. 

“I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did,” he added.

Jane felt herself blush. “I did,” she admitted. “I liked it quite a bit, actually. You’re such a better kisser than that trash at school.”

Jer smiled at her. “I’ve had a little practice at it,” he said.

“Really?” she asked. “I don’t recall you having much to do with any girls before.”

He grinned. The difference between his smile and his grin was surprising. When he smiled, she felt warm and cared for. When he grinned, she knew the mischievous boy she had grown up with was nearby. Both looks made her happy.

“I’ve had a sort of steady girlfriend since the summer.”

“Sort of steady? What’s that mean?”

Jer pulled away from her and flopped back down on his towel.  

“It means I’m not sure if we are really going to be going steady when I get back. I’m trying to decide if she is interested in me or my Dad’s money. We’ve had fun together and made out some, with lots of kissing, but nothing more.”

Jane shuddered. “You can’t force her to do anything, Jer. Trust me, it is so wrong to force something.”

Jer nodded. “I know, and I wouldn’t. But it’s a sign that we are in different places. She is firmly under her mother’s thumb, and I know the mother is a gold-digger.”

“Tell me about her,” Jane said as she laid down next to him.  

He was staring at her eyes, making it hard for her to concentrate and just listen as she thought about his arms around her again. She rolled over, putting a little distance between them to lie on her back. She closed her eyes.

“Really,” she said. “Tell me about this maybe girlfriend.”

Jer looked at Jane’s body as she lay back and asked about Gillian. He desperately wanted to kiss her again, or draw her again, but forced himself to speak instead. He found it was easy to talk when she was not looking at him.  

He told her about his thoughts and feelings for his maybe-girlfriend and then talked about his conversations with his father regarding love. He confided in their final conversation before he had left for the holidays.  

“So, you aren’t going to pressure her?” Jane asked without opening her eyes.

“No,” he answered.

“Are you sure? It kind of sounds like you’ve told her to put out or break up,” Jane said.

He shook his head, even though she could not see it. “No. I was very clear that it was not like that, but that I wanted to know where she thought our relationship was going. I don’t know what she really feels for me other than enjoying my company and the fact I can take her places she won’t be able to go on her own.”

“It sounds like you are pressuring her, even if you don’t mean to do it,” Jane said. 

Jer thought about it.  

“Maybe, but I didn’t mean it that way. The situation is pressuring us both.”

“So, if you got off, would that pressure be relieved for you?” Jane asked.

Jer noticed her eyes were still closed, but there was a little smile on her lips.

It was his turn to flop back and stare at the blue sky.  

“I don’t know. I think I want to feel closer to her, and I guess I don’t really know how to do that,” he said after a few minutes.

He felt Jane move and turned his head to look at her. She had rolled onto her side, facing him. He could not help but glance down at her freckled breasts and dusky nipples. She was smiling when his eyes returned to hers.

“If I asked you for a favor, would you do it for me?” she asked.

“Most likely,” he replied without thinking.

“Kiss me,” she commanded.

He rolled to face her and reached out to trace a fingertip along her jaw.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked softly.

He saw something flicker in her eyes and regretted his words. Instead of saying something else, he leaned in as he pulled her head toward his. Their lips touched again. The earlier awkwardness, the fear of reacting poorly and scaring her was gone. He reveled in the feel of her lips against his. Their lips parted slightly, and tongues dueled. Even as he though it, Jer knew it was wrong, they were not fighting, but dancing.  

Jane pulled herself closer, letting her fingers stroke along his bare arms before reaching to hold his head and lips to hers. She definitely seemed to want more. Of course, given what she had confided in him, he was not going to risk hurting her by pushing her to do something she did not want to. He had refused to do that to Gillian and he had no intention of doing that to Jane. Instead, he just closed his eyes and concentrated on their kiss.

Finally their lips parted.  

Jer opened his eyes to see Jane smiling at him.  

She waited a moment, looking him in the eye, and then spoke. “Yes, I’m sure that’s a good idea.”

Jer laughed.  

“I’m glad I could do you that favor, ma’am,” he said.

Jane surged forward, kissing him again and forcing him to roll back. She pressed her lips to his aggressively, kissing, then licking his lips and face as she nearly climbed on top of him. Jer stroked his fingers down her spine, tracing along her ribs as she squirmed atop him. He felt the delicate soft flesh of her rear and spread his hands to cup her buttocks and kneed them gently.

Jane moaned into his mouth and then moved her hands to his shoulders. She lifted herself up, dragging her now-hard nipples across his skin just before their lips parted. She was still smiling.

“This is how it should feel,” she said softly before darting in to give him another quick kiss. “This is how I expected a guy to treat me. Thank you.”

Jer hugged her tight.  

“I’m glad you are enjoying it as much as I am,” he said a moment later.  

“I am,” she said. “I know you’re not just trying to use me. If anything, I’m using you.” She wiggled her bottom, grinding her pussy against his hard-on which he was sure she could feel through his shorts.

“I might want to use you a little more,” she said after another kiss.

Jer wrapped her in his arms and rolled back over to her towel, lying over her, but supporting himself on his elbows so she did not feel trapped or held down. He kissed her on her lips again and then began kissing the path his fingers had traced previously.  

His lips traced her jawline to her ear. Jane moaned and writhed beneath him.

His lips dipped lower, along her neck and then to her collar bone. Jane made more encouraging sounds.

He kissed his way in toward her sternum and then dipped lower to capture her nipple in his lips.

“God, that feels good,” Jane said in a husky voice as she grabbed his head and held him to her breasts. 

Jer alternated his kisses from one breast to the other, teasing her nipples with his tongue and gentle suction from his lips. Jane’s hands slipped from his head to his shoulders, gently urging him lower.

As Jer kissed his way lower, he had a moment of panic. He had dreamed of doing this with Gillian. He had read about doing this online. But, he had never actually performed this act anywhere except within his head. He hesitated.

Jane misunderstood his pause.

“Please,” she said softly, begging hime to continue.

Jer went lower until his lips were greeted with by the soft, blondish-red hair above her pussy. He could smell her arousal as he tasted the salt on her skin. He shifted back, allowing him to go lower, and smiled at the sight of her delicate lips, highlighted with a traced of moisture as they swelled from his kisses.

Slowly, he traced them with his tongue.

“Oh, God,” Jane said as her fingers gripped his hair.  

He licked her with long, slow strokes, drinking in her flavor and feeling her excitement grow. She spread her legs wider, giving him greater access. He poked and probed with his tongue until he hit a spot at the top of her cleft and she jumped.

He smiled to himself and then lapped that spot as she flexed her stomach and butt, matching the cadence his tongue began tapping.

He was surprised when she arched up against his face and held him tightly against herself. Jer could see her stomach spasm and smiled at the flush spreading down from her breasts.  

“Oh, God. Oh, God,” Jane moaned as she shook beneath him.

Moments later, she relaxed and released her grip. Her eyes opened and she looked down at him.

“Thank you, so much for that,” she said.

“My pleasure, ma’am,” Jer replied.

Jane decided to not be shy about kissing Jer’s glistening lips again as he slid back up her body. She had never tasted herself, but now understood why Keri had enjoyed forcing Jane to service her in that manner. If someone had to do it, it would still be nice. Jer wanting to do it made it incredible.

She hugged him down onto her, loving the feeling of his chest pressing into her. As they kissed, she became once again aware of his stiff prick hidden in his shorts. She knew she would be doing something about that. She wondered if it would be better since she wanted to do this for him, as opposed to almost every other time she had felt a hard dick pushed in her direction.

She kissed him and gently guided him to roll over and off her. She followed in his arms and then leaned back enough to grab the top of his shorts.

“You don’t have to,” Jer said softly.

She kissed him while her fingers found the button fastening.  

“I want to. Maybe for the first time, I want to do this to a boy,” she managed to say before pulling his shorts down and smiling at the sight if his manhood, standing straight along his stomach and surrounded by dark curls.

It wasn’t the biggest dick she had ever seen, but it definitely wasn’t the smallest either. She reached out and brushed her fingers along its veined side, barely making contact with him, but was impressed to see him twitch at her touch. She continued to play gently as she shifted and lowered her lips toward the bulbous pink head.  

She kissed it.

The warmth of his skin and his musky scent made her smile. This was so different. He wasn’t just trying to jam it in her mouth before he came. He wasn’t trying to degrade her, or worried about some other guy wanting his turn. She focused on her lips and how his hot skin felt as she kissed him slowly.

Eventually, she licked along his shaft and then swirled her tongue around his head before trapping him between her lips. She sucked softly, rubbing her tongue along the sensitive underside of his dick.

“Oh shit!” Jer groaned. He grabbed her shoulders, begging her not to pull off, but seeming to resist the urge to push her head down around him.  

So different, she thought as she took him deeper.

Before she had gotten him fully insider her mouth, she felt him stiffen. A moment later, he was erupting inside her. She swallowed and sucked as he spurted again and again. His body shook as she sucked him dry and lifted her lips from his still hard manhood.

She smiled at the dazed look on his face.  

“I’m guessing you liked that,” she said teasingly. She crawled back up his body and was surprised when he pulled her in for a kiss.

“Do you always kiss the girl after she does that?” Jane asked. It was first for her.

“I guess I do,” Jer said. “You’re the first girl that’s done that for me. Thank you.”

He kissed her again and she let herself relax against him.

“I’m surprised you would want to do that, after what you told me,” Jer said a few minutes later.

Jane shrugged and snuggled to his side. “It’s the first time I’ve wanted to do it, as opposed to had to do it. After what you did for me, I really wanted to return the favor.”

The laid silently for a while.

“I wish we could just spend some time together instead of going back and being with our families,” she said. “You seem to understand me when they don’t or can’t.”

“I called you on your bullshit, you mean,” he said lightly.

She laughed and swatted his chest, enjoying the feel of muscles beneath her hand. “No, it’s like you didn’t have expectations of me, so I could let the past go.”

Jer stroked the back of her arm with his finger, smiling at her.

“Maybe you need to just let go of all of the expectations,” he said a moment later.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t give into other kids expectations when you get back to school. I know you’ve got a stubborn streak inside you. Stand up for yourself.”

Jane snorted. “Easy for the son of the richest man in the world to say,” she said.  

“Don’t paint me in a corner,” Jer replied. “Do you think I haven’t had to learn to stand on my own two feet?” It was his turn to snort. “If I hadn’t, Ali would have always steamrolled me. You have to decide what you want to do, then do it. That’s what I try to do.”

Jane was a little taken back. He was suddenly being awful forceful for a guy who had just gotten his first blow-job.

“You don’t understand,” she said.  

Jer pulled back. 

“Yes, I do. I know how it can feel easier to go along and let others set the stage and control the pace, but it obviously isn’t making you happy. What will?”

Jane thought for a moment. His gaze was intense. She could imagine him capturing the frown on her face and drawing it later. She forced herself to relax. It was a fair question. What did she want? What would make her happy?

“I think I’d like to spend a little more time with you, alone,” she said finally. Then, before he could mis-understand, she hurried to add, “Not naked and alone, though this has been fun. I want to get away from Ali and our parents. I want to try some of the things I’ve heard Chrissy brag about. How do you think we could make that happen?”

Jer looked at her for a minute and then nodded.

“Let me talk to my Dad this evening. In the meantime, what do you want to do with the rest of the afternoon?”

She glanced down at his semi-soft dick and smiled. Then she leaned in for a quick kiss.

“I think we should get some sunscreen on before we both have funny sunburns to explain.”

Camilla handed Bluey another beer and then settled back into the half-chair and stretched her legs out on the still warm sand. It had been a fun day sailing and relaxing. The fact that Jane had stormed off early in the day only made it nicer. There had been no drama to put up with. At least she had been pleasant when she and Jer returned after dinner.

“I think I want to take Paul up on his offer,” Bluey said after taking a long pull on his beer.

“Oh?” Camilla said. “Why have you changed your mind?”

Bluey had taken two weeks vacation in the Australian spring to go to Switzerland and talk to Paul’s finance team. Ever since then, they had exchanged calls on a regular basis about a job offering.

Bluey took another sip of his beer. “Do you know what doing that job would mean for us, Cammy? I could help him change the world. He’s going to find someone to run that bank, and if it’s not me, it might be somebody who he can’t really trust.”

“What do you mean?” His tone was scaring her a little. She had not seen her husband think and act with such intensity in a long time.

“He and Chrissy are going to be together for a long time. I can see that now. He is going to turn the world on its head again with what his Fusion Bank will do to the world economy. We could be part of that, instead of just reading about it in the papers or watching it on the telly.”

“What about Jane? Is it worth uprooting her for the last two years of school?”

Bluey snorted. “Given her act over the past year, I’m not sure I care. Maybe uprooting her his just what she needs.”

Camilla took a sip of her own beer. Jane had looked happy this evening, and she had been pleasant to them all, even if she only briefly said good night. Maybe she did need a change from Sydney and her school mates.

“How about we both talk to Paul,” Camilla said. “Maybe a little trip would do us all some good.”

Using the Hero’s Journey

Re-Cap

In a prior post, I laid out the Hero’s Journey and how I interpret and apply.  It was a timely post for me, since I’m re-structuring a series of related stories into a single novel-length work.  I thought I’d take a break from working on the story to show how I am using my own approach to make the tale stronger.

Warning, the story described below has links to NSFW content.  While this post is Safe For Work, the stories themselves are not.

Prologue

The concept for the novel began with an off-the-wall question; “How would a dominant masochist act” and “Could their be such a thing?”  That idea/question turned into a 19,000 word story with a rich world created as a back-drop.  Of course, as I iterated on the idea and the world, the focus shifted to explore more of the culture that world was set in and the main character took on a life of his own.  140,000 words later, the same main character is continuing his heroic journey.

The key fact I realized as I was editing the novel is that the first story is not actually the beginning of the tale.  It is really the “Crossing the first threshold” in the structural arch, so the end of Act One.  It also has strong BDSM elements in the first two written parts of the story, which could put readers off if they have not context for the “what” and “why” of their use within the story.

As part of my writing, I had snippets and short chapters that helped explain some of the world, forming fifteen chapters.  I’m writing what I hope will be the final act in the novel and realized restructuing was needed.  To illustrate the amount of re-ordering done to fit the story into a comprehensive structure, I’ll put the chapter titles in bold or as links if versions are available online, and then in parenthesis show the order they were originally written in.

Act One (Setup)

Where we go from the ordinary world through crossing the first threshold to the Belly of the Whale):

Novel Prologue (11) – introducing the flight of man from Earth.  This intro simply hints at why mankind is fleeing Earth, setting what the early characters must consider “the ordinary world”.  It is not going to be ordinary to the reader, so I wanted a very brief sketch to help orient them to the broader world view.Inception of Empire (7) – the novel is set in a future world where colonists have segregatted themselves into differing groups based on the level of tehcnology they want to live with.  Having just fled horrors on Earth of their own creation, this neo-ludite view is easily understood, but not accepted by many of the colonists.  This chapter is a blend of the call to adventure and refusal of the call.Humble Beginnings (15) – a short bridge chapter to bring the reader from the expected story of the early empire’s struggle to get established to the “present” world filled with sophisticated, but sometimes decadent beahvior.In the Red Wing (1) – the intial installment of the story, introducinc the main character and the world that the empire has evolved into.  This chapter has the “meeting with the mentor” as well as “crossing the first threshold” stages of the journey.  It also acts as it’s own “first act” since it establishes the new “ordinary world” that the main character will be living in.Light of a Gray Dawn (2) – Crossing the threshold and landing in “the belly of the whale”.  The main character leaves what felt like his ordinary world and is thrust into the politics of the empire and his family’s unique position.  It continues to explore some of the social differences that have evolved and sets up the main conflict of the overall story.  I could argue that this chapter is the start of Acto Two, since it is clearly “the road to trials”.  However, this is one of the reasons I prefer the simpler lables adopted by Vogler over Campbell.  In the end, I’ll leave it up to readers to decide where the breaks between acts actually is.Act Two (Confrontation)

These chapters focus on the challenges the main character faces, both social, emotional, and intellectual.

Sixth Day (3)Seventh Day (4) – these two chapters set are the first test the main character faces.The Season Parts 1-4 (5-10) – Several new tests are shared in this section, including the impetus moving the broader story forward. These four chapters follow the heroic journey arc as well, but on a smaller scale.Into Autumn Parts 1-3 (12-14) – This part of the story includes elements of “meeting with the goddess” and “woman as the temptress”.  The MC has to progress and balance their quest with their emotions. The end of this section sets up the final conflict of the series/novel.Act Three (Resolutions)The Cold Blade of Winter Part 1-3 (16-18)The Cold Blade of Winter Part 4 (19) – this is where I am currently writing, working to bring all of the plot conflicts together to a satisfying conclusion.Appendix: The Imperial Constitution (7)

With luck, this novel, “Families of The Empire” will be completed before the end of 2023 and published via Amazon.

The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey

John Campbell was an American writer and a professor of literature who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. Campbell’s best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth.

Christopher Vogler is a Hollywood development executive, screenwriter, author and educator, best known for working with Disney and his screenwriting guide, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, from 2007.  Vogler was inspired by the writings of mythologist Joseph Campbell. Vogler used Campbell’s work to create a 7-page company memo for Hollywood screenwriters, A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces,[5] which Vogler later developed into The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters in 1992, and then The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers (ISBN 978-1-932907-36-0). Vogler has since spun off his techniques into worldwide masterclasses.  His work focuses on the theory that most stories can be boiled down to a series of narrative structures and character archetypes.

Understanding both the archetypes of our characters and the stages of their journey gives our stories a basis in the reader’s mind that should echo the myths and allegories they already understand.  This creates empathy for our characters which makes our readers keep turning the page and seeking the next adventure in our tales.

Ideation & Iteration

Any story concept is going to iterate between the journey and the characters.  I usually start with a character idea.  I don’t worry about archtypes or details, but try to understand where the character is near the beginning of the story.  You may choose to start with the event that will launch the character’s tale.  Either way is fine, so long as you recognize that you will bounce between the stages of the journey and the character development aspects within their archtype as you plot out your story.

You could just as easily think about what the character will develop into, and then work backwards through all of the changes they must endure to achieve that ending state.  What story would be written if Frank Herbert had decided he wanted to explore the journey a character would possibly take to become a god over a galactic empire?  How would Dune have been differnt from starting with an event that forced a well trained royal son to adapt to on a hostile planet?  If you read much of the history of how he actually wrote Dune, you realize that it was a series of ongoing ideas and iterations that finally gave us a novel so many readers have loved.

I remind myself of this need to iterate and explore ideas as I write, especially when I’m feeling my characters have allowed me to write them into a corner.

The Journey 

I usually start with an idea of a character, and then figure out their journey.  If you are like me, you have a ton of stories that started with an intersting idea of character, but rapidly fell by the wayside becasue you did not know where they were actually going.  This is where I find the structure of the hero’s journey to be so helpful.  I don’t necessarily follow the path in a linear fashion, but I do respect the structure to help me answer questions that should be important to the reader and to the character.  Where are they starting from? This is refered to as Act One, and covers the departure of the main character from the world they know well and into the unknown.  Act Two then covers the actions or confrontation the character must face and overcome.  This may be physical or mental, or emotional, but this needs to be at the heart of the tale.  Act Three brings the climax and resolution of the story and subplots.  Under Campbell’s and Vogler’s structures, this breaks into the following:

The Archetypes

As I iterate and ideate, my character archtypes usually come into play.  The archtypes help me think about how my character should act or react to a situation.  Once the character’s voice is firmly in my ear, I use the archtypes to ensure they remain consistent.  Perosnally, I don’t think any character that is a pure archetype is that interesting, but I do believe a main set of characteristics and consistent applicaion of thoes helps drive the story and narrative forward.  A hero – explorer will consistently act differently than a hero – jester.  Additionally, a Sage – hero will probably behave much differrently than a Rebel – caregiver.  

I tend to stick the what wikipedia calls the Neo-Jungian concepts for Archtypes.  The have the 12 different Jungian archetypes organized into three overarching categories, based on a fundamental driving force.   The three driving forces (Ego types, Soul Types, and Self Types), help me easily consider motivations and behaviours for a character.  For example, if a character is a Creator, I can balance their actions from their strengths (creativity, drive, etc.) and their weaknesses or flaws (egotism, having to be right, etc.).  When they interact with another character or are presented with a situation, I look at these motivations, strengths, and weaknesses to decide what and how they will act.

Plot

From a character archetype and the stages of the journey, I can now iterate through the actions needed to drive the story forward.  If I am in act one, establishing the current world, what do I need to show the reader to help them understand how the character fits in the world, what may be motivating the character, and what actions can happen to give them their “call to adventure”?  If I’ve just gotten to the climax of the tale, I can look at the character’s archtype and decide how they are likely to react to the climatic conflict and what they will likely desire as a reward.  

These concrete starting points allow me to keep the characters true to themselves and continue to make forward progress on telling the tale.

I also use the same structure on a smaller scale within a chapter for long-form fiction.  In “A New Past”, my main character is a Creator (soul type) and a Caregiver (ego type).  This causes his emotions and desires to come into internal conflict in book one, and drove hime to extremes in book three before reaching the climax of his efforts.  

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction.  The story depicts an alternative, invented “reality” or timeline.  All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work.  Some of the characters in the story are based on actual people, but none of the events depicted in the story are actual events.  In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning: This work contains frank and graphic sex scenes between the characters.  While the primary plot is not about sex, the characters do have a varied and fulfilling sex life that is portrayed within the context of the story.  If works of this nature offend you, don’t read this book.  Consider yourself warned.