Newsletter #10 (Patreon)

Hi my loves,

September is here, which somehow feels like the year is moving way too quickly. We are officially entering that part of the year where summer is slowly winding down, everyone starts pretending they are going to become more productive, and I am sitting here thinking about which fictional man I should emotionally ruin next.

Honestly, though, I am excited for September. There is a lot happening with the stories right now, and I think the next few weeks are going to bring some really interesting developments.

Before I get into the usual story updates, I wanted to take a moment to mention two small Patreon-related things that I think both newer and longtime members might find useful.

A Quick Patreon Reminder

Annual Memberships

If you've been a member for a while, you're enjoying the content I've been putting out, and you already know you'd like to stick around for the longer term, Patreon also gives you the option of switching to an annual membership. Instead of being charged every month, you make one payment for the entire year and you're covered for the next twelve months.

The best part is that Patreon automatically applies a 15% discount when you choose the annual option. There's no coupon code and nothing you need to enter manually. The discount is applied automatically when you select the annual membership.

Essentially, you're paying for around 10.5 months and getting the equivalent of 1.5 months free. This option is available for both Gym Buddies and Personal Trainers.

If you've been considering staying subscribed for the long term, it might be worth taking a look at. Patreon also has an official guide explaining how to switch to an annual membership, which you can find here.

And of course, if you're happy with your current monthly membership, absolutely nothing needs to change.

Apple In-App Purchases

One other little thing I wanted to mention, especially because I've noticed that more than 1/3rd of the members here appear to subscribe through Apple's in-app purchasing system.

When Patreon memberships are purchased through Apple's in-app system, Apple takes its own fee from the transaction. The same can also apply to purchases made through the Patreon Shop when using Apple's in-app purchasing system. That means the amount charged through Apple can be higher than what you would see when subscribing or purchasing directly through Patreon on the web. So, if you've ever wondered why your Patreon charge looks different from the price you see listed here, that may be the reason.

If you're curious, it's worth checking how your current membership or Shop purchase is being billed. You can always choose the option that works best for you.

And as always, if you have any questions about memberships, annual subscriptions, payments, or you're having trouble accessing something, feel free to message me through Patreon chat, the community, or an email (troy.bot29@gmail.com). I'm always happy to help where I can.

Now...

Let's get back to the interesting stuff.

Story Analysis From Troy

Playing Boyfriends: Season 2

Things have been suspiciously quiet around Jessica for the last few days.

After Matteo confronted her for taking Adrian's journal and going through his private thoughts, things obviously became uncomfortable. Adrian already had some reservations about trusting Jessica, and after everything that happened, he decided it was probably better to keep his distance for a while.

Then Matteo, being Matteo, eventually decided it was time to bring Adrian back into his world.

After several days apart, Adrian returns to Matteo's apartment, and for a moment, everything feels familiar again. The two of them get to spend some much-needed time together, and honestly, it feels like they're finally settling into what their new relationship actually means.

But...

Things are never quite that simple in my stories, are they?

Why has Jessica suddenly gone so quiet?Who is the man in Jessica's room?And what exactly is she planning?

You won't have to wait too long to find out.

The next arc is going to shake things up quite a bit, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how you react to it.

Episode 11 returns tomorrow.

The Men In My Barracks

Phew.

The last few episodes were genuinely difficult for me to write because I know how invested so many of you are in Callum and Ryder's relationship.

And before anyone starts shouting at me...

Yes, I know.

I always do things for a reason.

One of the things I enjoy about writing these characters is that their decisions aren't always morally perfect. Sometimes they make selfish choices. Sometimes they hurt each other. Sometimes they do things that are difficult to defend.

But that's also what makes them feel human.

So about Ryder. What exactly was he doing with Julian?Does Callum have the right to expect exclusivity from Ryder when he himself keeps finding his way into Sergeant Ashford's office whenever he gets the opportunity?

Does he have the right to be angry?

I think he does.

Not because Callum has been completely innocent himself, but because what he feels for Ryder has grown into something much bigger than he ever expected. So seeing the man he loves with someone else (yes, I used the word love), especially someone like Julian who was his friend, hurts in a completely different way.

And now Callum has to decide what he's going to do with all of those feelings.

That's where things get interesting.

The next few episodes are going to be considerably more angsty, and I have a feeling some of you are going to be screaming at Callum for the decisions he makes next.

I would genuinely love to know what you think about the situation, though.

Do you think Ryder was right?Does Callum have the right to be upset?And if you were in Callum's position, what would you do?

For this particular discussion, I'd love for you to leave your thoughts in the Community Chat or send me a personal message rather than putting them directly in the comments below. I want to see what you guys actually think before the next few episodes reveal where this is going.

Upcoming Posts

Here’s what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks:

• 6th Sept – Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 Episode 11• 8th Sept – Men In My Barracks – Episode 29• 9th Sept – Troy's Experiences – A Fun Personal Story• 10th Sept – The Private Island Flip (PT) – Part 6• 11th Sept – Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 Episode 12• 12th Sept – Men In My Barracks – Episode 30• 14th Sept – Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 Episode 13• 15th Sept – Men In My Barracks – Episode 31• 16th Sept – The Private Island Flip (PT) – Part 7• 17th Sept – Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 Episode 14• 18th Sept – Men In My Barracks – Episode 32 (Ryder's POV Part 1)• 20th Sept – Men In My Barracks – Episode 33 (Ryder's POV Part 2)

Both Stories Are Taking a Short Break

Before we wrap up this newsletter, I wanted to give you guys a little heads-up about the upcoming schedule.

Both The Men In My Barracks and Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 will be taking a short break after their upcoming episodes. We're talking around 7–10 days, and yes, there is a very specific reason I'm doing this.

I want to leave you at a particular moment in the story and let you sit with it for a while. Think about the characters, the choices they've made, what those choices might mean for their relationships, and where you think things could possibly go from here.

Sometimes I think a little breathing room makes a story more fun. Instead of immediately jumping into the next episode, you get a chance to actually think about what just happened and make your own theories.

Don't worry, though. When each story returns, I'll include a short recap so you know exactly where we left off. Although, considering how invested some of you are in these characters, I'm pretty sure you'll remember every single detail anyway.

Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 will go on break after Episode 14 on September 17th and will return with Episode 15 on September 26th/27th.

The Men In My Barracks will take its break after Episode 33 on September 20th and will return with Episode 34 on September 28th.

So yes, I'm deliberately leaving you guys hanging for a little while.

I hope you'll enjoy the pause, think about what you've just read, and maybe come back with a few theories of your own. Because when these stories return, we're picking up exactly where we left off.

Don't worry though, I’m not taking a break from posting. Posting will continue as usual. It’s only The Men In My Barracks and Playing Boyfriends: Season 2 that will be taking a short break before returning with their next episodes. Newsletter #11 will be give you more information on the posts that will be released while these stories are on a break.

That's everything for this newsletter.

September is already shaping up to be a pretty important month for both of these stories, and I'm excited to see how you guys react to everything that's coming.

As always, thank you for reading, commenting, theorising, and letting me know exactly how emotionally attached you've become to fictional men who, quite frankly, make terrible decisions.

Love,Troy