#sc-fi crimes

[thisnoise]

Oil that tastes like blood, stole the summer scent.

[abyssal-ali]

K-drama & C-drama Masterlist

DM or drop an ask about any of these and I’ll happily scream about them with you/ give you recs! (Bolded titles are my top recs.)

Format: [K = Kdrama, C = Cdrama, T = Thai drama] | [Title] | [Genre] | [Year] | [My Impressions in 1-3 sentences, spoilers omitted or redacted] | My Rating |

K | Boys Over Flowers | Drama, Romcom | 2009 | I wish the second lead couple had more screen time, but I did enjoy the leads’ story as well. Actually made me cry, which is a difficult thing to do. Here begins my obsession with Kim Beom. | (9/10)

T | Just You | Business, Romcom | 2013 | Watched over my sister’s shoulder, so I never finished it. The comedy was pretty good. | (7/10?)

K | Record of Youth | Drama, Romance | 2020 | The storyline really tugged at my heartstrings. Very well executed and acted. | (9/10)    

K | Vincenzo | Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama | 2021 | Would and have rewatched; one of my comfort dramas despite being so intense; on my Top 5-Rec List. Absolutely phenomenal, a great mix of comedy and crime; despite not being a romance, the chemistry of the leads was *chef’s kiss*. Mafia and K-drama? Yes, please. Here begins my obsession with Kwak Dongyeon. | (100/10)

C | Love 020 | Business, Drama, Romcom | 2016 | Definitely a comfort drama. Amazing storyline, acting, and chemistry, and mature relationships. Squad Goals. Here begins my obsession with Yang Yang. | (30/10)

K | Law School | Crime, Drama, Mystery | 2021 | A dark, realistic drama with informative explanations so the plot is easy to follow. Good squad and friendships interspersed for lighter moments. | (9/10)

K | What's Wrong with Secretary Kim | Mystery, Romcom, Workplace | 2018 | A funny drama easy to binge. The ML can be a bit egocentric, but he has BackstoryTM so it’s balanced out. Well-rounded secondary/side relationships and cute sister dynamics. | (12/10)

K | My Sassy Girl | Joseon Era, Romcom | 2017 | Funny, cute drama. Typical court intrigue and war crimes shenanigans. | (9/10)

K | Strong Woman Do Bong Soon | Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Romcom, Sci-fi, Workplace | 2017 | An excellent drama with accurately portrayed relationships and character development. The leads are so cute and fluffy I genuinely forgot the crime subplot when I rec’d this to my friend who can’t watch anything dark. Squad (minion?) goals. | (20/10)

K | Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo | Romcom | 2016 | Everyone loves this one, but it just isn’t my favourite. Extra points because I watched this with my sisters during Q*arant*ne and we bonded. | (9/10)

K | Her Private Life | Romcom, Workplace | 2019 | Excellent, amazing, I loved this one. A supporting character was a bit annoying but was also a great SC, so overall good friend vibes. Humorous scenes served. | (10/10)

K | Hotel del Luna | Action, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romcom, Workplace | Queen slayed (literally). Excellent character development, side stories (cute second lead couple), and backstory flashbacks. Tragic romance; I cried so hard at the end. | (10/10)

C | Truth or Dare | Historical, Romcom | Shenanigans galore, great lead couples, interesting plot. | (9/10)

K | I’m Not A Robot | Sci-fi, Romcom | CEO with the BackstoryTM. Great relationships, character development, and plot. Cute side couples and leads. | (10/10)

K | Hwarang: the Beginning | Action, Drama, Historical, Romcom | Excellent plot and character development; SQUAD GOALS. One issue: MML says to FML “I never want to see you cry” or something along those lines and MFL proceeds to cry almost every episode. Wooga Squad unite! | (9/10)

K | Descendants of the Sun | Action, Drama, Romcom, Workplace(?) | 2016 | Excellent: plot, relationships, characters, romance, comedy, squad...Thoroughly dislike Antagonist. | (10/10)

K | My Secret Romance | Romcom, Workplace | 2017 | DNF about halfway through. Couldn’t get into it. | (1/10) 

K | True Beauty | Drama, Romcom | 2020 | Amazing, outstanding, never-before-seen...Great character dynamics and development, comedy, relationships. Here begins my obsession with Hwang In-yeop. | (15/10)

K | Tale of the Nine Tailed | Fantasy, History, Horror, Romance | Excellent relationships berween leads, they communicate!!! Fascinating plot (I finished in 2 days), amazing side characters and relationships with the leads, and interesting facts and myths were expounded on. Lee Rang my LOVE I will fight the red flag allegations with my dying breath. | (10/10)

C | Cute Programmer | Drama, Romcom, Workplace | 2021 | Women in STEM, need I say more? Squad goals. | (10/10)

K | Vampire Detective | Crime, Fantasy | Some parts were a bit confusing to me, but overall an underrated drama. Great friendships and intriguing backstory. | 2016 | (9/10)

K | High Society | Drama, Romance | 2015 | Typical early 00′s chaebol kdrama, but interesting. Nice character development. | (8/10)

C | Intense Love | Drama, Romcom | 2020 | Cute couple and good relationships. The side relationships & romance were cute too. | (8/10) 

K | Doom at Your Service | Drama, Fantasy, Romance | 2021 | I do love me a man who would burn the world for his woman (literally). Amazing relationship growth and character development. I definitely Did Not Cry (lies). | (10/10)

K | The King: Eternal Monarch | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance | 2020 | Just-just watch it. Amazing squad, relationships, plot, chemistry, bromance, comedy, etc. Why are you still reading? Watch it! | (50/10)

C |  You are my Glory | Drama, Romcom | 2021 | Character growth we love to see it. Adorable, mature couple. | (10/10)

K | Business Proposal | Business, Romcom, Workplace | 2022 | All the hype is right. Fluffy romance with two couples with loads of humour and a sprinkle of BackstoryTM. Have rewatched. | (20/10)

K | Mr Queen | Fantasy, Romcom | 2020 | Fellas, is it gay if you fall in love with your arranged bride who’s [REDACTED] and is desperately trying to avoid you but also kind of falls in love with you? Asking for a friend. Side characters and plot are excellent as well. | (10/10)

K | Shopping King Louie | Romcom | 2016 | Surprisingly good characters and plot. Character growth in spades and a cute, complementary couple. Nice friends & side characters. | (10/10)

K | Ghost Doctor | Fantasy, Romcom | 2022 | Laugh-out-loud hilarious with excellent plot and character growth scenes sprinkled throughout. Could have used a dash more of the romance in my opinion, but overall a very good drama I would recommend. | (9/10)

K | Goblin | Drama, Fantasy, Romcom | 2016 | Iconic; a must-watch. Humour and angst interwoven with touching characters to create an outstanding plot. Several plot twists had me surprised, and I must say I’m happily surprised that the ending of Goblin is not more talked about, so late-comers to the party like me don’t have the experience ruined. | (100/10)

K | Legend of the Blue Sea | Drama, Fantasy, Romcom | 2016 | The Vibes were Immaculate; an excellent comfort drama. Squad goals and an intriguing plot | (30/10)

K | Tomorrow | Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy | 2022 | This was amazing: the characterizations, the relationships, the backstory, the plots for each episode...I did gain anger issues from it though, so tread carefully. | (10/10 but gave me anger issues)

K | Sound of Magic | Drama, Fantasy, Musical | 2022 | I was not expecting this to be a mmusical and admit to skipping some songs. The plot was hooking but not for me. I appreciate the themes conveyed and the platonic friendships cultivated (also my boy finally gets a girl:sob:) | (8/10)

K | So I Married my Antifan | Romcom, Music | 2021 | Funny, cute, and a mature couple(-ish). The side ships were also nice to see. | (10/10)

K | Scholar Who Walks the Night | Action, Fantasy, Historical, Romance | 2015 | This drama made me think. Large helping of intrigue; I was waiting for the villain’s backstory and was surprised at the result. Excellent ending. (Why did Lee Soo Hyuk need to be shirtless in almost all his scenes?) | (10/10)

K | My ID is Gangnam Beauty | Romcom | 2018 | Cute, mature couple with good relationship dynamics everywhere, appropriate themes. I would have appreciated more 2nd/3rd lead romances. | (9/10)

K | W: Two Worlds | Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romcom, Thriller | 2016 | A little bit of everything, and a very captivating storyline. Great chemistry and a cute, mature couple. Am rewatching. | (10/10) 

K | It's Okay not to be Okay | Drama, Romcom | 2020 | Interesting storyline, nice character arcs, character growth. Good representation of people with mental and emotional issues. | (7/10)

K | Gaus Electronics | Comedy, Workplace | 2022 | Good character development, relationships, and individual stories. Many laugh-out-loud moments. | (10/10) 

K | Little Women | Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 2022 | Hooking storyline/plot, nice relationships, quite intrigue and plot twist-y; the latter half of the drama really made me think. Excellent, but was so highly stressful I watched all 12 episodes in one day. I still want a slightly longer ending. | (10/10)

K | Happiness | Action, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller | 2021 | Interesting, great power couple that are so cute and mature (couple goals tbh). A shocking amount of murder [REDACTED], but a happy ending. | (9/10)

K | Extraordinary Attorney Woo | Drama, Legal, Workplace | 2022 | Very well done, with good character growth and plot twists/surprises. (WARNING TO FELLOW SINGLE PRINGLES: You will feel even lonelier.) I want someone to look at me like Junho looks at YoungwooT-T I can't wait for season 2! | (10/10)

C | Who Rules the World | Action, Drama, Fantasy, Historical, Romance | 2022 | Excellent character/relationship growth and conflict resolution; the MLs have a cute, mature relationship & friendships. Intrigue and manipulations galore, but there is a... satisfactory ending. | (10/10)

K | Sh**ting Stars | Drama, Romcom, Workplace | 2022 | Funny, with a nice plot that wasn’t too stressful.  Good relationships and MATURE CHARACTERS who don't have trust issues my beloved; everybody gets a happy ending. | (10/10) 

K | Healer | Action, Crime, Drama, Romcom, Thriller | 2014 | Amazing drama;  nice OST; Seo Junghoo is very relatable; there are great character dynamics (THE CUTEST couple after SWDBS), the leads communicate and trust each other! | (100/10)

K | Suspicious Partner | Crime, Drama, Romcom, Thriller | 2017 | Nice storylines with some plot twists and lots of comedic moments and character growth. Squad goals. | (10/10) 

K | The K2 | Drama, Romance, Thriller | 2016 | Very good/nuanced character growth/portrayal, with a cute romance to balance out all the action and sTreSs📈 Maybe not a happy but a satisfactory ending. Honestly, I found the characters to be deeply lonely and unhappy, despite being so rich and successful; all-in-all a thought-provoking drama. | (20/10)

(I had to take a hiatus from dramas as 3 dramas with Ji Chang-Wook right after each other was too much for me and I was depressed & single LOL. A word of advice to my kdrama girlies, ration out your JCW.)

K | Soundtrack #1 | Drama, Music, Romance | 2022 | Short and sweet; cute friendship, cute couple with a happy ending. We stan Eunsoo's mom shipping them. Got me back into dramas after ^ | (10/10)

K | Bad and Crazy | Action, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romcom, Thriller | 2022 | My 50th drama!  A funny, dramatic, interesting plot line, (not quite sure       that's [REDACTED] but ok, I guess that’s where the fantasy comes in), with a hint of romance and a good supporting cast. | (9/10)

K | Reborn Rich | Drama, Fantasy, Isekai, Romance(?) | 2022 | Unpleasant but well-acted characters and an interesting plot with a good cast create a thought-provoking and intriguing drama. Similar to K2 in that you can't trust anybody; they'll betray you in a second for a penny, even your own family | (9/10)

K | Legally Dad | Drama, Romance | 2020 | Short and sweet. Adorable kid (not active sidekick unfortunately) | (9/10)

K | Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 | Historical, Horror, Romance, Fantasy | 2023 | Would rewatch in a minute.They're so unserious😭 Great acting, fascinating plot and characters, fun backstory, and plenty of chaotic gumiho crack to carry through the darker moments. Over all a cute, humorous drama. | (1000/10)

K | Abyss | Crime, Fantasy, Romance | 2019 | A mature couple, a happy ending, an intriguing plot, and character development, what more do you need?. More legal/murder mystery-ish & less sci-fi-y than expect but good overall. | (8/10)

[babyawacs]

.@law @harvard_law .@bbcr4sundays .@scotus @scotus @scotusblog @all @world @bbc_whys #cases_where_judges_were_obliged_to_first_hunt_down_ all_the_excesses_inthefirstplace_to_even_make_it_s_e_e_m_dueprocess # obliged_to_firstly_avert_continuation_of_crimes #which_scums_did_not_un derstand_and_cut_down_judges_as_too_victim_biased #it_is_gerrmany # keypoint find how dueprocess judges had tofirst stop continuation of c rimes backfired twisted ai sorted on those due?process?on?scums?that ?expend?lives?for their earliercrimes?to commit more crimes? and the sol ution is? aeh dirty dealmaking because you suck at due process on sc ums?  and then break due process on scums because no dirty dealmakin g  but but but they w a n t sth afterall yousurvived them fornow do omed howmany to seriously maybe you are simply i d i o t s crimina l securitypolicy shuffles any trick any how to reframe it else to vi ctimblame in procerdures granted total monsters w a y toomuch due proce ss goodwill that they think itis gamesmanship : come clean about wh os victim and who expended and what this means implications oncases wh o respects innocence even : allalong thisis how them rule thisisyou rsystem : pragmatism is ok but not appeasement of scums until they fee l germandeserving because quelled is solved and then you suck at ho ldingthem accountable cant alljust get along then with a trick then ins tead of no way around the harms the efforted intents the persons shu ffledoncasewhy who compensates who what apologiss what squeezed injus tice  #cases_where_judges_were_obliged_to_first_hunt_down_all_the_e xcesses_inthefirstplace_to_even_make_it_s_e_e_m_dueprocess #obliged_to_f irstly_avert_continuation_of_crimes #which_scums_did_not_understand_ and_cut_down_judges_as_too_victim_biased #it_is_gerrmany #keypoint fi nd how dueprocess judges had tofirst stop continuation of crimes back fired twisted ai sorted on those I am Christian KISS BabyAWACS - Ra w Independent Sophistication #THINKTANK + #INTEL #HELLHOLE #BLOG ht tps://www.BabyAWACS.com/ Inquiry@BabyAWACS.com FluffyBunnySheepleSecuri tySolutions@BabyAWACS.com Helpful? support. donnate. pay. https://wis e.com/share/christiank426 https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/christiankiss

.@law @harvard_law .@bbcr4sundays .@scotus @scotus @scotusblog @all @world @bbc_whys #cases_where_judges_were_obliged_to_first_hunt_down_all_the_excesses_inthefirstplace_to_even_make_it_s_e_e_m_dueprocess #obliged_to_firstly_avert_continuation_of_crimes #which_scums_did_not_understand_and_cut_down_judges_as_too_victim_biased #it_is_gerrmany #keypoint find how dueprocess judges had tofirst stop…

[adari-bab]

Looking for Partners:

Hello all

I am Adari or Ari (25+) and I am looking for new partners. I have been rping for 10+ years now, on and off. I write in 3rd person, anywhere from 3-5+ sentences depending on the scene/plot. I love to write extras(NPCS) and build worlds. I can do smut and non-smut roleplays really.  My typical genres are fantasy, horror, noir, adventure, crime and romance. I only do FXM (OCXOC ONLY)though with me as the female, partners inrl gender doesn’t matter as long as they play the M role. My ocs are mostly POC and can range in personalities and body types. I also only use art/descriptions.  If you want to know anymore, let me know.

For my partners:

Please reply 3x a week (I understand RL comes first though

Write 3-5+ paragraphs

Bring ideas (I don’t want to be the only one moving the story along

Play NPCs

Be 23+

No one liners

No ghosters (Just let me know, I don’t bite)

We can discuss more in private. My email: soemnlotus@gmail.com (I have discord as well, but I won’t put it on this ad. You can ask for it in the email or on here)

Here some of my plots:

(These are water down versions. I have full versions upon req)

The Time Of Betrayal: A has always been a stand up and by the books kind of person, they are smart, respected and the co-commander of unit Alta-2O. They did not come from much, but they climbed up the ranks of society and met the love of their lives. Life was looking up, until it wasn’t. One day they are betrayed by their lover and sibling, left for dead and pinned for a series of drug trafficking/ smuggling throughout the galaxy. What a terrible way to die? But soon A finds themselves awake in the body of the villainess princess/prince of planet X. What will they do next? And who will they recruit for their plot of revenge? [Romance, sc-fi, crime]

The Mad Arch-Dutches: Born into a wealthy family A never lacked in his life and once he grows up he is married off to the princess of the kingdom. After his marriage everything seems to fall apart (his father dies, his brother falls ill, his family mansion burns to the ground and one by one their diamond mines get infiltrated. Soon the culprit is caught, a woman known as the mad arch dutches. A is satisfied with this, but for some reason his wife betrays him and he ends up dead. Only he isn’t. He goes back in time to a week before his wedding to the princess. Bent on revenge, he goes to the dutches to strike up a deal, becoming partners against his once beloved wife.

BitterSweet: Five years ago, C1 was struggling to get by. She did everything she could to live despite the odds stacked against her, being born into poverty and labeled as an omega. But lucky for her she was smart and was able to get a decent job. One day while working for a high end casino, she runs into a notorious criminal, unknown to her and helps him win a few games, by noticing patterns. Thus began their passionate night. He romances her and gives her everything she could ever desire. But after she witnesses how brutal he can be, she decides to disappear. Now working in another city, C1 is happy with her life and with her child. Unfortunately for her, her ex has now tracked her and he won’t let her escape this time. [Moden, alpha-omega verse, noir, dark elements]

The Empress is A Tyrant: Cx falls into a game that he has played after a horrible accident. In the original he was supposed to be the man who left his villainess wife for the darling heroine. But now that he is in the game, he wants to change the course, since in his previous life, he is all for the villainess and he doesn’t really think she deserved to die. So he will decide to change her fate and make sure she is the one with a happy ending.

To Be A Step-mother: Sold by her family to become a bride to a “barbaric” empire to bring peace? It was laughable to the child the grand pope hated the very sight of. She was barely even human, all because she didn’t possess the power of the light. At least they don’t know that she does. Brought before the tyrant king who kills for pleasure, she smiled at him. “Your majesty, would you like to strike a deal with me?”

[flyingmushroomafrog]

Normal People: Crying and dying over sappy romantic movies and dramatic movies

Me: Crying and dying over a horror movie,a sc-fi tv show,and a crime movie

[lionxqueen]

Plotting call.

[michaeldioguardisciencefiction]

https://www.close2thebone.co.uk/wp/?p=6053

“Bite Marks”

Close to the Bone

[omarsrudbergs]

Here I am again, with more cravings, and some time on my hands for once! Please read my rules and guidelines, then proceed under the cut!

Some plots/ideas I'm looking for:

Someone PLEASE give me a mumu plot. Literally anything. It can be multiple completely different plots, plots set in the same universe, etc. I will love you forever.

Apocalypse/Dystopian/Sc-Fi plots! I loved TWD, The Rain, TLOU, All of Us Are Dead, Dune, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Maze Runner, and would be open to any other ideas similar to these.

Sports plots! I don't even like sports irl, but I NEED something with sports, and would love to add a twist to it.

Slice of life with some angst, or some kind of twist. (Maybe something to do with crime, supernatural, etc?)

Someone, please give me a band plot. I'd love something small, like one character being in an indie band and the other being a fan or seeing them perform at a cafe? I have some thoughts about a character in a band, and I NEED this.

TEOTFW inspired plot! Doesn't have to be 100% accurate or even the same premise. I just want the same vibes, PLEASE!!

Any of these: one, two, three (i will love you for any of these), four, five, six.

[mostlyfate]

Hiii! I love your blog! I'm still pretty new to kdramas but so far I've watched Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, The King: Eternal Monarch, Descendants of The Sun and currently finishing up, Vincenzo (which I love so much!). I was wondering if you had any kdrama recs? I'm really into romcom ones but I'm willing to branch out a bit.

Hi hi! Ahh thank you!! ✨I definitely would have recommended Weightlifting Fairy and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim if you hadn't already watched! I'm bad at keeping track of dramas I've watched (finished or dropped) and I've realized I don't really have many romcom recs lol. I think I lean more towards fantasy/thriller/crime genres, surprisingly. Sure I probably watched many romcoms (especially when I first started watching kdramas) but for the life of me can’t remember most of them or just wouldn’t recommend them now 😅BUT- I will give some recs that I can think of at the moment that are the closes to it. + You can check out this ask about my favorite dramas and my dramalist I haven’t updated in a long time 🥲

— One the Woman (2021) | episodes: 16, duration: 1hr. 10 min. genres: comedy, mystery, romance. The romance isn’t the main plot here but it’s such a funny and enjoyable drama that I had to rec anyway!

— Run On (2020) | episodes: 16, duration: 1 hr. 15 min. genres: life, romance, sports. I mean there isn’t a comedy tag??? but run on was a comedy with chaotic energy.

— Angel's Last Mission: Love (2019) | episodes: 32, duration: 35 min. genres: comedy, fantasy, romance.  Kim Dan an angel trying to return to heaven but then falls in love??? yes. Loved the leads.

— Touch Your Heart (2019) | episodes: 16, duration: 1hr. 10 min. genres: comedy, law, romance.  ✨Lee Dong Wook and Yoo In Na ✨I mean nothing new with this kind of plot which I don’t mind at all and theeey.

— Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) | episodes: 16, duration: 1 hr. 07 min. genres: comedy, romance, supernatural, thriller.  Debated on recommending this one because of the SML (specifically bc the actor) but I really loved the two mains and the drama itself. 🙃

— I'm Not a Robot (2017) | episodes: 32, duration: 35 min. genres: comedy, romance, sc-fi.  Honestly bc chae soo bin <33 but! both leads were cute and it was enjoyable!!

— Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) | episodes: 16, duration: 1 hr. 22 min. genres: comedy, fantasy, melodrama, romance, supernatural. (no context but them!)

— Splash Splash Love (2015) | episodes: 02, duration: 1 hr. 10 min. genres: comedy, historical, romance, supernatural.  Fun, charming, and short drama special! (that i still wish we got more of!)

[robthewriter]

Backwards and in High Heels…

I got into a really good conversation on Goodreads regarding how fantasy and Science Fiction tends to be looked down upon and not regarded as, ‘literature.’ This, despite many classics of literature actually being, quite incontrovertibly Fantasy or Science Fiction.

One contributor pointed out that writers such as Margaret Attwood are appalled at the suggestion that they are writing Science Fiction, even when they quite clearly are and go out of their way to loudly deny it.

So, what’s wrong with Fantasy and Science Fiction? Why is it considered a lesser form of writing?

I think we can all appreciate that in its early days, it was a mainstay of the ‘pulp fiction market.’ Which, by the way, does not mean that all the works produced in those days were bad, some of them were amazing. In any case though, that was a long time ago. Fantasy and Sc-Fi have been respectable for a very long time now. Yet, somehow, neither can quite shake the labels that were slapped on them then. Sci-Fi. The perceived wisdom has it, is cold, technical and two dimensional. Fantasy, is silly, macho, juvenile. Both genres are you know, just for kids, aren’t they?

Well, no, no they aren’t. They are the absolute best way in which to explore difficult or controversial topics without offending anyone. If some of them also happen to be very entertaining while they are doing that, well what’s wrong with that? Who says a book can’t be both worthwhile and entertaining? Where did that idea come from?

Another contributor mentioned that books like the recent Piranesi by Susanna Clarke are at last going someway towards bridging that perceived gap between Fantasy, Sci-Fi and literature. I quite agree, it’s a beautiful book and sits very nicely between both worlds. The prose is wonderful but I have read words just as lovely in ‘pure,’ fantasy and Sc-Fi.

It’s an old hobby horse of mine, so apologies for the next bit, I may foam at the mouth ever so slightly. Do you not think, that ‘Literary Fiction,’ is a strange beast anyway? Literary Fiction accounts for only a tiny percentage of world-wide book sales, yet it is the yardstick by which all other books are measured. Why?

‘Literary Authors,’ get away with things genre authors never could. A ‘Literary Work,’ need have no discernible structure and come to no conclusion. It can be a sixty thousand word rambling essay that loosely resembles a story and just quietly peters out when whatever bee is in the author’s bonnet stops buzzing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that they wouldn’t be beautiful, exquisitely chosen words but still, you know what I’m saying, I’m sure you do.

My ‘author hat,’ is now firmly on… not I hasten to add, that I am proclaiming myself a great writer or some such, I’m well aware that I’m nobody much. On behalf of authors everywhere though, please stop looking down on Fantasy and Sci-Fi and those who write it.

So, why is this blog called ‘Backwards and in High Heels?’

Well, there is a famous quote attributed to Ginger Rogers (she never actually said it) that she did everything Fred Astaire did, except ‘backwards and in high heels.’

Now, imagine you are say, a crime writer, yes, that will do, you’re a crime writer. However, in your latest book, before you can develop good, well-rounded characters with a satisfying back story. A strong, fascinating plot. Realistic, moving, relationships and a string of entertaining sub plots, you have to do something else first.

First you have to give a brief history of the town where the action takes place, explain the religious and political climate of the country in which that town is located. Then, there are some other things to explain, like, what a police man is, what the different ranks are in the police service, what a police station is, how a police car works. Computers, smart phones and even the humble ball point pen, you must first introduce these concepts and properly explain them.

Did I mention that you have to provide all this exposition without the use of the dreaded ‘info dump?’ That you have to impart all this information without boring your readers to death and losing them?

Well, crime writers don’t have to do that. Fantasy and Sc-Fi writers do though…

So, you know, ‘Backwards and in high heels.’ Yes?

[aenrchists]

RULES.      *.         SC.        *.      PLOTTING  CALL.

hey! I’m Rabbit, This is a cyberpunk 2077/Fallout centered writing blog,  most of these muses can be fandomless but all include heavy elements of sci-fi, psychological horror, dystopia, and futurism.  

primary *

(    .   .   .    )     *      Vishva,    nomad protagonist of CBP2077, don’t fear the reaper ending locked,   she/her:   dossier,   verses,     sc

important hcs :  the clan arc.                              vishva arc.

(    .   .   .    )     *      Vito [REDACTED], corporate protagonist of CBP2077,   he/him,  actively dying,  crime syndicate:   dossier,   verses,  sc

(    .   .   .    )     *      DA1SY CH41N, Rogue Ai,   she/her,  leader of the dirty hippies,  npc:  dossier,   verses,  sc

(    .   .   .    )     *      Wentik0,     PROJECT_WENTIKO, nomad protagonist of CBP2077, don’t fear the reaper ending locked,  BLACKWALL ROGUE AI CREATION,   she/her,  90% cyborg and reconstructed using Biotechnica technology and Blackwall AI coding,  affiliated with Alt Cunningham:   dossier,   verses,    

secondary *   (pls request if you’d like to interact with these ones!)

(    .   .   .    )     *      Henry,   Samurai’s bassist,   he/him,   former bassist in multiple bands,  technology tester,  ( currently being treated for brain injury )    :   dossier,  verses

(    .   .   .    )     *      Alt Cunningham,     she/her:   dossier,   verses,     sc

[miitzwrites]

can i ask u a levi and eren drabble or fanfic for the prompt "Hey, hey, calm down. They can’t hurt you anymore."? thanks💗

Sweet, beautiful anon, I’m sorry it took me so freaking long, but hey, this monster of a drabble turned into a 8k One shot, and I’m pretty happy with the result, so I really hope you enjoy it as well!! Thanks for the prompt, come by if you want another -probably shorter- one!

[more prompts to send in] [if you would like to donate me a ko-fi, go there; or if you want to commission me a longer OS or a fic, send me a msg!!]

“Fuck, Erwin, I can’t do it. He’s a child, and sick at it,” the man whispered, but his voice seemed loud to the ears of the boy who laid chained to the metal bed, stripped down to only a pair of briefs, barely conscious. He was thin, and his skin acquired a pale tone, almost translucid, making his veins to stick out like fragile branches. And as if that wasn’t enough sign of the abuse he had been subjected to, his arms were painted in bruises, news and old ones, and needle marks were visible on his skin.

 “Levi, he’s not part of the mission, and I don’t think he’s going to make it, anyway; remember what our boss told us, no witnesses. I am so sorry, but there’s no other way to help him,” the broad, giant blonde that accompanied the short, black-haired man, answered, and though his voice was cold, his eyes showed sympathy for the poor bastard who looked almost dead. When Levi refused to follow his orders, the blonde sighed, and approached the boy, holding a small knife in his hands. He knew how to make it less painful, almost merciful. With a loose hold on the boy’s hair, Erwin raised his knife, ready to strike, but a strong hand stopped him. 

 “He’s the son, Erwin. And if what we found about the mother is true, the kid will need some blood transfusions to help him going.”

 “Levi…”

 “Just fucking do it, eyebrows! I’ve seen this shit before, okay? Just… trust me on this one.” Shocked by the abrupt change in the raven’s behavior, Erwin nodded and helped Levi to untie the boy. They knew it was risky to make any move there in the middle of a deserted laboratory, so they decided to take him to their friend and doctor’s house, Hange Zöe, who waited for them after every mission. 

 -x-x-x-

 Eren hated thunderstorms. He hated them badly, but after almost seven years of therapy, he learned how not to go into a full panic attack when the first thunder stroke. 

 He sat in front of the picture window in their living room, bundled up in a soft, blue blanket, holding against his face one of his boyfriend’s shirts, finding comfort in its smell. He scratched his arm, anxiously, ignoring the pain that came with that action. After months of being subjected to blood extraction and the experiments that came with it, the skin in his arms, legs, back of his hands and feet, became tender, hurting himself if he wasn’t careful. But, when he got like this, waking up after a nightmare and feeling numb, he lost his sense of reality, almost as if he traveled back to the source of his pain. 

 -x-x-x-

 The boy, or better said, Eren, had been the subject of illegal experiments ran by Grisha Yeager, his father. For the information they gathered upon inspecting the laboratory, Dr. Yeager intended to make a serum from his son's blood, that could help treat some strange disease, which cure had yet to be found. The reason behind this experiment was unknown to the agents. And, with the lack of cooperation from Eren, they could only guess.

 Eren didn’t speak and barely ate anything. He wasn’t malnourished, not exactly, but his haggard face made him look sick. He didn’t let anyone touch him, becoming quickly a trouble to the staff. Doctors and psychologists tried to approach him, but the boy was fast to avoid them when they presented him with a needle to take a sample of his blood or to give him some vitamins or other medicines. They had to restrain him more than once, but not even that made him want to talk to the agents.

 After Levi and Erwin found him in that abandoned laboratory, they took him to Hange’s place, where she performed an urgent blood transfusion, just like Levi predicted. It was a surprise to Erwin and Moblit, Hange’s assistant when Levi was the one compatible with the boy’s type of blood. His records were classified since he was recruited into the Survey Corps, a secret intelligence agency that worked alongside the government, doing the dirty work when it was needed, so the only person who knew about him, was Hange, the woman who convinced him to join the SC, after being let up by his gang to die after a failed mission.

 Both had an extremely odd blood type -Rh-null-, and while their blood was accepted by anyone, Rh-null carriers could only accept blood by others of the same type. It had been a miracle that they found Eren when they did.

 But, aside from his health, the progress was minimal. Eren didn’t acknowledge them, they knew he wasn’t deaf because sudden noises startled him. After being discharged from the hospital and discovering that Eren didn’t have any close family that could take him in, Hange decided to look after him. And in this new environment, Eren remained secluded into his room. He only walked out of the bedroom to use the bathroom and wasn’t particularly interested in going outside. The boy was a mystery, especially for Levi. And as the man stared at his unofficial ward, he couldn’t help but feel connected to him.

 -x-x-x-

 Traffic was a bitch to deal with, and Levi tapped his fingers anxiously over the wheel, observing with a pained expression how the cars didn’t move an inch after the traffic light turned green. He didn’t want to worry, but he knew his boyfriend, and he remembered every single episode he suffered when the storms were accompanied by thunders.

 It had been a little over a year since they moved in together, and frankly, Levi couldn’t be happier. It was a blessing to start his days and finish them with the sight of that beautiful shade of green that he loved dearly. But, although the good days occurred more often, the worry of having a setback, never left him. 

 With a sigh, he dialed Eren’s number again, frowning when he didn’t answer for the fourth time that evening.

-x-x-x-

 “For fuck's sake, Nile, are you even listening to the shit you’re spitting out?” Levi groaned, again, it was the effect that Nile, his supervisor, had on him. 

 “Don’t be so crude, Ackerman. If you can’t see it, it’s your damn fault,” Nile answered, used to Levi’s bad temper -but feeling a little intimidated, nevertheless-, “the boy is almost eighteen, if we don’t clear this up, he could be prosecuted for his father’s crimes as an accomplice.”

 “Erwin, beat some sense into this asshole before I do,” Levi stood up, ignoring the scowl of his coworkers. 

 “Levi, don’t let your personal feelings play into this, it can be dangerous,” Erwin suggested, and the room’s air became suddenly thick, and even Hange, who was munching on some snacks, stopped, looking at Levi with widened eyes.

 “Come again?” Levi asked calmly, a clear sign of his lack of patience. The man was about to snap, everyone in the made-up office in Hange’s house could see it. And no one wanted to be at the receiving end of Levi’s anger.

 “Your medical history matched some details with Eren’s. It’s such a huge coincidence, wouldn’t you say so?” Erwin explained slowly, how one would talk to a child. A glass flew by his side, missing his head by merely an inch. He didn’t wince and kept his eyes firmly on Levi. 

 “Don’t ever talk about things you cannot understand, do you hear me, fucking moron?” Levi threatened and didn’t wait for an answer, storming out the room and to his spare bedroom in Hange’s place, where he had been spending most of his time since rescuing Eren. 

 The door to Eren’s bedroom was ajar, and Levi was sure the boy had heard them talking. He didn’t bother to knock, but he entered the room, mindful of not making a sudden noise that could startle Eren. 

 “You heard us, didn’t you?” As expected, Eren didn’t answer, but his uneven breathing was enough to answer for Levi. “You don’t have to tell us anything if you’re not ready, just know that we’re here for you if you need us,” and after a moment, he added, “I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again.”

 Suddenly, Eren looked up. Green and grey eyes crossed for the first time since the boy was first brought into the care of the SC, and Levi managed a small smile. Eren didn’t reciprocate it, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that told Levi he was going slowly but surely breaking down Eren’s barriers.

 -x-x-x-

 Not even a week later, the news reached the agents, informing them of the recent discovery of Grisha's dead body in a property that belonged to his first wife, Dina Fritz. The man killed himself, letting a note begging his son to forgive him, and explaining more detailed what he did to Eren. 

 His second wife and mother of Eren, Carla, was diagnosed a few years ago with a weird and practically unknown blood disease, that only worsened over the time, causing her to need constant blood transfusions. The problem was that her blood type was the same as her son's. There was no other person in the country that could help her, and his son couldn't donate his blood due to his age. 

 Grisha, then, did what he thought would help his wife, and after getting Eren’s consent, he started his research. At first, he would take a sample or two, but as time passed, he took more and more of his blood, giving him enough vitamins to have his son healthy. But that didn't change his wife's condition. In a moment of desperation, he searched for the people that he knew worked in the underground market, and they agreed that he needed a more aggressive approach. And then, Eren's nightmare began. 

 He accepted the help of a pharmacologist who promised would deliver better results in no time, but that didn't happen, and not only did Carla die without saying goodbye to her son months ago, but he never saw Eren again, and when the news about the raid on the lab of the pharmacologist reached him, he did what he thought would lead him to see his beloved family again, and with the help of a shotgun, ended his life. 

 “So that settles it then. Neither of them is guilty,” said Levi after hearing Nile’s report.

 “It’s not that easy, Ackerman. We need to find this man, if he ends up being an invention of Grisha, the poor boy will suffer the consequences.” 

 “We have more urgent matters to attend to right now; how are we gonna tell him everything?” asked a mortified Hange, shaking her head after reading for a second time that day, the report. 

 “He needs to talk first and confirm his father's story. The information in the lab never revealed a second name, and no one saw or heard Grisha talking to another man. It could be a cover story for the trafficking ring in the underground,” Nile offered, disgusted by this whole mess. 

 “Just tell him so,” Levi suggested, “if the kid's responsible, his reaction will tell us. Just tell him the truth, your mom died, you were abandoned by God knows who, and your father took his life, so you either let us help you or you know, go to jail and all that crap.”

 “Geez, Ackerman, no wonder why you didn't qualify for the psychology department,” scolded Nile, shaking his head. But the moment was interrupted by an almost unintelligible voice from the door. There, in front of the small group gathered in their usual made-up office, was Eren, looking at them with big, glassy eyes. For the first time, his usual inexpressive face showed sadness, and he spoke to the team that seemed as fragile as the owner.

 “Are they dead? Mom and dad?”

 “Eren, sweetie-.” Hange stood up, ready to console him, but Eren quickly shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

 “No! When did they die?” 

 “Carla died six months ago, and your father was found earlier this week,” Levi answered, in his usual bluntness, but something told him the boy didn’t need to be cooed. 

 Eren’s face fell, and a sob found its way through his lips, “he said he’d help us if I behaved,” he whispered, and before anyone could ask what he meant, he turned around, returning to his bedroom, crestfallen.

 “Eren, wait!” Hange yelled, but it was too late. Nile and Erwin were ready to follow him, but Levi stopped them.

 “Wait here until I tell you. I think I can handle him.”

 Levi knocked at the door twice, out of courtesy, and stepped inside. He sat on the edge of the bed, and his heart clenched at the sight of Eren, curled up in a ball, crying silently. Levi wasn’t an expert with victims. He got them out, and his job was done. Eren had been an especial case since the beginning, and now, he wasn’t sure of how to proceed.

  “I know what you’re going through,” Levi lamely said, as if that would help him bond with the boy, but he knew that had been the wrong thing to say. Despite not saying anything, Eren’s jaw tightened, as if he were containing himself. Resigned, he continued, “I was once where you are right now. I was born and raised in the underground, my mom was a whore and I never met my father. She did her best to take care of me, but she got sick when I was six. And things went downhill from there,” Levi didn’t know why he felt the need to reveal this part of his story to the boy, something that only Hange knew, and only snips of it. 

 “One of her clients came and offered to help us. He took us to what we believed was a shelter. He gave us food, medicine for her, clothes and a good place to live. Then one day, they stopped giving my mom the medicine that she needed, and I could only watch as she died. I wish I had been stronger back then; I would’ve broken bone after bone of the shitbag that dragged her body out of our room as if she were garbage.”

 Levi tried to swallow the knot on his throat, so unused to tell his story. But it was the only way he could show Eren that he understood him. Their experiences weren’t the same, but he could understand the level of pain that Eren suffered. He had felt it himself, and yet, he had survived.

 “I was going to be sold off to one of the assholes that sponsored that place, but when they made some tests to see if I was healthy, they discovered that I was “special”. I have the same shit as you, so I became their golden boy. They used me as their blood bag, but only that. It was less painful in comparison to what happened to other kids. Long story short, the shelter couldn’t run such a successful business without the biggest dog in the underground noticing it. Kenny the Reaper is his name, and he dismantled the place, killed most of the people that ran that place, and let the kids run freely on the streets. Funny thing is, that idiotic man is my uncle. He was pretty mad when he found me among those brats.

 And once I was freed from that place, the nightmares started, the night terrors, the paranoia of being chased by one of the fuckers from the shelter. Life hasn’t been easy, but I survived. You’ll get there, Eren, just give it some time.”

 Somehow, Levi felt lighter after telling Eren about his past. He didn’t tell him about his time as Kenny’s ward, or when he ran his own gang, and although he wasn’t proud of some of the things he did, Levi would truthfully tell Eren more, if he asked. 

 The room was in silence, and Eren had finally calmed down. Levi was going to let him rest, but long, bony fingers grabbed his hand, and he understood the quiet message. He stood there, holding Eren’s hand until he was sure the boy was asleep. 

 And, the following morning, when Erwin asked him what had happened the previous night, Levi replied that he would watch over Eren for the time being, before they were forced to send him away because he was confident that he would get through him. After all, no one could understand him as well he did. 

 -x-x-x-

 The following days, Levi started to notice how prominent the bags under Eren’s eyes became. Instead of getting better, he looked frailer. Levi could coax him to eat a meal or two and to walk outside for a little while, but nothing seemed to work out, Eren even refused to talk to their newly hired psychiatrist, Petra Ral. He was concerned, if the boy didn't make significant progress, he would be sent to a psychiatric clinic, and Levi had had his fair share of shrinks as to know how badly that place could fuck up Eren's already weak mental state. 

 And his concerns only increased one evening when he got a call from Hange, telling him they were at the hospital. 

 The sky was clouded, and heavy drops fell on the ground, accompanied by occasional thunders. Even Levi got startled a couple of times while driving, but he focused on the road, intent on getting to the hospital in time. 

 When he arrived, he found Hange sitting in the waiting room. She had managed to get a private room for Eren, but what caught the attention of his short friend, was the gash on the right side of her face. Hange tried to smile, but she winced instead. “I only got three stitches; I've gotten worse.”

 “Good thing I don't have kids. I've had my fill with you and the emergency room for a long time. Where's Eren?”

 “We had to sedate him,” the humor in Hange's face disappeared, and looked at Levi with sad, big brown eyes, “the thunderstorm triggered a crisis. He didn't recognize me and thought I'd hurt him, so he did this. Moblit helped me to bring him here. He even crushed a mirror with his bare hand. Doctors said he was lucky he didn’t cause any permanent damage.”

 Levi cursed loudly, earning a frown from one of the nurses that passed by. He went to Eren’s hospital bedroom, and upon opening the door, stopped dead on his tracks. The sight of Eren trembling and whimpering, with his hands tied, so he wouldn’t hurt himself or others, angered him. The kid didn’t deserve this shit, so controlling his initial anger, he walked to his bed. Carefully, he untied him, rubbed his reddish wrists, and wiped the tears off his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

 “This is so fucking unfair,” whispered Levi, “you don’t deserve going through this shit.”

 “I behaved like he said,” Eren muttered weakly, and Levi’s head shot up with surprise when he heard him talking, “but he lied, and now my parents are dead,” a new wave of tears filled Eren’s eyes, and Levi cupped his face with both hands, holding his face softly. 

 “Who is this man, Eren?”

 “Mr. Zackly. He’s the owner of the lab where you found me,” replied Eren, and then began telling what he remembered. Grisha had contacted the man in hopes of getting a second opinion about his wife’s condition, and the man, a pharmacologist well-known in the underground because of his unorthodox methods and experiments with new drugs, suggested he could treat his case personally, but in order to do so, he had to conduct his own research on Eren. Grisha declined the idea, but it was his son who convinced him. Eren wanted to give it a try if that meant his blood would be useful for his mom’s recovery. 

 But Eren’s stay was prolonged three more months that what they had originally agreed on. For six months, Eren endured Zackly’s perverted ideas, some of them leaving him on the verge of dying. And when he felt like giving up, Zackly would give him reports on his mother’s condition. Eren was truly happy when he read Carla was making incredible progress after five months under Zackly’s care. He didn’t know she was already dead by that moment.

 A couple of days before Levi and Erwin found him, Zackly had taken a good amount of his blood, careful not to overdo it, and abandoned the lab and Eren. He had heard rumors that the location of his laboratory had been found and would be ambushed, so before getting caught, he fled, like the coward he was. 

 And, innocently, Eren thought Grisha would come back for him, but instead, the SC’s agents had found him, and his worst fears were confirmed the night he heard them talking about the suicide of his father. The memories of some of the experiments were fuzzy, and Levi didn’t want to dwell on them, prompting another crisis on Eren, so he took Eren’s hand -the one that wasn’t badged-, and firmly, he promised, “I’m going to find the son of a bitch that caused you this pain.”

 Eren stared at the man for an instant, before nodding and closing his eyes. He didn’t doubt it that Levi would fulfill his promise.

 -x-x-x-

 The SC’s headquarters was a façade. A flat in the middle of the city where only tech interns worked, was enough as to no arise suspicion about the work of said organization. Regularly, the noise was minimal, with two exceptions. One being Hange and her enthusiast talks to the interns, and the other one, being Levi, throwing things at the walls in an angry fit.

 They had been investigating Darius Zackly for over two months now, and the information they found didn’t incriminate the man at all. He had everything covered up, had alibis for his long work trips outside the city, and even, ten years ago, when he was subjected to a trial under the charges of malpractice, he wasn’t condemned because the evidence wasn’t enough, leaving him free to continue with his perverted plans. 

 When Levi finally vented his frustrations -or ran out of things to throw at the wall-, he sat heavily on a chair, staring up at the ceiling. Nothing was going as planned, and that frustrated him, and what was worse, he barely saw Eren, with the amount of work he had, by the time he got back to Hange’s place, Eren was either asleep or out with Petra. 

 Following his stay in the hospital, and as if a weight would’ve been lifted from his shoulders, Eren accepted Petra’s help, and the psychiatrist recommended him going to support groups where he could talk to other victims. She also told him it’d be ideal if he found an activity that he would enjoy until he decided if he wanted to go back to school or not. And, after a couple of weeks trying different things, Eren decided to volunteer in the local animal shelter. 

 Eren suffered from nightmares but wasn’t a constant occurrence, only once or twice he would wake up screaming or crying as if he were back in the lab, but the thing he had yet to overcome was his fear of thunderstorms. For what Eren had told him and Hange, he had lived for months in a small cell where he was chained to the bedpost, to prevent him from attacking one of Zackly’s men. The room didn’t have a window or anything that let him see the exterior, but he could hear when it was raining, and the sound effect of the thunders on that cell, scared him. Weak from whatever that man had put him through, with no way of covering the thunders, and with no source of light, had left Eren traumatized. 

 Levi shifted his attention to the clock on the opposite wall, and it read half-past seven. Another day with no improvement left a sour taste on his mouth, so he used his last resource. Picking up his cellphone, he dialed a number that he had memorized since he was younger.

 “Hey, old man, I need a favor.”

 -x-x-x-

 Kenny was a strong name in the underground, his business, although illegal, conserved some type of ethic that didn’t allow him nor his men, to hurt the most vulnerable people. Sure, he had his brothels, and he trafficked weapons and drugs, but he never touched a kid or a lady without her consent. Thus, when he got his nephew’s request to investigate Zackly, he was a hundred percent aboard. 

 Finding information was easy. Relying upon them to his nephew, even more so. However, what wasn’t a piece of cake, was delivering the news to his nephew, that this man used to visit Olympia during her available hours, nor that he approached them because her son was exactly what the market needed. Yes, as it turned out, Zackly was a client of Kuchel Ackerman, his late sister, and his instincts told him that he had something to do with her death and the subsequent imprisonment of his nephew before he dismantled that old shelter. 

 Kenny rarely left his safe house, preferring using a safe channel to speak privately with his people, but this time, he knew he needed to pay a visit to the city. 

 -x-x-x-

 “Mr. Ackerman, a man requested a meeting with you. He says it’s urgent, so he made himself comfortable at your office.,” the newest intern, Marlow, told Levi upon his arrival at the SC HQs. Levi frowned, ready to reprimand him for being careless as to let someone into his office without even asking his name. Unfortunately, Levi knew there was only one idiot with enough galls, as to step into his territory and be unaffected by his fury.

 “Listen up, kid, if anyone asks, no one, and I repeat it, no one has come to see me today. Do you understand?” Marlow paled under Levi’s frigid gaze, and nodded quickly, returning to his desk to try to focus on his work. When Levi reached his office, the curtains were drawn, and the lights were dimmed. He closed the door behind himself, and locked it, just to be sure.

 “Nice office, brat,” Kenny said as a greeting, sitting behind Levi’s desk as if he owned the place. 

 “To what do I owe the displeasure of your visit?” Levi replied, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. 

 “I gathered all the information that you needed, rat. All you need to do is to plan how you’re gonna present it to the big guns, and then start the whole shit-show. The bastard will spend a long time in the cooler if you do this right.”

 Levi hummed, with a hint of suspicion. He was good at reading others, and by the crease on Kenny’s brows, there was something else that the man wasn’t telling him yet. The silence lingered for a moment longer, and Kenny chuckled, procuring an envelope from his jacket. 

 “Why don’t you let me deal with him?” Offered Kenny, but Levi narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, don’t look at me like that, just let’s keep this off the records, kid, alright?” Levi took the envelope from Kenny’s outstretched hand, and opened it, reading the contents. The information was from almost 25 years ago when the man started working as a contact between the black market and the lowest whorehouses in the underground. 

 “What’s this, Kenny?”

 “I’m an old man, kid, but my instinct has never failed me. And I’m convinced this asshole visited your mama at her job.”

 Levi felt as if cold water had been poured over him. He was a kid, he hardly remembered faces or names, but Kenny never lied to him, and most of the times, he was right. The struggle in his face was obvious to the old man, but he couldn’t force his nephew to decide in such a short time. They both respected their line of jobs, even if they were opposites. 

 “Listen, son, just take your time. Do your work and use this information as you please. But don’t forget I’m a call away if you need me, okay?” Kenny offered his support, placing his hand on Levi’s shoulder, and he nodded dumbly, ignoring when his uncle left his office. He knew what he had to do, he was one of the best in his division, but this case was hitting close home, and for the first time Levi was at a loss of what to do.

 -x-x-x-

 Laughter could be heard from the backyard, and Levi stopped to gauge the sound. Did Hange invite someone? That was unlikely, in most cases, the obnoxious laughter would belong to her, and what he heard wasn’t as annoying as hers. Regardless, he found himself surprised when he spotted the owner of said laughter. 

 Eren was sprawled on the grass, trying to regain his breath, as a huge beast licked his face and pawed at his belly. The joyous sound reached him again, and for a moment, Levi regretted not being able to store it away and treasure it. If it were for him, Levi would give everything in his hands to keep that smile on Eren’s face and to hear him laughing more often. 

 “Oh, you're here early,” Hange greeted him from the kitchen, “did you miss us?”

 “As if you wouldn't know already what happened,” grumbled Levi, finally taking his eyes off Eren.

 “Well, yes, but I wanna hear it from you. You know Erwin gets moody and doesn't tell me the fun bits.”

 “I got suspended for two weeks because I told a coworker to kindly fuck himself,” Hange snickered, making that horrible sound that annoyed Levi, “and apparently, I was too invested in the case, so I needed to either chill-out or step down.”

 “Ah, can't say I didn't see it coming. Poor Nile, I bet he's traumatized.”

 “Nile? It was the fucking tall blonde that got me suspended. Nile only signed it up.” 

 “Oh boy, Smith omitted the funniest thing,” the grin on Hange’s face verged on maniac, and Levi wondered, not for the first time, why he was friends with such a crazy lot. Nevertheless, he knew no one would understand him as Hange did. That batshit crazy individual knew how to put up with him. 

 “The evidence we got isn’t enough,” commented Levi, directing his gaze back at Eren, “half of the evidence isn’t conclusive, the other half can’t be trusted because an unknown source isn’t reliable enough. We have nothing, Hange.”

 Hange observed how Levi looked at the younger man, and arched a brow, but decided not to comment anything, yet. Instead, she boiled some water, knowing that nothing calmed his grumpy friend as tea did. 

 “And why did Erwin think you’re too involved?��

 “Kenny is convinced that the fucker here is the same man that got my mom into that fucking place. And I don’t believe in coincidences.” Hange nodded and offered a pat on Levi’s back as a way of comfort. She would’ve hugged him, but the few punches that she earned over the years, taught her a thing or two about Levi.

 The door that led to the backyard was opened, and a gasping Eren entered the kitchen. He signaled the big dog to wait for him outside, and the animal obeyed him, waging his tail. 

 “Hey, Levi, You’re early.”

 “Yeah, yeah, got some free time, so here I am.”

 “That’s good! I haven’t seen you in days,” Eren smiled, and by reflex, Levi mirrored his expression, “oh, by the way, my little buddy out there, is Titan, he was abandoned some weeks ago, and I was asked to look after him for a while, if you don’t mind.” 

 “This is Hange’s place if four eyes doesn’t mind, I don’t mind either. Just keep it out of the house and don’t let it shit everywhere.”

 Eren touched his jaw with his fingers, a gesture that Levi picked up on as nervousness. The blush that was already present in his face, deepened, and the older man quirked an eyebrow, waiting for the boy to keep talking.

 “W-well, I, uh, I’ve been talking to Petra and she says it’s policy of the SC to keep under their care the people that are like me,” Levi noted the way Eren flinched, avoiding to say out loud that he had no family to go back to, “and I’m almost eighteen, so I’d like to adopt him, so I need you to sign up the forms.”

 “Shouldn’t Hange do that?”

 “N-no. I mean, I’m gonna move in with you in a couple of months, right?”

 Luckily, Hange had yet to hand Levi his tea, otherwise, he was sure he would’ve dropped the cup. Levi stared at Eren, gauging how serious his statement was. And then, as blunt as ever, he replied, “and what on earth gave you the impression that I’d let you live with me?”

 For the first time in a long time, he regretted his unfiltered mouth when he noticed the hurt that crossed the boy’s eyes. To cover up his deflated expression, Eren looked down, scratching the side of his face, again. “Listen, kid, my apartment isn’t fitting for a person, much less for a boy and his enormous beast. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m barely around. I wouldn’t have the time to look after you.”

 “And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a damn kid, Levi,” Eren countered, tensing his jaw in a way that denoted anger. Without another word, he turned around and left the kitchen, and the last Levi heard before Eren closed the door, was “I guess it’s just you and me, big boy.”

 “The fuck was that for?!” Levi exclaimed when Hange slapped the back of his head before placing his tea in front of him. 

 “I cannot believe that one of the Corps’ finest is such a stupid, little man!”

 “Oi!”

 “Eren likes you, for God’s sake!”

 “The kid’s not bad, but I wouldn’t be a good guardian nor roomie for him,” Hange shoot him an incredulous look that made Levi uncomfortable. “Stop looking at me like that, lunatic!”

 Deciding to drop the topic, for now, Hange shook her head. Definitely, his friend needed to interact more with others if he wanted to catch romantic clues faster. 

   -x-x-x-

 When the news about the prosecution of Zackly for his involvement in human trafficking and the evidence became public knowledge, his legal team was quick to shut down any suspicion, painting every possible witness as unfitting for court. Even Eren, who was by far one of the sanest witnesses and one of the few victims rescued, was disregarded, claiming that he was lying to protect his father and that the abuse he suffered provoked him to want to blame someone innocent. 

 It came without saying that Eren’s confidence and progress declined from all the chaos that surrounded him. He spent hours away in his bedroom and only allowed Titan to accompany him. And, if that wasn’t enough, the nightmares started with more frequency.

 Levi couldn’t do much, other than to watch from the side and curse his bad luck. Since their failed conversation a while ago, Eren had put an invisible barrier between them, and any type of comfort the older man tried to offer, was ignored or denied, so he could only stay outside of Eren’s room, listening to him sniffing and muffing his sobbing against his pillow, as Titan whimpered by his owner’s side. But he couldn’t stay back and watch him suffer when he started panicking one night. 

 The light rain turned quickly into a storm, the kind that makes windows and doors tremble with the force of it. Levi couldn’t sleep, his insomniac tendencies worsened when he was stressed, and he hadn’t had a moment to rest in the past months. He re-read the files, trying to find a way out, but they were cornered. With a sigh, he threw the papers to the floor and stood up to refill his cup of tea, when a sound from Eren’s room alerted him. It started with a loud thud, and then another, and another one, as if someone were throwing things at the wall. Then the beast that Eren called his dog, barked and scratched the door. That was Levi’s clue to sprint to his room, and kick the door open, not minding if he made the boy upset by bursting in that way.

 Titan rounded his legs, and Levi pushed him lightly to the side, approaching Eren. The boy kept his gaze on the corner of the room as if he was expecting something to jump out and attack him. Levi noticed several glasses and other stuff shattered on the floor as if Eren had used them to try to protect him. 

 “Eren,” Levi called him softly, stilling when the boy tensed. He turned to look at the older man with fear in his eyes, and that sight hurt Levi in a way that he couldn’t quite understand. He knew people dealt with trauma in different ways, he had an outlet when he was younger, fighting to make a name for himself in the underground, but that didn’t always help him. Sometimes, he wished he could turn to the person next to him and hug him. But he wasn’t a touchy person, he wasn’t sure if he would ever feel a hundred percent comfortable with someone else invading his personal space. However, at that moment, those thoughts were forgotten. After a moment, the cloud in Eren’s eyes dissipated, and realizing it was Levi who had barged into his room, Eren launched at him, almost making them fall. 

 “Oi brat, you’re spending so much time with your beast. His bad habits are starting to rub off on you,” he tried to joke, to make the younger man smile, but it was useless. His shoulders shook but not from laughter. Fat tears rolled down Eren’s eyes, and Levi let him cling to him, wetting his shirt and holding him almost uncomfortably tightly. 

 “I’m going crazy, Levi,” Eren sobbed, “I’m waiting for Zackly or one of his men to come here to hurt us. I could swear I saw someone on the corner, but I was alone.” The paranoid of being hunted down was something Levi learned to live with. Instantly, his mind was making any kind of plans to help Eren to cope with it. He could train him or ask one of his fellow agents to do so. Anything that could give him some peace, Levi would do it.

 He allowed Eren to get everything off his chest, but when the boy mumbled apologies, Levi frowned, and took his face between his hands, to make Eren look at him. 

 “Listen up, brat, you have nothing to apologize for, alright?” Instead of answering, Eren shut his eyes tightly and shook his head. “Eren, look at me. C’mon, look at me, please,” it took him a couple of minutes to take deep breaths, just like Petra taught him, but when he finally could look at Levi, the older man smiled, and he brushed his thumbs over the boy’s cheeks. “Hey, calm down, alright? They can’t hurt you anymore. And I promise, no one will ever touch you again.”

 Eren nodded shakily, and convinced that he believed him, Levi maneuvered them on the bed, so he could rest against the headboard while Eren rested on his chest. Levi’s legs caged Eren’s body, in a way that would make him feel protected, but that he could also leave whenever he felt like it. 

 Minutes passed, and Eren finally managed to calm down, soothed by the constant throb of Levi’s heart. Slowly, he fell asleep, confident that the nightmares wouldn’t return that night. 

 Hours later, when Hange returned from her job, she found Eren’s door open, and giving in her curious nature, she poked her head into the room, finding them in the same position, with Eren clinging to Levi’s shirt, and Levi carding a hand through Eren’s hair, while the other was upon Titan’s back, who laid comfortably on Levi’s left leg. 

 Hange smiled knowingly. It was only a matter of times before his stupid friend finally realized his feelings and Eren’s, she was sure of it.

 -x-x-x-

 As expected, the case against Zackly was rejected and Levi was sure that son of a bitch bribed the judge into disallowing the case. The public opinion was mixed, but the majority agreed that he was either a lunatic or a predator, or that he was both. 

 “What will happen now, Levi?” Hange asked him, both were in the park near the courthouse, after hearing the verdict. Levi couldn’t go back to Hange’s place yet. Eren was at work in the animal shelter, but it was only a matter of time until he heard the news, too. 

 “I don’t know, Hange. The bastard is free to wander around and hurt more people. He won’t stop unless someone stops him.” 

 Hange learned back and observed her friend. His slouched posture and tense jaw, how he anxiously tapped his fingers over his knees or bobbed his head imperceptibly. “You know what to do, don’t you?” Levi affirmed with a nod, and Hange hummed. “What’s stopping you, then?”

 “You know the answer as well as I do.”

 “Well, I’d say he has done enough for a lifetime. I’m sure Eren thinks the same way.”

 “Eren?”

 “Yes. I heard him once saying that, if he could, he’d kill him himself with his bare hands.”

 Despite the situation, Levi smiled. The kid had some courage, the sparkle in his eyes shone brightly, even if it dimed at times. With that in mind, he finally decided on what to do. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a quick message. Then he got up and extended his hand to help Hange up. “Let’s go back now.” 

 -x-x-x-

 “And as expected, this case is closed until further notice, and any information that comes through us will be redirected to the Federal Agency while the investigation runs its course. Understood?” The agents nodded when Nile finished his speech, and then he dismissed them. 

 Outside in the hallway, Erwin stopped Levi and brought him to an empty office. Levi crossed his arms and waited for his friend to start talking.

 “Aren’t you going to say anything?” 

 “I’m not sure what you mean, eyebrows.”

 “Zackly was found dead this morning with a letter detailing his crimes. Do you expect me to believe that it was a simple suicide?” 

 “Maybe the bastard grew a conscience over the past days and decided to do a favor to the world.”

 “Levi…”

 “Listen, I don’t care, okay? I wish the man would’ve swallowed his fucking tongue, but I didn’t get my wish, so this is better than nothing. Now, if you don’t have more inquires, I’d like to go.”

 Erwin didn’t try to stop Levi this time.

 -x-x-x-

 It was liberating for both men to know that the source of their pain was already gone.

 While Levi continued with his job, Eren was able to move on. With the help of the SC and recommended by Petra, he was accepted into the State University where he would major in psychology. He had a strict schedule, going to classes, working at the animal shelter, therapy with Petra, etc. But he felt freer than ever. Also, he was authorized to find a place for himself instead of living under Hange’s roof, not that he wasn’t grateful, on the contrary, but he wanted to regain the control over his life, and since he couldn’t afford a big house or an apartment, he was happy to live in a shared house with other students that allowed him to move in with Titan. 

 Levi closed the door behind him and placed the last door on Eren’s bed. He had offered to help him to move to his new house. Luckily, he didn’t have much back at Hange’s place, so the moving was quick. 

 “Anything else, kid?”

 “No, and I told you to stop calling me that.”

 “Oh, I’m sorry, young adult, then.”

 “Levi! I’m serious,” the pout on Eren’s face didn’t help him, and Levi chuckled, looking fondly at Eren. In the past months, he had grown some more, and Levi had to stretch his neck more to look at him. He also gained some weight, filling his muscles nicely, and the brat let his hair grow, so he wore it in a small bun. 

 “You’re a cute shit, you know that?” Levi chuckled at Eren’s blush. “Well, I’ll leave you to settle down, call me if you need anything.” 

 “Levi, wait!” Eren grabbed him by the shoulder, and Levi looked at him inquisitively. Eren didn’t say anything for a moment, but his eyes moved from Levi’s to his lips. The blush that was already set on his cheeks, deepened, and Levi was about to make a teasing comment when a pair of lips landed on his. 

 To say that he was shocked, was an understatement, he just froze, and didn’t have the time to react when Eren pulled apart slightly, only to change the angle of his head, to press his lips against Levi’s once more. But this time, Levi did react, pushing him away with probably more force than needed. He turned away, rubbing his hands over his face, trying to calm his beating heart. “Fuck kid, why did you do that?” Levi whispered, feeling somewhat conflicted after Eren’s kiss. Maybe it had been an impulse, right? Or a way to thank him for what he did for the kid. But he could almost hear Hange’s obnoxious laughter, confirming him that, yes, the kid liked him. “fuck, fuck, fuck.”

 “I’m really sorry, Levi,” the boy apologized, sitting on his bed, looking at his feet. “I thought you’d finally see me as something more than a kid now that I moved out. But clearly, I was wrong.” When Levi remained in silence, Eren took a shaky breath, “I-I like you, okay? And don’t say it’s just a crush, because I’ve known you for almost two years and this feeling hasn’t changed. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same, just tell me that I didn’t fuck up our friendship, and let’s forget about this, please, Levi?”

 But Levi couldn’t simply forget it or pretend that it didn’t happen. Sure, Eren’s confession caught him by surprise, but he’d be lying if he said he never thought about Eren as more than just a kid, and that thought left him feeling restless in the past. Regaining his composure, he sat by Eren’s side, frowning when the kid flinched.

 “Eren, I’m too old for this shit, so I really want your full honesty here, okay? No half-truths,” when Eren nodded, Levi continued, “Why would you like an old man like me?”

 Eren snorted at the comment, and his lips curled up slightly, “You’re not old, Levi, 32 years old isn’t old.”

 “That doesn’t answer me shit, Eren.”

 “I don’t have a reason to like someone, do I?” At the impassive look on the older man’s face, Eren elaborated, “what I mean is, I don’t have a reason, you can’t control it when you fall for someone. Because, honestly, you’re not the hero I kind of envisioned the first time I saw you after you and Erwin rescued me from that place. You’re crude, a clean freak -no offense-, and your shitty jokes are, well, shit.”

 Levi slapped the back of Eren’s head, looking mildly offended, “Oi, brat! That’s not how you woo someone. Do I need to teach you that, too? Even Erwin did better with that giant bloodhound when he proposed.”

 “And that’s exactly what I’m trying to say!” Eren threw his hands up, a bit exasperated, “I got to know you, the real you, with your flaws and all, and I still like you. You want a reason? Well, I find you attractive. And you make me feel safe. And you make some killer eggs in the morning, frankly, I’m gonna miss my breakfast.”

 It was Levi’s turn to blush at Eren’s confession, and that was laughable, a grown man like him shouldn’t get all blushy because of a few compliments from a brat. 

 “Levi, if you let me, I-.”

 “No. The answer is no,” Levi cut him off, but upon realizing his harshness and Eren’s trembling lower lip, he added, “Not yet. Look, you’re young, and you’re starting your life. You have all the opportunities in the world to find what makes you happy, and I won’t stop you. We met under difficult circumstances, and we haven’t known each other outside of them. So, this is what I can offer you. You’re going to do your thing, and I’ll do mine. Explore a little, make friends, have dates, you know, all that crap. And if in two years you still feel the same, then I’d be happy to give it a try.”

 Eren’s pensive face betrayed the disappointment that he felt, but Levi’s offer didn’t sound too bad. If that gave him a chance to be close to the older man, he’d happily take it. “And what about you? What if you find someone else during that time?”

 “We’ll cross that bridge when the time comes.”

 “That doesn’t answer me shit,” Eren mimicked Levi’s tone, earning himself another slap in the back of the head. “Fine. I get it.”

 “I mean it, Eren. Go outside and live your life at its fullest. I’ll be here when you’re ready,” Levi’s soft voice made Eren smile, and without a second thought, he leaned his head against Levi’s shoulder. Although the height difference made the position a bit difficult, Eren didn’t mind in the slightest. slightest. 

 “Levi?”

 “Hmm?”

  “Can I kiss you?”

 “Don’t be greedy, kid.”

 “Jeez, a hug at least?”

 “Yeah, that doesn’t sound bad.”

 -x-x-x-

 The house was completely submerged in shadows when Levi finally arrived. That wasn’t a good sign, but the silence was somehow reassuring. In the past, when something triggered Eren’s fears, he could hear his voice screaming to the front door, or the loud barking of Titan. from the inside. He took off his shoes and jacket and was about to look out for Eren, but Titan came running to greet him, stopping in front of him as he had learned not to try to jump and tackle him down as a greeting. At least, Levi knew he wouldn’t be tackled down by a giant beast every night after work.

 He petted the dog’s head and followed him to the living room, and there, in the middle of the room, found Eren in the same position that he had been for the past two hours. He came up to Eren, sat by his side, taking in the way the moon and the streetlights illuminated his face. Eren seemed lost in thought, but his hand found Levi’s, and cradled it against his chest, quickly forgetting Levi’s shirt. When the dog returned to his owner’s side and Eren didn’t seem to react, Levi knew he needed to be careful while approaching the boy.

 With soft movements, he approached Eren and kneeled in front of him. “Eren, baby, can you hear me?” 

 “How do you feel, bright eyes?” Levi asked, using his favorite pet name for Eren. Eren shrugged, and Levi moved his gaze down their intertwined hands, noticing the harsh lines on Eren’s arms, caused after scratching himself repeatedly. “Do you want me to call Petra?” Eren shook his head, “then, are you hungry? I can fix you a quick dinner,” another negative, and Levi was running out of options. “Can I at least hug you?” At that, Eren gave an affirmative nod, and Levi released a sigh of relief. 

 While the dog put his head over his paws, observing his owners  Levi's arms circled Eren’s shoulders, and his boyfriend leaned against his torso, resting his head on Levi’s chest, and the older man peppered kisses over his forehead. Some minutes passed, and the tension abandoned Eren’s body, feeling protected between Levi’s arms.

 “I came home and took a nap, and when I woke up, I was disoriented,” Eren explained, “for a moment, I feel like all these years had been a dream, and that I was back in that place. I was terrified to even imagine that everything I have was gone, that you were gone.” 

 “I’m sorry I wasn’t here, baby.”

 “No, no, don’t apologize. You’ve done more than enough for me already. The rest is all on myself.” Levi didn’t argue with Eren, and he felt proud of him, of all that he had overcome, and the way he had matured over the years.

 Holding the younger man’s chin with utter care, Levi lifted Eren’s face, looking at him with adoration. Then, he leaned down, kissing his boyfriend’s lips, a gesture that Eren returned in an instant. “Fuck, Eren. You have no idea how much I love you,” hearing those words, always filled Eren with warmth.

 “Not as much as I love you, babe,” Eren responded, leaning in for another kiss, that he interrupted with a yawn.

 Levi snickered, and shook his head, fondly, “Heh, such a cute shit you are.”

[buzzdixonwriter]

Writing Report March 29, 2020

This will come as a shock and surprise to many of you, I know, but the coronavirus is wreaking havoc with my writing schedule.

I’m fine (as of this writing), my wife is fine, all our family members are fine.  For that we’re truly glad and grateful.

But between social distancing and family obligations (nothing serious, just time consuming) my daily output has dropped dramatically.

I’ve also seen several markets I’d submitted to either implode or suddenly close or just va_n__i__s____h without a trace.

Which sets me to thinking about the future of (a) freelance fiction writing in general and (b) my own creative strategies as well.

I occasionally think I spend more time and effort trying to place my short stories than I do writing them.

Certainly with various market restrictions, I spend an inordinate amount of time researching the markets.

One certainly can’t make a living off of short fiction (I think Harlan Ellison was the last person to support themselves solely through freelance short fiction and that was 1955-57).  Freelance fiction writers can survive, obviously, but they range much further afield than the confines of the short fiction market.  Without longform fiction, television, comics / graphic novels, video games, and other venues, none of us could support ourselves off freelance short fiction.

So the huge hiccup we’re going through right now will visit far ranging change on us, much of which already started prior to the appearance of the coronavirus but now accelerated upon its arrival.

The old model for short fiction / essays / poems was for a publisher to arrange financing, assemble a publication (magazine or original anthology), delivery said publication to a distributor, and live off the proceeds.  (I’m leaving out a lot of steps and variables, of course, but those are the basics).

The financing could come in many forms, either an advance from a larger publisher / distributor / investor or a loan based on contracts and letters of commitment.  One of the best bits of advice I received when I was trying to decide whether to do the Serenity Christian manga project as either original graphic novels or a monthly came in the form of a question:  Do you want to spend all your time creating, or do you want to spend all your time chasing down advertisers?

I preferred the former to the later, yet even then I spent an enormous amount of time and effort into tracking down a suitable publishing partner.

So I commiserate with all those publishers and editors out there trying to make a go of it on shoestring budgets with minimum or non-existent staffs:  I feel for you.  Truly.

But I also recognize the light at the end of that particular tunnel is a train.

Already alternatives to traditional publishing let writers find a loyal audience and get paid for it.

I’m aware of sites like Wattpad and Medium and Smashwords but frankly haven’t investigated them in depth.

To my old(er) eyes, I see the danger of clouded rights issues, reliability in accounting, and frankly just seeming desperate.

Yet those same eyes can’t deny thousands of writers use them and attract tens of thousands of readers and in more instances than one would expect, money flows ///towards/// the writer.

(Siderbar:  Don’t never EVER enter a creative contest that requires an entry fee or submit to a market that charges a submission fee.  If you won’t listen to me, listen to Uncle Harlie.)

So clearly a sea change is already underway and the coronavirus is the tsunami wave that finishes the job.

Look, I’m fortunate insofar that between our Social Security and Soon-ok’s pension, we have enough to live comfortably on for the rest of our lives.  Holy shamolley, do I ever realize how fortunate and privileged we are in that aspect.

But the short fiction market already is barely cost effective.  My genre fiction goes first to the biggest / most prestigious markets.  Originally I planned to limit each submission to the top five markets, then post them online here if I couldn’t place them.

The drawbacks with that are the aforementioned market restrictions (many markets today will only accept one submission at a time from a writer) and the ever continuing ebb and flow of specialty markets where one might have a chance (indeed, I’ve sold several stories because an original market opens for stories specifically about left-handed truck drivers and by chance I happen to have a left-handed truck driver story [or the equivalent thereof] in the trunk].

Those of you visit here frequently know I’ve been writing fictoids (a.k.a. flash fiction or short-short stories).

While I’d written fictoids before, this current crop got their start from a Christmas gift I received from a grandson.

I really enjoy these, and when I can find a chance to sit down and writer them (their first draft is always by hand) I can crank out two to six an evening after my more formal writing.

These are shared freely on my blog because at 350-400 words, they’re not really cost effective for market submission.

If I could place a 400 word fictoid at the highest paying market for that sort of fiction, I’d net 40-cents a word for $160.

That’s a lot for a little, to be sure, but rates drop precipitously after that (not to mention that market publishes only three or four times a year).

$32 for a fictoid? Not great, but okay.

$4 for a fictoid?   Uhh, no…

Let them publish it for free?

Why should they benefit off my work but not me?

No, fictoids are cost effectively only as loss leaders to attract eyeballs here and possibly interest people in my longer work.

My longer short fiction (i.e., everything from 1,000 to 9,999 words; there’s a variety of opinion on what the boundaries of short story and novelette / novella lengths should be but for our purposes I’m limiting short fiction to that range) tends to be more satisfying, but those markets are drying up.

Sc-fi / fantasy / horror are much more viable markets than mystery / crime.  Other markets are so scarce I can’t find reliable information on them (this would include general and mainstream humor fiction).  The literary markets all offer their own particular shoals to navigate, and while they can pay well, again, those markets are far and few between.

So I’m thinking of steering away from conventional short fiction (i.e., 1,000 to 9,999) and focus exclusively on long form (i.e., novels and novellas I can offer via Kindle), using the fictoids on this blog to attract readers to the longer works.

(Speaking of which, I’m about a year ahead on my fictoids; they’re loaded up and set to appear one a week from now into 2021 with more to come after that.  So if I keel over in the near future, you’re still going to be seeing new fictoids into early 2021 at the least.)

None of this will preclude me from writing short stories that fall between fictoid and novella lengths, but that’s going to require perfect happenstances (good idea + time to write).

The other thing to consider is that with the old model publishing market being so badly shaken up, new opportunities in new formats will be opening up.

Which one of those will be viable in turns of adequate readership, etc.?  How many prose based venues will be open as opposed to drama and media based?

We are in, as the Chinese would say, for interesting times.

  © Buzz Dixon

[whiitewwolf]

► GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: james buchanan barnes NICKNAME(S): bucky, jerk, the winter soldier ( former ), white wolf, manchurian candidate  CURRENT TEAM(S): strike force/ independent work AGE: 106 ( biologically in his 30′s, exact age unknown due to his time as the winter solider in and out of cryo ) DATE OF BIRTH: march 10th, 1917 GENDER IDENTITY: cis male SEXUALITY: gay NATIONALITY: american ETHNICITY: caucasian

► APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: sebastian stan HEIGHT: 5′11″ SPECIAL / RECOGNIZABLE FEATURES: metal left arm which is currently missing ( first with the red star, second has the gold accents, third arm is being built and will most likely have a white star variation on the shoulder ) HAIR COLOR: brown EYE COLOR: blue ACCENT: american/brooklyn SCARS: thick scarring around the area where his skin meets the metal on his shoulder TATTOOS: none

► BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: brooklyn, ny CURRENT HOME: brooklyn, ny FINANCIAL STATUS: n/a EDUCATION LEVEL: high school CONVICTION(S): wanted for the crimes committed ( and thought to have been committed ) by the winter soldier SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): english, russian, romanian, german, many others PAST OCCUPATION: brainwashed international assassin CURRENT OCCUPATION: working w/ strike force, starting his own odd jobs on the side ( dealing with personal issues and redemption ) RELIGION: unclear/questioning SNAP STATUS: snapped

► RELATIONS

FATHER: george barnes ( deceased ) MOTHER: winifred barnes ( deceased ) SIBLING(S): rebecca barnes and two other unnamed siblings ( deceased ) of which he was the oldest, rikki barnes ( alternate-reality granddaughter ) PARTNER(S): steve rogers ( former, never officially labeled ) CHILDREN: none BEST FRIEND: steve rogers, sam wilson ADVERSARY: hydra, zemo

► EXTRA INFORMATION

HOROSCOPE: pisces JUNG TYPE:  isfj ( the defender ) ENNEAGRAM: type 2 - the helper ( demonstrative, generous, people-pleasing, possessive ) MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic good SIN: wrath VIRTUE: patience MOTTO / quote: “life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself” THEME SONG: Everything’s Not Lost by Coldplay

► PERSONALITY

POSITIVE TRAITS: loyal, brave, kind, selfless, personable, genuine NEGATIVE TRAITS: self-critical, closed-off, can be defensive and seclusive 

► HEADCANONS/FUN FACTS

→ he was able to keep his journals from the time he spent on his own before civil war, and is still writing when he can. he’s built up a collection of around two dozen now. some have pictures, some have clipped articles, some have his own writing, and some have all three. he’s doing his best to put the pieces together, and sometimes it works, but a lot of the time it doesn’t. → a lot of the memories he has are more feelings than anything- remembering how he felt during certain points of his life, remembering different sensations. they are often very strong but the context on how/why/where he felt them are usually vague.  → bucky suffers from survivors guilt. he also has ptsd. → he’s on metal arm number 3 now! shuri is working on it as we speak. → on a lighter note: science documentaries? sc-fi shows? those are the best things about the 21st Century and when he can, bucky likes to relax and watch them. it’s fun, and it keeps his brain busy. → he feels incredibly selfish because part of him wishes that steve hadn’t stayed in the past. he’s glad his best friend is happy, but he misses him more than anything. → bucky has an apartment and has recently acquired a cat-- all white. blue eyes. soft as hell. name: alpine. → when he gets his new arm, he’s chopping his hair → for the first time in as long as he can remember, bucky is starting to feel like a real person. and he’s determined to make a difference where he can, and to make a good life for himself.

► WANTED CONNECTIONS

→ sam wilson

[that-bookworm-guy]

Weirdest part of your lore/universe?

Everyone has powers, we have evolved like x-men basically. 

But society has basically gone to shit. The government are corrupt the people don’t know. Someone lead a revolution many many years ago after exposing the government but they used it to their advantage to make the people see them as the good people. Okay cool caught you up to modern day in my universe. 

Imagine Victorian era mixed with sc-fi. 

Work houses are back, children work in them, but the adults don’t know. They are taking kids from foster homes to sell their powers onto the highest bidder. But first they have to go through painful experiments to remove the power. Sometimes the kids die. Sometimes they don’t and they get placed in the workhouse. 

The adults that do know, keep their heads down. They don’t want to get involved. The criminal adults are paying for certain powers such as invisibility, because they are born with only 1 or 2 powers (they have to be linked in some way). So they use the powers to do crimes. The government don’t care too much, they know who are using the system, they run the system. 

If your family is in debt, everyone gets sent to the workhouse. 

That’s probably the weirdest thing, which isn’t that weird

Oh hang on.

In the first book there was a beating heart in a wooden box. That’s weird..

[editoramicronotas]

Zé Kielwagen lança livro na Univille na terça (12.julho)

O artista Zé Kielwagen lança nessa terça-feira (dia 12), das 17h30 às 20h, no Espaço de Integração da Univille, o livro "Império da feiura e outros textos" (R$ 35, 80 páginas, Editora Micronotas). A publicação reúne 13 textos ficcionais inéditos, sendo um deles um poema sem título e os demais, narrativas mais ou menos longas do gênero conto.

Residente há muitos anos fora do Brasil, o autor estará presente no evento para conversar sobre seu trabalho e autografar a obra. Após o hiato da pandemia, ele veio ao Brasil para lançar o livro em Joinville, inaugurar uma exposição em Criciúma e filmar um curta-metragem na Amazônia.

O evento terá a participação da escritora Melanie Peter e do poeta e professor Eduardo Silveira, que farão a leitura de textos da publicação. Aberto ao público, o evento permitirá aos convidados levarem para casa outros livros de Kielwagen, assim como adquirir outros títulos da editora Micronotas.

A pequena casa editorial fundada por Katherine Funke também lançou este ano os livros de poesia "Bernat Metge", de Lucas Margarit, e "Fis(s)uras", de Juan Terenzi, ambos pesquisadores da obra de Samuel Beckett. 

"É um prazer para mim publicar este livro do Zé, os contos são incríveis e, de tão bons, eu mesma gostaria de tê-los escrito", diz a editora. Entre os temas dos contos estão: o resultado de se crer em um falso messias, alternativas de punição ao crime do estupro, coprofagia como fetiche, entre outros. 

LEIA A ORELHA - Publicado pela Editora Micronotas, de Joinville, "Império da feiura" traz orelha da professora e dramaturga carioca Maria Fernanda Gárbero, professora de Teoria da Literatura e Literatura Comparada na Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. Segue o texto, na íntegra:

Se um conto sempre conta duas histórias, como nos propõe Ricardo Piglia em “Teses sobre o conto”, Zé Kielwagen nos convida à leitura de várias histórias que partem ora de poucas linhas, ora de textos mais extensos, como parte de um corpo só que engendra em si diversos sujeitos.  As narrativas que integram o Império da feiura, ao nos conectar com procedimentos ficcionais que vemos na tradição do conto latino-americano com Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Mario Levrero e nos escatológicos enredos de Veronica Stigger, encontram no abrupto um tempo certo para o ponto que, ao se sugerir como final, traz consigo o arrebatamento que o gênero evoca. Os múltiplos narradores imaginados pelo autor experienciam histórias cômicas, trágicas e, por que não, de horror, afinal, o que seria a feiura senão um misto de todos esses elementos numa mesma cara, num mesmo corpo ou, nas palavras de Zé, num mesmo coração de cu, ou um cu de coração? O arrebatamento, nesse sentido, não se restringe aos procedimentos; é na procura pela palavra e suas formas de criar sentido que vemos também o projeto poético do autor. Como um modelo para armar, sem dúvidas, temos em nossas mãos uma série de jogos que nos convidam tanto à brincadeira, quanto ao espanto, isto é, ao horror necessário ao reconhecimento do que, para além do feio ou bonito como elementos primários da composição da feiura, é estranho. Estranhamente familiar, incomodamente parte do que há em nós, como nos lembra Sigmund Freud. É no cruzamento desses variados sentidos que nos deparamos, ou melhor, nos confrontamos com narrativas que vêm a público em meio a um império da feiura contemporaneamente estranho, escritas num tempo de Messias, em meio à barbárie e ao ódio ao outro. No entanto, se ainda apostamos na palavra e inventamos novos mundos, como maneira de compreender o espanto, que ao menos a promessa de outras realidades tomem o palco e a ficção protagonize o espetáculo.

Serviço

Lançamento: livro "Império da feiura", de Zé Kielwagen Quando: 12 de Julho, terça-feira, das 17h30 as 20 horas Onde: Espaço de Integração da UNIVILLE (próximo ao Pórtico 1 do campus, ao lado da academia) Rua Paulo Malschitzki, nº 10 Campus Universitário Distrito Industrial, Joinville - SC, 89219-710 Valor da publicação: R$ 35 Forma de pagamento: pix ou dinheiro

Se você desejar adquirir a obra, mas não pode ir ao evento, podemos enviar pelo correio: R$ 35 + R$ 5 (frete), pagamento por pix para editoramicronotas@gmail.com (favor enviar por email o comprovante de pagamento e o endereço completo para postagem). 

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