The Future in Sci-Fi

Bringing unibrows to a whole new level.

As a kid, I loved Star Trek, Deep Space Nine. My fondest memory is of Quark's Bar. And it wasn't just that the bar was owned by two of the cheekiest back-stabbing alien brothers, Quark and Rom. It was also because, even though the series portrayed the unusual sci-fi situations, we viewers always knew there would be a place where everyone could unwind and raise a steaming glass of rainbow vodka.

Because people, even intrepid 24th-century astronauts living in the middle of who knows where, still need those little terrestrial pleasures.

Lately I've been asking myself: How far has mankind really come? Sure, we've made remarkable breakthroughs in the last couple centuries in many fields, but have we really changed that much? Have we evolved as much as we think?

All these questions arose some while back when I received a certain critique through Critique Circle. In a nutshell, the critiquer urged me not to have my main character drink beer. Because this character was living 200 years in the future, he had to drink something exotic and hard to pronounce.

I can't agree with that advice.

Let me give you a little bit of context: Serving Time takes place a little over 200 years in the future. In this time period, mankind has left the confines of planet Earth and many thousands of people are living in space colonies. The moon has more or less been colonized (mainly for research), and Mars is a terraformation disaster.

From the very start, I knew I wanted the technology surrounding my characters be no more
than a backdrop. Serving Time is character-driven, so the story relies on the characters in order to move forward. Of course the story is littered with sci-fi technology: Tristan is an interplanetary pilot while his younger brother Eneld is a biorobotics engineer. However, while their professions are without a doubt character traits, they don't define the heroes.

While sharing chapters of my novel with my writing buddies, I sometimes received kind suggestions to make certain things more "futuristic." I remember the characters' food was one of those things on the list. But I honestly don't get it. Why should my character eat a monkey brains and mustard sandwich instead of a delicious roast beef? Because he lives in the future and everything's weird over there? Okay, in Serving Time there's a character who actually enjoys tentacle sandwiches and spicy octopus and tomato soup, but that's his personal problem and he's working on it. Plus, I also enjoy my share of tentacles so who am I to judge.

Heaven on a plate!

In Serving Time, Tristan and Eneld drink beer. They button up their shirts. They eat bread with tomato (the typical Catalan way--see image). Why shouldn't they? Oh, because they live in the year 2225? What difference does that make? Beer has been around for about seven thousand years, so why shouldn't it still be a popular drink two measly centuries into the future? The first buttons (used for decorative purposes) date back to around three thousand years ago, so why shouldn't they live on during the space age (along with other fastening methods, of course)?

Tristan's piloting a positron reactor cruiser, for crying out loud! Let the man kick back and enjoy a cold beer while he watches E-Wok: Cooking with the Pros and scratches his unmentionables.

I guess my opinion on the matter is:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And here's where I have my gripe. It seems that some sci-fi authors can't conceive of a world where a phone is called a phone, and a car is called a car. Everything has to have a high-tech, sometimes unpronounceable, name because "Hey! In case you forgot: we're in the future!"

In my opinion, this draws attention to the technology, not the story. That might not be a good thing. I vividly remember one disgruntled Amazon reviewer complaining about a sci-fi author's complete lack of regular words. Every single object the characters interacted with required an obscure techie name.

"Why can't a watch be called a watch?" the reviewer said, and he was right. Objects evolve as our technology evolves, but many names stick. Pocket watches from the early 16th century look very unlike our modern-day watches, yet the name persists. So why shouldn't these details survive into a futuristic sci-fi setting?

Think of the daily objects you interact with... Drinking glasses, forks, knives, and spoons... How many of these are centuries old, yet they still persist and are still part of our day-to-day along with i-Phones and self-parking cars? I'm not saying these objects won't evolve or even fall into obscurity over time, but why should we immediately disassociate them from a sci-fi setting?

So what do you think? Out with the old and in with the new? Or if it ain't broke, don't fix it?

Serving Time New Cover Reveal

Great news! Over the summer break, my novel Serving Time decided to treat itself to a little bit of plastic surgery, and the results are marvelous!

To celebrate the new cover design for Serving Time, I'll be going on a two-week tour with Fiction Addiction Book Tours! The tour starts on September 30, so stay tuned! There will be interactive stops for you to comment on, plus a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card!

Check out the tour schedule here.

I'm sorry you can't see much in the tour banner, but we're keeping the new cover top secret! 

Serving Time goes FREE!

It's that time of the year... FREE DOWNLOAD DAYS!

Head on over to Amazon to grab your free ebook.

US site: http://amzn.to/11v1hxC

UK site: http://amzn.to/1alVz7W

Canada site: http://amzn.to/15hixaD

Spain site: http://amzn.to/1bO6Hbn

Thank you! I hope you enjoy Serving Time.

Serving Time Blog Tour Recap

Back in April (that sounds so far away), I decided to go on a blog tour to show what Serving Time was all about. I had the help and support of several great authors and members of Critique Circle. For ten days, we alternated character interviews with sneak peeks from the novel. On the last day, I had a special treat for you all: an exclusive interview with Keith Draws, the artist who did the cover.

Serving Time was released on May 2 (click on the cover next to this post to see the Amazon listing). To celebrate its second week as a published novel, I've collected all the tour stops in one post. Enjoy!

Day 1: Cover and blurb reveal

Day 2: Kelly Walker interviews Seth, the cannibalistic owner of the Robot Rehab

Day 3: Anastasia Leach shows us a Seth sneak peek from the novel

Day 4: Lanise Brown interviews Robert Westbrook, demon master

Day 5: Athina gives us a sneak peek of Robert in Serving Time

Day 6: John Kang interviews Eneld Cross, biorobotics engineer doomed to go to Mars

Day 7: Ryan Sullivan shows us an Eneld sneak peek

Day 8: Shane Jeffery interviews Tristan Cross, the MC of Serving Time

Day 9: Maeve P. shows us a final sneak peek

Day 10: The cover artist Keith Draws shows us how he made the cover. Check out the interview!

Goodreads Giveaway - Serving Time

It's been a long, difficult journey with many twists and turns, but my debut novel is finally available on Amazon (click the cover on the right to see the listing)! To celebrate, I'm giving away a signed copy to one very lucky person!

Enter the Goodreads giveaway to win a free signed copy of Serving Time!

 
 

    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

       
   

   

     

          Serving Time
     
     

          by Nadine Ducca
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends June 07, 2013.
         
         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         
     
   
   

      Enter to win





Sign up for a chance to win! More Serving Time giveaways coming soon.

Serving Time is officially FOR SALE!

Well, that's that!

My debut novel Serving Time is out there in the real world, rubbing elbows with all the rest, sometimes pushing and shoving for attention, but generally trying to be nice.

The official release date was May 16, but I somehow managed to mess that up, and while adjusting prices on May 2 I received a surprise message from Createspace saying "Congratulations! Your title is now published!" Still not sure how that happened... Since the print version came out so suddenly, I decided to go ahead and give the okay to the Kindle version, too.

So here you have it: Serving Time! Now available on Amazon!

Serving Time: Paperback and Kindle

This morning I checked Amazon Spain, and the listing is also ready!

Amazon Spain: Paperback and Kindle

Here are some pictures of the print version! I think it turned out great!

There it is, mingling with some of my favorites.

A beautiful front view of the goddess Time about to snag the Pascagoula!

Here's how Keith Draws made this cover!

And finally, let's have a look at that back cover!

Poor Flying Spaghetti Monster was so excited
he wanted to be in all the pictures!

So go on, be happy!

Buy yourself a copy!

Or better yet,

also get one for your pet!

Two copies! Three! Or maybe four!

Serving Time copies galore!

Kindle and print!

Don't tell me you're skint!

Spread the word!

Serving Time must be heard!

...And read! :-)

Excuse me for that. Spur of the moment (aka embarrassingly bad) poetry. I'm giddy.

Meanwhile... Making Time has passed the 80,000 word count barrier. Book two is on its way!

The Making of a Cover - With Artist Keith Draws

It all begins with an idea...or, in my case, a total lack thereof!

As a final treat in the Serving Time discovery blog tour, I have the pleasure of having Keith Draws (the awesome artist who did my cover) show you the steps involved in creating a professional book cover.

With just a short list of my likes and dislikes, accompanied by a grueling summary of Serving Time (sorry about that, Keith!) and even a PDF copy of the manuscript, Keith was able to combine the major ideas of the novel into this fabulous piece of art.

But how did Keith go from the gibberish in my emails, to the artwork you see above?

In many complicated steps, I can assure you! How about having Keith himself tell us all about it?

Over to you, Keith!


First of all, I read the brief sent by Nadine, then went on to read the book. As I read the book I made notes with consideration to the information already supplied by Nadine. From there I went on to write down ideas. Basically, this was a lot of notes about the key elements, what I thought the story was about, and plot, and underlying themes.

I sat down and started connecting ideas and eliminating others. Eventually, I felt I had all the information I could work with, and so opened Manga Studio to begin sketching.

The first thing I did was apply a template of Golden Sections in order to help me create a balanced layout. I feel that since this worked so well for Leonardo DaVinci and many other wonderful artists it's probably the best way to work. After sketching for a while, I had eliminated even more elements and had selected what I felt were the core images I could use and laid them out in a relevant composition.

I ended up taking an image of Time, the starship the main character is travelling in, the Earth, and of course, the universe. Since Time is said to be watching over the characters and influencing their actions throughout the book, I decided to make her a part of the surrounding universe so that it would appear that wherever the characters travel they cannot avoid her influence, hence her hand caressing the starship.

Once I had a pleasing layout (this was just for the front at this point), I decided to add the title and the author's name and sent this initial idea over to Nadine for discussion. Now it was quite possible I was going in completely the wrong direction so I needed to be sure. This is the layout that I sent.

Overall, Nadine was pleased with the layout and made a few suggestions, including  “Time's eyes... They're literally ALL black with stars,” as well as a few pointers on how Time should look, the view of the Earth: “A space ship can approach a planet from any angle. Since the main characters are from western Europe, maybe the Earth could be shown from that angle, and maybe a little tilted”, and the design of the starship, which I hadn't really thought about at that point and had just scribbled something quickly for the layout. The text needed re thinking but right now I felt that wasn't too important, since the core of this cover is the image.

Now I had confirmation that my layout was working I moved on to the next stage. The first thing I did was design the starship Pascagoula. I made a few quick sketches based on the description on the novel and then used these as a basis to create a 3D model. I do create 3D for a lot of my work because I can use the models as reference for the final paintings, adjusting lighting, angles, etc. much faster than just sketching. Here is the model:

I then went on to make models of Time and the Earth and put a layout together in 3D:

Here I started to think about the back and spine so I made a quick render and began painting a more revised layout including those elements. Nadine had also asked if I could include the demon Nybbas from on the back and so I made a quick sketch, unfortunately I failed to check his description and so it didn't really look like him.  Here I also spent a little time on the revised typography, keeping it simple as Nadine had requested.

At that point I also had the idea of creating Time's hair out of a nebula and so I did that too.

Nadine really liked this but was unhappy with the demon, so she pointed me to the description and I tried again.

You probably noticed by now that with each change I have also worked up the image a little more and more.

Anyway, at this point we decided to leave the demon off since he was just overcomplicating the cover and I worked up the image to the final piece you see today:

Thank you for walking us through the creation of that cover, Keith! I am impressed with all the thought and work you put into your projects. Guys, isn't he amazing?

Now I have some questions for you.

How long have you been a cover artist?

Apart from book covers, what other artwork have you done?

These are interesting questions and I'll answer them as one with a quick bio since they are connected.

I was born in Manchester UK in 1962. After leaving school in 1978 I attended Rochdale College of Art and from there went on to work for “Creative Artists”, an advertising agency based in Manchester, as a Junior visualizer. Soon I moved on to various advertising agencies primarily as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator, and Photo Editor. I worked through the ranks, eventually becoming Production Director of “Promedia”, one of the leading advertising agencies in Manchester at the time. This first part of my career spanned about 25 years. I learned a great deal about all areas of the business and had the opportunity to successfully work on many groundbreaking projects with many well-known brands.

After working in upper-management for some years, I began to sorely miss the hands-on side of the business and so decided to try my hand at the relatively new field of 3D and animation; I found this much more satisfying.

About 6 years ago I relocated to Mexico and set up a small studio to cater for a very diverse range of clients, including “McGee” (a broad based construction company and multi-disciplined specialist based in London), and “Catalyst Pictures” (based in Manchester, they produce animation, web sites, e-learning, games and widgets for agencies and direct clients including the BBC). I also supplied 3D and graphics for many design studios and advertising agencies as well as an alternative rock band “Twelve Foot Ninja” from Australia who later hired me on to create a 72 page graphic novel. Working on that graphic novel shifted my focus to illustration and especially cover artwork, so I began to offer reduced rates to independent authors. I have enjoyed creating these covers since October 2012 when I began, and have netted just over 50 covers for very satisfied authors in a very wide variety of genres and styles since. Recently I relocated to Texas.

How many hours does an ebook cover generally take you?

It varies but on average I'd say about 24 working hours (3 Days). But that doesn't include the reading and  notes.

Do you keep count of how many ebook covers you've done so far?

Every cover I've done since October can be seen on my Wordpress site and right now it’s just over 50 covers, though I have done other illustration projects as well.

What do you enjoy drawing most?

I like to create things that we don't see in our everyday life, so it’s unlikely you will ever see me produce a still life unless it’s part of something else. I suppose I began drawing because of exactly this. It was my way to pretend. I remember my mother used to get really upset with me as a child because I always destroyed my drawings. It wasn't deliberate, though. I remember I used to draw a lot of World War 2 fighter planes, and as I drew I'd have this whole story going on, I'd be voicing the pilots, navigators and the enemies too.

Suddenly, my plane would arrive over the attack zone and at this point I would draw in the landscape below (with gun emplacements etc.) and enemy planes. My plane would shoot down a few of the enemy planes and to indicate this I drew explosions over them and then smoke trails snaking down to earth. Eventually my own plane got shot down so I'd draw where the bullets hit the fuselage and then the engine and then the ensuing explosion and smoke. This of course meant that the page ended up completely destroyed, covered in a mass of scribbles. My mother never had anything but scribbles to put on the fridge.

Fortunately, these days I stop before I get to that point.

Do you have a favorite genre or motif?

While I enjoy working on science fiction, fantasy, and horror I am not exclusively in love with those genres. In fact more than I enjoy any particular genre, I love the challenge of creating a cover that works kind of like a movie trailer. It captures the viewers’ interest and generates the desire to see more. So that is pretty much genre independent, and I have to say that one of my favorite cover creations is actually for a cook book and was primarily an exercise in typography (another love of mine):

Is there anything you hate having to draw (or something you enjoy less or find particularly difficult)?

I don't find drawing one thing any more difficult than another, but some things can be more time consuming, such as drawing mounds of long hair, which if I'm honest can be a bit annoying for me, but being something of a perfectionist I still keep on drawing away at it until it looks something like how I imagine it should.

As far as I am concerned, though, there is nothing I am afraid to draw. It’s just a matter of looking at the world around me; if I can draw one thing I can draw another.

And finally, where can we contact you?

Well, you can email me keithdraws (at) gmail (dot) com or message me on Facebook.


Thank you so very much, Keith, for the post and the interview. Now, all you authors in need of a cover, what are you waiting for? You've found your guy!

Eneld's Sneak Peek and Tristan's Interview

The Serving Time blog tour is coming to a close!

Yesterday, author and member of Critique Circle Ryan Sullivan offered you a sneak peek into the novel! Ryan is an award-winning blogger and the author of Aundes Aura. Don't forget to stop by his blog to check out Serving Time and Aundes Aura.

Today, Shane Jeffery, yet another author and fellow CCer, has a very special interview for you: Tristan Cross, the protagonist of Serving Time. Shane specializes in writing horror, so his work is not for the faint-hearted! ;-) Stop by his blog to see if Tristan gave him a hard time, and check out his novels!

Tomorrow, a brand new (and very precocious!) author will post yet another sneak peek into Serving Time: Maeve P.! Maeve is currently hard at work on her debut novel, and adding to her word count day by day.

John Interviews Eneld Cross

Well, it's a new week, and we have a new stop on our Serving Time blog tour!

Today, John Kang interviews biorobotics engineer Eneld Cross. Eneld is working for the Martian Soil Restoration Program, so I'm sure he'll have lots of interesting things to say!

Over to you, John!

Athina Shows Us Another Sneak Peek!

On day 5 of the Serving Time blog tour, Twitter and Critique Circle friend Athina has another sneak peek for us!

Take a new peek at Serving Time on her blog: Between My Lines.

Lanise Brown Interviews the Demon Master

On day 4 of the Serving Time blog tour, author Lanise Brown interviews another character from my debut novel: Robert Westbrook. And, yes, you got it! He's a demon master!

I told you Serving Time was sci-fantasy...

Here's one of the little fellows Robert has to deal with on a daily basis...

Lanise is a member of Critique Circle and the author of Timekeeper's Journal. She's currently participating in Camp NaNoWriMo to complete her work in progress Graythorn Manor. You can find all this and much more on her blog!

Hop on over to Lanise's blog to check out the interview, and tomorrow we'll see yet another sneak peek from the novel!

Serving Time Sneak Peek: Seth

Coming May 2013

Today is day 3 of the Serving Time blog tour!

I'm happy to announce that fellow author and member of Critique Circle Anastasia Leach is hosting a sneak peek into Serving Time.

Let's hop on over to her blog for a glimpse of Seth, and don't forget to check out Anastasia's brand new collection of short stories: Prometheans! Now available on Amazon.

Released April 2, 2013

Kelly Walker Interviews Seth

Good morning, happy blog hoppers!

On day 2 of the Serving Time blog hop, we're going to visit author Kelly Walker's website for an exclusive interview with one of the characters: Robot Rehab owner, Seth! Click the link to hop on over to her site!

Serving Time Cover and Blurb Reveal

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the cover of my debut novel Serving Time!

Available May 2, 2013.

Life and death have been industrialized. The Forge, the birthplace of every soul, is a rumbling factory owned by the goddess Time, managed by Lucifer, and powered by the labor of demons and imps. In this dystopian world, a renegade interplanetary pilot running from his past doesn't stand a chance.

Handling Neptunian meth and dodging security cannons are all in a day’s work for Tristan Cross—not that he's one to complain. Working for the smuggling company StarCorp is an improvement over what he used to do for a living.

However, when StarCorp gives Tristan a one-way ticket into the brainwashed—and disturbingly suicidal—Loyal League, he decides to run from the company and start a new life in the only safe haven he knows: Earth. With the help of his brother, Tristan embarks on the most hazardous journey of his life, one that will place him at Time’s mercy. Little does he know the demons running the universe are craving a feast, and his own soul is the next item on the menu.

That's not all, folks. Here's the wraparound cover. Isn't it gorgeous?

The artwork was digitally painted by artist Keith Draws.

Tomorrow, Kelly Walker will interview one of the characters, the owner of the Robot Rehab, Seth! Don't forget to stop by her blog for a glimpse into Serving Time!

Serving Time is on Goodreads!

As you might have heard on Critique Circle, Kindle Boards or Twitter (all the places I participate and/or lurk), I'm currently working on the final stages of my debut novel.

Serving Time will be available very, very soon!

For now, I'm pleased to announce that Serving Time has its own little spot on Goodreads. 

Follow the link to see the listing for it, and hey, why not put it on your to-read shelf? We could all use a dash more of sci-fantasy with a pinch of dystopia in our lives, right?

But that's not all! Soon...very soon, several awesome blogs across the Internet will host a Serving Time cover reveal hop. Get the details and sign up for the event here.

Serving Time Artwork: Robert Harwood

I'm very pleased to present my character art by Luis Vergara. The first character up is Demon Master Robert Harwood.

So, what type of guy do you think he is? I'm looking forward to reading your comments at the bottom!

He had achieved his goal, and now time stretched out ahead of him as endless as all of creation. He would observe humanity’s plight for the better part of a million years. He would watch it rise and expand, and he would watch it fall if he had to.

    Oh, he expected to enjoy every moment of it.

To get to know Robert better, check out Cloverpuff's character interview at Devil's Playground (well, she did the best she could).

Coming soon: interplanetary pilot Tristan Cross.

Silliness Sunday: My own fan art

Well, NaNoWriMo is taking its toll on the few healthy brain cells I got left. Just have a look at my word count on the right.

The whole endeavor has been going very well. I'm well ahead of the target word count for the day--and I'm exhausted! 

Yesterday, I decided to take the day off from writing and spend a nice day out with my boyfriend. We took the cats to the vet, did the grocery shopping, had lunch and then spent an hour in a traffic jam on our way to the mall.

When we finally made it back home, I was in no mood to write--but I was still in the mood to be creative! These past few days, I've been thinking about cover art for my novel. I'm a self-proclaimed clueless author, so I've spoken to an artist and we'll see what we can come up with together.

But then, at 2 am, I had a tiny flash. An idea! I popped open Photoshop and started messing around. And here is the result: Serving Time fan art made by myself. What would that be called? Auto-fan art? Author art?

Let's just classify this under general silliness and move on with our lives...

But I looooove the way it turned out! What do you think? As my boyfriend said, "It looks like the demon is made up of constellations".

Click on the image to see it in a larger format.

I'd love to hear your opinions on my silliness! And don't worry, this won't be the cover of the novel--but it's an idea!

Don't call me baby

In a previous post on name generators, I mentioned the troubles I endure while searching for that perfect name.

Well, for some odd reason, I've been thinking about names all this past week.

No, no. I'm not expecting a baby! I'm actually considering changing some of my characters' names. Many, many people (and some monsters) make Serving Time come to life, and their names range from common options (Martha, Katherine, Robert...) to stranger, more creative ones (Alete Freeborne, Eneld Cross, Koremdor...). However, I'm aware that some of my names need more oomph.

For example, there is a minor character who has a terrible, bland name: Arnold Johnson. I chose it on purpose actually, just to show what a boring sort of person he was. Over time, however, Arnold became more important in my novel, he forged a much better personality for himself, and he even earned the right to a short story explaining how a demon managed to--no, no! I promised myself no spoilers!

I concluded that Arnold didn't deserve to be so bland. He didn't deserve to be Arnold--or Johnson. And anyway, his name was already too similar to anoher one, belonging to a main character: Eneld.

Over the weekend, I chose a new name for Arnold, a constellation which hints at his role in the novel: Argo. I'm all right with Argo, now I just need a new last name. Jot it down on my to-do list!

This isn't the only name I would like to change. My demonologist Robert (who you can see in action here and here) has a rather... uncomfortable last name: Harwood. I immediately see "hard wood" whenever I read it. I guess I'm just that kind of person...

I still haven't come up with a better last name for him, but I'll find something soon. To-do list!

All these name changes made me think... There are several names I love--name I wouldn't change. But were they always that way? What were my characters' names prior to the completed manuscript?

Let's have a look!

Tristan, one of the main characters, was always Tristan. No big story here, sorry! His first appearance was in a short story I wrote when I was about 12 or 13 (I'm 28 now so you can do the math). He appeared as a space bum, travelling from one derelict ship to another with his brother, Seth.

In Serving Time, Tristan's brother isn't called Seth anymore; someone else has inherited that name. The character who used to be Seth is now called Eneld. Can you guess where I got that?

From a Spanish cooking show! I had been thinking about a name change for a few days, and one day at lunch I was watching Eva Arguiñano teach someone how to cook. She mentioned "eneldo", dill, and I liked it.

So who inherited the name Seth? Well, a quirky engineer living on the Jovian colony Ringwall, that's who! Seth is the owner of the Robot Rehab, the one person who can make all your robotic fantasies come true.

But what about the antagonists? Have their names changed too?

Of course!

Verin, the main antagonist who makes Tristan and Eneld's flight to Earth a living nightmare, used to be Quagga. Don't ask me where I got that! Yes, I know it's an animal! Remember I was around 13 when I came up with the main characters, so don't judge my ridiculousness. "Quagga" was always a working name, a placeholder really. Then I did my research and came across the name Verin. Perfect.

Koremdor, the seven-foot-tall cyborg StarCorp goon, used to be Tymothy. I got that name from a person I once met who must have made quite an impression on me...

The name change for Tymothy came about when someone on Critique Circle pointed out that a cyborg goon from the future should have a more unique name. New name, no problem! And you have to agree that "Korem" packs a better punch than "Tym"!

These are just some of the changes I've made over this last year. Names are my bane--heck, I even changed the name of the novel from Making Time to Serving Time!

What about you? How have your characters' names changed over time?

Cloverpuff at the Devil's Playground

Hello! Oh! Oh no! What is this place? Ash is falling from the sky! What’s that?

*The ground rumbles under Cloverpuff’s feet.*

Readers, a column of flames has just sprouted from the ground! It’s climbing high into the sky! I must have hopped into the wrong place!

*Thumps hind leg.*

Preparing to leave!

This isn't Loki. It's Robert. Work with me.

What are you doing here, little critter? The Devil’s Playground is no place for rabbits.

*Scoops Cloverpuff and cradles her in his arms.*

You cannot leave yet. I believe you owe me an interview.

Oh… uh…

*Looks around. Dozens of shadowy figures march in the distance. Their black hides glisten under the flaming orange sky. Spikes and long tails sway from side to side.*

Are those… demons?

Yes. But don’t worry. You’re safe with me.

What's your name?

Robert Harwood.

What were you doing when I came in?

Catching my breath.

Here?

I needed it after my meeting with Abaddon.

I might regret asking you this but… who’s Abaddon?

A demon, and my Keeper. You just missed him. You’re one lucky rabbit… had you come a few seconds earlier, he would’ve set a demon’s bind in your heart as well.

You make pacts with demons?

Occasionally, yes. But this one was worthless.

Okay, let me get on with the interview. The sooner I finish, the sooner I’ll be able to hop out of this place.

As you wish. But I find the Devil’s Playground to be quite fun.

If I told you you had to do some spring cleaning right away, what would you throw out?

*Sets Cloverpuff on the ground.*  

I would free myself of all these binds. They are the work of the demons, and they are suffocating my soul. Many have been with me for so long they are a part of me—a part I sometimes cannot control. But the bind Abaddon just set in place was unwarranted. He didn’t give me the information I demanded, yet he claimed his side of the bargain. Do you know who True Self 603 is?

Uh, no?

His name is Tristan Cross.

Oh! I interviewed him a few days ago! Nice fellow, although he did say something about making rabbit stew that made me a little nervous.

Nice fellow? Naïve creature, you have so much to learn. Tristan is a thief and a murderer. I will never understand why a goddess like Time is so interested in redeeming his soul.

I came to Abaddon looking for answers. I wanted to read True Self 603’s record, maybe then I would make sense of why Time is making me follow his trail. He must have done something in a past life for her to care so deeply about him. But Abaddon says the file does not exist. Lies! Someone has hidden it, and for a reason. I must know what it is.

*Gazes nervously at the demons marching closer.*

Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for. Can we keep going?

I’m waiting.

Do you have any secrets you'd like to confess?

Not any I can tell you.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I think I answered that a moment ago. Abaddon’s bind has no place in my soul.

And what do you like most about yourself?

Who have you visited prior to me?

*A bright blue light flickers from Robert’s mouth.*

*Cloverpuff huddles in fear.*

I visited many people. There's Edward, Piper, Neal, Emariya, Jingjing, Alistair...

From my realm.

*A new light shines off Robert’s tongue. His long, black overcoat slowly billows.*

Only two, Tristan and Time.

So you have spoken to the goddess? What did she say about Tristan?

I don’t know!

Tell me.

*A blue bolt of lightning flashes from Robert’s mouth and wraps around Cloverpuff.*

She said Future tricked her! She said she listened to her sister’s lies and corrupted the one mortal she adored most!

*Robert gazes down his nose at Cloverpuff.*

The one mortal she adored most?

*The blue ray vanishes from around Cloverpuff. Shivering, she looks around.*

What was that?

You asked me what I liked most about myself. I believe I just gave you a demonstration. But don’t let my Commands unsettle you. Go on, I still have time for one more question.

*Cloverpuff wriggles her nose.*

Oh, uh… Excuse me, this is all very disconcerting… Let’s see…

*Flips through notebook*

The next question is: Is there anyone you really, really hate?

*Pulls up the collar of his overcoat.*

Hatred is too strong a word. I will not say there is no hatred in my heart. However, you must not fuel those destructive emotions, little one. For hatred beckons specters, and specters, once they have found you, never leave.

Now excuse me, but more pressing matters require my attention.

No, wait. I’m still not done!

Another day.

*Robert crouches.*

I advise you leave quickly. Once I am gone, the demons will have no qualms coming to you and ripping your skin off, strip by bloody strip.

*He bows his head and with a word, is gone.*

Well. That was—

ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!!!

Uh-oh! He’s right!

*Thumps leg like crazy.*

Gotta hop! Bye! Off to see Jie Yan, by John Kang.