Announcement

As of this post (and for a good long time now, actually) The Brassbuddha Machine will be updated sporadically, as the muse dictates. :p

I'll be blogging more regularly at my livejournal, OVER HERE.

If you like my stuff, here's what's currently available in stores (check 'em out!):

COMICS

Kare-Kare Komiks - webcomic anthology at The Chemistry Set (link)
RAN ONLINE - weekly Sunday strip at The Philippine Star
Kid Continuum - monthly 2-page comic at K-Zone Magazine
"Yaya Kadabra" - in Project: Hero, annual B&W superhero anthology
"1935 Batangas" - in Siglo: Passion, graphic anthology
"Under the Influence" - in K.I.A., B&W manga anthology
"Jolo, 1913" and "Manila, 2004" - in Siglo: Freedom, graphic anthology
Funky Munky Komiks - B&W xerox ashcan (available at Comicquest branches)

SHORT STORIES

"Happening" - in Philippines Free Press January 13, 2007 issue
"How Saint Miko and I Ruined the Apocalypse" - in Philippine Speculative Fiction vol.2
"Thriller" - in The Digest of Philippine Genre Stories issue 1
"Tendresse" - in Philippine Speculative Fiction vol.1

ILLUSTRATIONS

The Kite of Stars by Dean Alfar, published by Anvil Press
The Digest of Philippine Genre Stories issue 2


My email: andrew.drilon@gmail.com

More stuff to come! Happy 2007, everyone! :)

-Andrew Drilon

Vignette: Still True

She liked her covers to be heavy, so she wouldn’t get cold when she slept. When she closed her eyes she felt the silent fluttering of wings, like a lover’s breath, hovering so near above her, threatening to unfold her in unadulterated passion. She understood that only love, only true love, could be this uncertain, and when possessed by occasional longing, she never wept half-way.

Silence was her sweetest comfort, but it rarely came when she found herself alone. Instead, there were shadows that clipped and buzzed in shadows, clapping and cracking and creaking and crackling. He had told her some of their secret names, these sins—the Arachnakids, the Spider Sisters, the Cobweboys—tiny notional monsters that rise from the sludge of broken wonders, growing in number with each little death of the imagination. He told her that they had as many names as there were forgotten stories.

She had her own names for them—Loneliness, Alienation, Fear, Despair. Mockery and Condemnation, Guilt and Shame and Failure. Judgement. Lies. Disillusionment.
Some nights were different, but most nights were like this.

The clock stood still. The air became warm. The room grew dark. And then there was the sound of rain pattering on the window, calling her back again, back to the place of their secret meetings.

“Where are you? I’m here.”

“I have classes tomorrow. I can’t meet you. I’m sorry.”

“Come to me, please. I just want to see you. Please.”

“There’s no time. I have to wake up.”

“Please.”

And she felt his pleading in her gut, sinking in, becoming unbearable. The covers were no longer warm. They suffocated her and she pushed up slightly in order to breathe. There were voices and shadows all over her, and she found herself echoing his “please” in her mind:

“Take me anywhere with you. Take on my spine and spit shine it. Pull on my heart and unwind it. “

“Come to me, please. Tell me I’m still true. Hold me close in the rain and feel me. Fold my wings back on my shoulder blades, and peel me.”

“If I could be like you…”

“If I could be like you…”

Then the rain stopped abruptly, cruelly, and she found herself crying again. Dawn had come, he was gone. And the Arachnakids were there again, roistering around her heart with blades drawn, stabbing and stabbing.

“Grow up, stupid girl.”

Astrowolf Ginga :: Battle (1000)sen-nen

TAILOR-GINGA THEME SONG:

Tailor two friends and string them
Together, then apart;
Weave them closely to your eyes
And the stars will be your heart,
The stars will be your heart.

--
NOW: “No! I not forget Astrowolf! He is my friend!” Reiji run away from Meeting Room of the Tailor-Ginga Astroleague, big tears pouring out of her eyes like crystal micro-planetoids. She not want to look at new Astropet name of “Subarimon” with big black ears and glowing fur stringed together from nebula dust. No, Reiji not want new Astropet, because she miss Astrowolf Ginga, the most powerful friend-wolf in Milky-Wei Galaxy who save the universe again versus the Watase Tetsodou (Flower Express) Reality Invaders, who come from dark dimension called Andrew Mi Da. Reiji run to room, her sexy tutu-skirt Tailor-Ginga uniform wet with tears and she hug her pillow and cry. “I miss you, Astrowolf! Reiji not happy without you!”

--
BEFORE: Reiji was beautiful Tailorsun of the Tailor-Ginga Astroleague, assigned to Planet Mercury to tailorweave super-sunspots into energy force for the galaxy space-power factory. With her powerful companion-partner, Astrowolf Ginga, she fight off Yori Parasite Night-Bringers from Twilight Eve Abyss of Deep Space, sent by evil god name of “Yori Tsathoggua, Bad-Dark-With-No-Body”.

Well, Astrowolf is made of Sakura Drops, Tailor-woven in the heart of stars, so Astrowolf Ginga is powerful Canine Space-Fighter who dog-paddle through the vacuum of space and use his starshine powers to melt away evil Yori Parasites made of twilight and bad dark. This make Reiji very proud to be Astrowolf Ginga partner, in fact, she love Astrowolf so much that even one time she almost die to save Astrowolf when Bad-Dark-With-No-Body try to possess Astrowolf’s Ginga-Body. (Tailorsun Reiji used her heart-power to thread Astrowolf’s soul back to Ginga-Body, at risk of her own Sakura Life-force; it was happy ending to adventure, but that another story…)

But then! Oh my gosh!

Kawaii little Chibi-Tailorstar one day turn traitor, oh no, she turn out to be secret spy from dark dimension of Andrew Mi Da, oh NO! she turn out to be Evil Kawaii Queen of Watase Tesodou (Flower Express) Reality Invaders!

Big battle happen where many of the Tailor-Ginga Astroleague are killed with the invader’s Watase Poison Perfume or injured by their Chibi-Pollen-Gangremon! In the end, it was only Tailorsun Reiji and faithful friend Astrowolf Ginga who face the Evil Kawaii Queen—but Reiji was injured!—and it is up to Astrowolf to save the universe again!

Evil Kawaii Queen try to poison Reiji! Astrowolf growl in mad anger!

In last-ditch attempt to save Reiji and close down Kawaii-dening Gyre (which Watase Tesodou Invaders make to destroy Milky-Wei Galaxy), Astrowolf charge at Evil Kawaii Queen and shout “BANZAI!” then cosmos scream as Astrowolf’s Ginga-Body (made of Sakura Drops made in the heart of stars) explode in a wave of celestial energy and banish the Watase Tesodou (Flower Express) Reality Invaders into the core of Twilight Eve Abyss of Deep Space, where Bad-Dark-With-No-Body name of “Yori Tsathoggua” eat them like flower petals, never to be seen again.

But Astrowolf dead. He save universe and die to save friend Tailorsun Reiji.

So sad. So sad. Reiji cry.

--
NOW: Reiji think, she miss Astrowolf very much, so she should make a remembrance Mimin-to-Mori for Astrowolf. So that day she put on (NEW!) sexy tutu-skirt Tailor-Ginga uniform (not wet with tears) and go out of her room, and she walk to the far end of Tailor-Ginga Astroleague Watchtower station. There she is go in to the Astropet-Cemetery, morgue room where Astrowolf’s dead body is preserved in sunspot-powered coffin chamber.

“Oh Astrowolf! How I love you so much! You must never leave me!”

Reiji take Astrowolf’s body, now nothing but tangled mass of starheart Sakura Drops, and she work for nine whole revolutions of moon around Planet Rumiko, so long she work, Tailorsun Reiji weaving Sakura Drops of Astrowolf’s body, weaving and weaving while she cry, remembering the days when they patrol Planet Mercury fighting Yori Parasite Night-Bringers together.

In the end, she make beautiful longcloth of stars she call the “Astrowolf Ginga-Cape”, color pink of old stars but pretty and full of love. Reiji wear this around her neck, Astrowolf Ginga-Cape flowing down her back, and she go to Tailor-Ginga Astroleague Meeting Room and announce to all the sexy girls that she will patrol Planet Mercury as she is assigned but WITHOUT Astropet.

“Oh my gosh!” Astroleague Tailor-Ginga sexy girls say. “Tailor-Ginga’s must work with Astropet! It is the way it has been for 1000(sen)-nen years!”

But Reiji shake her head and say no, she will work alone, but with Astrowolf Ginga-Cape around her back, so it is like she work with Astropet. The Astroleague Superior, sexy girl with name of “Tailorgalaxy”, she wearily agree because she understand pain of Reiji. She say, “But only if you do well in your job! If not, then you must get Astropet, best one we picked, name of ‘Subarimon’!”

Well Tailorsun Reiji say yes and return to her work, proudly wearing her Mimin-to-Mori to Astrowolf, and after one year of working alone in Planet Mercury, fighting Yori Parasite Night-Bringers and other kind of space monster, Astroleague Superior Tailorgalaxy is surprised that Tailorsun Reiji actually do her job well! Even good! Oh my gosh!

All the Tailor-Ginga sexy girls agree that Tailorsun Reiji is the sexiest girl and the best Tailor-Ginga in the Astroleague. Some even think, maybe it is the Astrowolf Ginga-Cape she wear, but no, it is made of normal Sakura Drops, it not possibly help her more than a real living Astropet. Wow, then Reiji must really be something special! She is Super-Tailorsun!

This is because Reiji is inspired by the memory of Astrowolf Ginga, and sometimes when she sit on a cloud of Planet Mercury, on patrol-watch for evil space monsters and Yori Parasites, she has sad look in her eyes, big and full of sad stars.

--
THEN: One day on Planet Mercury something go wrong. Oh no!

From Twilight Eve Abyss of Deep Space come the Yori Kawaii Evil Queen (former Tailor-Ginga name of Chibi-Tailorstar), who is turned bad even worse! Because Bad-Dark-With-No-Body name of “Yori Tsathoggua” possess Chibi-Tailorstar’s body and now become fishy Ginga-Hydra, with its scaly nightmare arms slithering through deep space to Planet Mercury.

It shout “Tailorsun Reiji! It is me, but now I am 2 of your bad enemies become badder! I am come to make my revenge for beating me all the time! And now with no Astrowolf Ginga to help you, you will be a dead! My name is Yori Dagon, Monster Fighter Hydra! I am Yori Fish-God of Space Deep, stronger than strong and powerful yes!”

Oh my gosh!

Tailorsun Reiji face Yori Dagon alone! Astroleague Watchtower station still 1000(sen)-nen light years away! That is 1000(sen)-nen light years before backup! Oh no!

Reiji stare into the dark heart of Yori Dagon, swirling with Infinite Abyss of Night, and she not know what to do. SAKURA DROP ATTACK! She throw heartstar arrows at evil space monster, but Yori Dagon just laugh, ha ha ha, his scaly arms grabbing Tailorsun Reiji by her Astrowolf Ginga-Cape Mimin-to-Mori, waving her over it monstrous face.

“Now I will eat you, hahaha! Tailorsun Reiji, you are all alone, and you are now a dead! Hahahaha!”

--
SUDDENLY: Astrowolf Ginga-Cape move by itself, unfurling around Reiji’s neck, and Reiji very surprised because it never do that before. Ginga-Cape begins to twist and fold and form—tail and legs and snout of stars, it shout:

“Reiji is not alone! Never! She has friend! And it is me…ASTROWOLF GINGA!”

Tailorsun Reiji gasp in astonishment as Astrowolf Ginga-Cape become Astrowolf himself! Wow! Astrowolf jumps out of Yori Dagon’s clutches and charges at the space monster. “Astrowolf Kill! Astrowolf Attaaaack!”

Yori Dagon surprised too, he say “NO! You are dead! You cannot be back! I am Yori Dagon who is Yori Tsathoggua, Bad-Dark-With-No-Body, and Evil Kawaii Queen of Watase Tesodou, and traitor Chibi-Tailorstar! All in one! Ultimate adversary I am! I will crack the firmament, swallow the suns, break reality and turn the Milky-Wei into Eternal Night, Infinite Abyss, Yori Forever! You cannot stop me!”

But Astrowolf, he say nothing, he grow. Astrowolf Ginga grow and grow and grow, until he is bigger than Yori Dagon, bigger than Planet Mercury, bigger than space itself. Tailorsun Reiji watch in wonder as Astrowolf Ginga, bigger than all the universe, swallow Yori Dagon and disappear in a rain of stars. In your mind you hear:

My best friend. I would never leave you.

Reiji float in space, and then her cheek is wet, and then she doesn’t know why.

The tears in her eyes are Sakura Drops, made in the heart of a star.

--
TAILOR-GINGA THEME SONG:

Tailor two friends and string them
Together, then apart;
Weave them closely to your eyes
And the stars will be your heart,
The stars will be your heart.

Zero Technique

I thought, This is gonna be a good start, us sitting here all cozy with the reggae playing softly in the background and tons of alcohol to keep things relaxed. I took two gulps of my Red Horse and tried to think of something to say.

She cocked her head to the side, so pretty in punk. The pins and studs on her face were sparkling, halogen light bouncing off them like crystal dewdrops on a new morning. “Are you falling in love with me?”

I had no clue. Had she read my mind? What were these fluttery rainbow wings tearing out of a cocoon in my guts? I had a feeling this was going to be more difficult than I’d planned.

She leaned forward on the bar table with a Mudshaker in hand, eyeing me closely. “Spit it out, boy. You haven’t said a word since we got here.”

My voice snagged a nail in my throat and refused to let go. I sputtered then took another swig of my Red Horse. Cold comfort. I’d drunk too much. All shields were down, my façade posse was on break, my head was drugged up senseless and my mouth on two shot glasses of anesthesia.

“If you don’t want to talk, then fine. I’m just sitting here.”

She leaned back, crossing her arms and pouting at me all rose lips with silver thorns. I had to do something. Spool running out of thread, my brain searching for the dictionary, for anything that might exhale a contribution to her increasingly-uncomfortable monologue.

“I’m waiting, boy. This drink won’t last all night.”

There! The words were coming now, hard and slow, but they were coming, something to the tune of I drew a picture of you last Monday at the DJ Kazoo party and I made it into a painting and it took me all day to find the right colors but it’s right here in my backpack and I wanted to give it to you and say all sorts of things but we’ve been sitting here staring at each other for two hours and now I think I’m too drunk to even stand, but girl I think you know what I mean when I look at you like this, wait, maybe not like this...

“I...”

“Well?”

I had a good time last Monday.

“Uh...”

She stood up as I heaved all over the table. Shit. Not going to work right now. “Oh my god! You ate nilaga for dinner! It smells like fuck!"

Too dizzy. And it wasn't nilaga, girl, it was potchero.

"Napkins, please!”

Okay, not a good start. Not a good start. Please rewind and re-do. I’ve got a painting in my backpack and the puke’s now starting to seep in...

Liquid Technique

“Yes, no child was born out of wedlock, but that doesn’t change the fact that he slept with all those women!” Lilia the frothy bitch pauses then wipes spittle off her chin, ignoring her habit of spitting while making impassioned pronouncements. Years of prosecuting in the Supreme Court have suffused her salivary glands with righteousness, causing them to shoot out of her mouth when she writhes with accusation.

I bite into my tuna sandwich, giving my own glands something to shut them up. Lilia continues. “He’s almost 70 years old! Think about that! He must’ve broken his wife’s heart! Never mind that she’s dead!”

I put down my sandwich and light a cigarette. Lilia continues. “And don’t get me started on those women. Whores—all of them! Oh My God, he’s old enough to be their grandfather!”

I interrupt her, my interest finally piqued. “How old were these girls?”

Lilia leans back into her chair, bile rising up from within her, gathering momentum. She snaps forward, elbows on the table, throwing me an Oh My God You Want To Know I’ll Tell You with whipped spittle on top.

“I’ll tell you, Jon—you know Kathy’s age?”

“Um, how old is she, 23?”

“TWENTY THREE! Oh My God! Twenty. Three. All these women he bedded? All that age, at the time of consummation!”

Lilia leans closer, showing me the fire in her eyes, an immense conflagration, as if lit by my participation in this one-sided conversation, when I know for a fact that she doesn’t need any nudging to get into this state. “And do you know what he said in his defense, Jon? Do you?”

I say No, I Don’t, rolling my eyes in sarcasm.

“He said Love! Oh My God! Love! How dare he!”

By this time, I’m already drenched in Lilia’s spit, tired of Oh My Gods and just about ready to throw my sandwich at her, when my mobile rings. I put it to my ear, waving a finger at Lilia so that she stops.

“Yes? Speaking. Uh huh. No, I’m with Lilia. Yes, I’m on my way, I’m just having lunch. Yes, I know that they’re waiting, but...no, no, you had me work on the case through lunch, so I’m only taking it now. Yes, James. Yes. Yes. No. Yes, I’m done. I’m going, okay? I’m going now. Bye.”

I pocket my mobile and Lilia has that look on her face, that irritated look she gets when she’s interrupted in the middle of an argument. “You’re going now?”

“Sorry, Lilia. James wants me to head over now. I’m late as it is.”

“Now?”

“Look, Lilia, I’ll see you again later, we’ll finish your story, okay?”

“You always do this. Bastard.”

“No I don’t, and you know what, look, I’ll even pay for the bill this time so you don’t feel so bad. Okay?”

“Go on ahead. You’re late. I’ll pay for the bill myself. Asshole.”

“God! You can be such a bitch, Lilia!” And ‘bitch’ flies across the table, covered with spit, and landing on her cheek. Her eyes grow wide and her face grows red. I hastily get up, slinging my laptop bag over my shoulder.

She starts to shout obscenities at me as I head for the door, and I roll my eyes again, knowing full well that she’ll have forgotten all about this by tonight, after I’ve called home to tell my wife that I’ll be busy with work, headed over to Lilia’s place and slept with the frothy bitch. Ptooey!