A Real Fictional World
If there’s a dominant feeling in Hugh’s life now, it’s futility. He had at one point a successful career in finance, felt that his success qualified him to speak about success more generally and become a life coach. He imagined himself a famous motivational speaker, with best-selling self-help books, seminars, crowds of admirers.
And he struggled for years, drained his savings, and took to drink.
Elana Elisa thinks I’m harmless. I don’t doubt that behind my back she’ll say unflattering things about me. But she’ll also confide in me, because I’m discreet and inoffensive to her.
She’s middle-aged with short, curly dark hair. Her favorite outfit is a turquoise tracksuit. She generally favors tracksuits, though she isn’t given to exercising much. Her skin is pale, and she’s told me she dislikes sunlight.
She was born in Florida.
Continue reading “Kilter Street Profiles: Elana Elisa”Dora is sitting in front of the TV in the basement rec room. She looks calm, maybe bored.
I’ve gone down there to do the laundry, and I’m assuming it’s her clothes in the one machine currently in use. As for what she’s watching…
Howard is a grad student. Often, I see him roaming the basement laundry room in pajama bottoms and a faded t-shirt, a far-off look in his eyes.
Howard is slender and athletic, with dark hair and eyes. He’s in his mid-20s.
His mom’s side of the family is Korean. On his dad’s side, his grandparents are a US military veteran and a woman from the Philippines. Howard himself was born in Mexico (to vacationing parents who didn’t expect him to arrive a month before his due date).
Continue reading “Kilter Street Profiles: Howard”I’ve been binge-watching 1940s and 1950s Hollywood film noir with Howard, who just handed in a big end-of-term assignment that he doesn’t want to talk about. He was happy to have me join his celebratory binge-watch; he apologized in advance for the fact that he would be saying little and staring lots at the TV. He’s watched all of these before, and one of the few things he told me was that he’s dreamt sometimes of being a film noir detective. So then I thought, if you did wake up in a film noir, how would you know? Here are a bunch of signs you’re a character in a Classic Hollywood film noir:
Continue reading “Signs you’re a character in a Classic Hollywood film noir”
Dora is intimidating without seeming to try. She steps into a room, and you get nervous, just a little. She doesn’t even have to say or do anything. She’s a private detective, so if you know this about her, it’s probably part of the reason you’re more on guard around her.
Dora is tall, big-hipped, and blonde. In her mid-thirties probably. Her hair is thick and looks like it has the strength of Rapunzel’s. She’s’ got a strong bone structure and delicate, papery skin around her eyes. They’re a brilliant blue.
From what I’ve heard, she was born in Chicago.
As I’ve gotten to know her a little better, I’ve found that she’s more easygoing than expected. She likes to laugh and enjoy good food and watch dumb shows to relax after a long day. Though she has a cynical streak and sometimes expresses a bleak outlook on people, she doesn’t seem to be embittered.
She also doesn’t place much stock on convention or public opinion. Thoughts and feelings need to make sense to her on her own terms; she doesn’t accept them only because other people do.
Anjelica Lopez, of Apt. 1a, is a CPA.
There are also rumors that she can open portals to other worlds. (I overheard a conversation between Zeb and Dora outside the mailroom, but it’s possible I misunderstood them. Maybe they meant it metaphorically – like, she opens doors to new financial worlds for her clients.)
Anjelica, who appears to be in her late 20s or early 30s, was born in Salinas, CA.
She usually wears her long hair parted into two braids. It’s dark with some reddish tints.
She uses a wheelchair. Hanging from the back of the chair is a small key. It isn’t the key to her front door.
Kilter Street Chronicles 