🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜

@jimthevampire

Definitely not a Vampire! Wannabe Sci-Fi writer, writing some rubbish called Statues Erode. It's got space in it! Progress: Rewrite 1. 10k words. Eeeep.

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Bluesky

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🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· 18d

Nearly forgot to say Happy FlyDay! This colourful little git kept making a mockery out of my reaction times by opening and shutting their wings rapidly:

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· 25d

Almost forgot it's FlyDay Here is a little one that was trying to find somewhere to lay eggs.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jul 13

#SummerOfStories Not sure if I'd call any of my characters lucky at all. But Elara is almost certainly catching the most strays. Here is one communal misery, slightly amplified for her

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jul 10

Happy FlyDay again Another motherfly! Pretty little white with dark spots situation.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jul 4

#SummerOfStories Don't have too many epic moments. This is from a rare action bit which certainly won't exist post edits. OConnell thought he was in control, until the Rec intervened.

She barely heard the speaker crackle, but the Rec’s voice punched through loud. “Kaili Kael, get into the shuttle. Now.”
She didn’t need telling twice, she was up and running a zig-zag towards the open door, a bullet zinged past her as she heard O’Connell roar behind her. The wayward bullet spanged against the shuttle’s grey shell.
The doorway beckoned, O’Connell screamed fury behind her. She heard the pop of the gun again and a smash as plastic hit the deck. The Rec droid was down. Five more steps.
Time seemed to flow so slowly. Four steps.
She juked hard to the right as another shot cracked through the air, another dent in the shuttle!
Three steps!
The Rec was loud through the speaker, blasting the words “Jump, jump, jump!”
Two steps. She jumped.
The door was closing and the air was blasted from her lungs as she hit the deck inside. The pain rolled through her burning brightest in her hand where a lump of plastic had fused with the skin. When her lungs filled again, she screamed them empty

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jul 3

Happy FlyDay everyone! (I know, apparently this is a thing now...?) I only have one today, but it's pretty spectacular and I actually managed to get a good shot or two. Enjoy! Could be a moth, could be a butterfly, I ain't no fly scientist, so I dub it Moth-erFly! #FlyDay #Moth-erFly

Some kind of moth situation on a rose leaf. Looks like it is wearing military camouflage! Can see it's little antennas poking out.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jul 2

Hey Kay! The little blighter is still practicing his vampirism with constant biting. He did a poop on the carpet right before bed two days ago, then...ran through it. So yeah. What a little genius he is! The following is a picture of vengeance 😂

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 27

Okay, I have been informed that roots are nature's wires so it's WIRES from me! Ben and Elara in a deleted scene: #WIPSnips #sff #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #StatuesErode

He crossed the bay as quietly as boots on metal would allow. He was halfway to the door when a bang cured him of caution.
A few lengthy strides and a “Who’s there?” later and he was ducking his head under the hatch door.
He blew out a breath as he saw the Captain emerge from the cockpit.
She looked startled, blue eyes wide open. “Oh, Ben! I didn’t hear you.”
Glancing past her, he saw a tangle of wires hanging loose under a console. “You okay Captain?”
She looked back, pointed to the mess: “Somewhere behind all that is the Black Box. I told Alex to keep his comm on before he left. If he did, maybe the box logged it. I’m going to get some cutters.”
He laughed out loud. She looked serious, maybe offended. “You’re not actually going to cut through the wires?”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Got a better idea?”
He rubbed his chin, only catching the action as a slight stubble scratched his finger. He smiled as he asked, “Maybe I can help? Save you scuttling the shuttle?”
The Captain’s stern look faded, she smiled back at him, arms relaxing. “You’ve been spending too much time with Toren, Mr George. Come on then, I’ll let you save me from myself.”
“Happy to, Captain.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 26

Happy uh...FlyDay. Ut oh, the heat is getting to Jim! Well...yes, but also I took some pics of a couple of flying things in our tiny garden. So I'll share for some reason! Other floating things spotted: damsel flies, white and blue butterflies, wasps, different bee types, normal flies. #Friday

Just a normal butterfly - orange and black sat on the dogs paddling pool lid.

Terrible resolution pic of a dragonfly(?) that landed on the grass

Hard to see, but the dragon fly has lovely red sections on its...body, I guess, I'm not biologist!

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 21

At what point does it stop being cute and start becoming "a problem"? 😂

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 20

Hey look at that, snails didn't get all of them. They don't call me old Jimmy Green Thumb just because I never wash my hands! (I do wash them. Every Wednesday) #StrawberriesForSomeReason 😊🍓🍓

A little container with a few strawberries in it!

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 15

"Off beat post about flowers please Jim!" Okay sure, I got your back since you all asked so nicely and enthusiastically. 😂 Roses...lots of em. How it started to how it is today.

A host of pink roses opening all at once. Impermanent, but beautiful.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 10

Brand? No, certainly not Charlie..just a series of unfortunate and unrelated events I suspect. And Jamie...would Jamie have one of these marks...hmm...so hard to remember. Whoever this chap is here has one. So does whoever he is talking to. No idea who...maybe it's Elara and McLellan...who knows.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 7

Kaili meeting Caul to see if she can get some shoes. Yup. That's a thing in this story. That's the level of excitement we are looking at here 😂 #WIPSnips #StatuesErode #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #sff

His voice boomed; “The choices are share bunks, or we have set up temporary housing on deck three.”
The man behind her, Toren placed a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to run, but where to? So she let him guide through the press of arguing bodies.
She didn’t look at the colonists. Irrelevant. Useless. Greedy. Fighting harder for the best bed than they ever had for their families. She felt her lip curl upwards. She hated them.
Toren's hand on her shoulder was firm, but gentle.
Near the far wall, they reached an open door. Inside was a woman, sat on the bed. She had long black hair, tied back. She looked like the women on the holos, all sat on loungers at the beach arguing about whose husband made the most creds.
Toren introduced her as they stood in the doorway, “This is Caul. Caul this is — actually I don’t know who this is.” He laughed a little. “What’s your name kid?”
She looked up at him, then at the woman, Caul. “Kaili.”
The woman smiled. “Key-li.” she said, over emphasizing the first part. Kaili didn’t correct her. “Pretty.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 6

Someone got into a self made accident is being a bad patient. Tut tut. #StatuesErode #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #sff

She set the other coffees down, blowing on her fingers to dissipate the heat. He shut down the urge to tell her that did nothing. “How’s my favourite Engineer doing?”
He shot her a look that he hoped carried expletives.
“Mr Grumpy pants huh? You taking your meds?”
He nodded. “I took em. Not very good.”
She glanced first at Rob, then at the sideboard. In amongst the detritus and spare tools, the pack of tablets gave him away. Elara raised a brow at Rob. “How many did he take?” The Doc raised 1 finger.
Toren waved a hand, “Quacks always over prescribe. No offense, Rob”
She passed him a coffee, scooped the tablets and threw them over. “Don’t be an old fart Toren. You’re not that stupid — yet.”
Rob looked a little uncomfortable in the crowded space. “I’ll make my excuses now that the patient has the correct dosage of medication. Thank you for the coffee FO.”
Elara placed a hand on the Docs shoulder. “Thanks Roberto.” He nodded and made his way out of the room.
Elara turned her attention to Toren. “Eat those tablets! And then you can tell me what happened down there.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 5

So I guess my phone is stalking me after all. Brief scroll on Reddit just now: 😂😂

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 3

Spent the past weeks deep diving research that will barely matter, discussing minutiae, and making...ugh...spreadsheets of what the story is and finally what it should be. Well, I did it. I concluded the spreadsheet. So now all that's left to do is... start agin! 😢 But also: 🔥😁

The opening paragraph of Statues Erode:

1. Elara

She felt the arm slip out from under her neck and let out a little moan of discontent. The gentle shushing tried to lure her back to sleep as his weight shifting jostled the thin mattress. Then his warmth was gone.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 3

Got one I've shared before, but not a lot of nectar in my work thus far so...friends reunited. Something I think we can all appreciate 😊 #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity #sff #StatuesErode

His gentle Scottish accent, like a soothing melody: “So, you came back after all then kid!”
She hopped from foot to foot; “I bet you cannae belie…” She watched as he furrowed his brow, square stubble-lined jaw tightening. Half pleading, he cut her off “Don’t make me regret my happiness instantly, kid!”
She couldn’t contain herself any longer; “Toren!”
Two quick steps and she was hugging him hard around his broad chest, the tools on his belt clanking against her hip. The faint smell of ancient tobacco and grease — trapped forever in his dirty once-blue coveralls was like a homely nectar.
He pushed her back gently. “Yeah, yeah I miss you too. Now, get off of me you soggy wretch.”
She released him, reluctantly, grinning.
“Bridge?” he asked. She nodded, the smile on her face aching in her cheeks as he hit the button.
Stepping back she looked up at him, “Wait, why aren’t you in Engineering?”
He shrugged nonchalantly, “Obviously, I heard that a shuttle came in and I timed it just so. How could I miss the chance to experience the breathtaking sight of you or your stench? Did you get any sleep on that vacation?”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· Jun 2

Lots of my day is spent chasing Hudson around finding out what he has in his mouth this time! Well today what my unfortunate fingers fished from his jaws...was a cat poo. Yes he'd gone litter diving and found brown gold. Slightly chewed cat poo. How is your day going? Criminal poop fiend for ref:

Disgusting poop fiend - picture of the world's worst Cockapoo puppy, post poop in mouth extraction

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 25

Alex bringing the shuttle down to pick up Elara - the weather isn't charming! #StatuesErode #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #sff

The speaker crackled and popped in his ear as the shuttle rocked back and forth in the wind, Kate’s voice distorting. As he compensated with the right thruster, he felt the shuttle lurch one final time before it levelled out.
“You okay up there Alex? Lost you for a sec.”
He blew out a breath, “All good. Shuttle isn’t rated for anything harder than a gentle breeze on a summer's day.” He heard her laugh, a pretty sound despite the headsets best attempts to scramble it. “Sorry Kate, did you say Elara is there, bag packed ready to go?”
Another burst of laughter, “Not quite. I said I haven’t heard from the boss either. You’ve got time for coffee. I’ll comm them. Just land that thing safely.”
“Aye aye,” he smiled. Kate. Pretty Kate, all worried about him. This day was going better than he had hoped. Fingers crossed Elara wouldn’t be too quick to interrupt.
With the landing platform ahead, he guided the shuttle in slowly, the breeze from the thrusters throwing the downpour of rain at odd angles. When he had the platform under the shuttle's wide butt, he set it down and finally stretched out his aching muscles

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 24

Monster of green seashell lake!! Send Help urgently!

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 22

Couple of old gits having a coffee. Eng Toren and Cap McLellan. Subbing opportunity for "chance" #WIPSnips #StatuesErode #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #sff

Another moment passed, two men watching steam rise.
McLellan took a cautious sip. The fiery liquid was one hundred percent pure evil in a mug. Perfect. He savoured it. He’d missed this.
“I’ve put in a word with Head Office for Elara.”
Toren nodded. “Smart. Kid is going places.”
McLellan nodded in reply. “She is a good FO. I think she’s ready. They’ll give her Galaxy. They aren’t over burdened with excellent FO’s to promote.”
Toren took another sip, more carefully this time. “Wong finally tapping out? Waited his whole career for a good ship, gets off of Thalassa, given the best and jumps out after two years?”
Another pause as McLellan took his turn on the Russian roulette of coffee. “Spoke to him when we were docked at Earth. You remember watching her as we came in?” Toren nodded as McLellan continued; “Beautiful ship! Anyway, he says he’s done. Missus Wong wants him home. So says this is his last run.”
Toren snorted. “Fat chance. Old goat will be back out at sea in no time.”
McLellan smiled. At sea. The closest thing to Engineer poetry he’d ever heard

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 21

This is Hudson watching The (US version) Office! Hope this helps!

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 21

Not sure if anyone needs this, it's not my traditional sharing type, but beautiful Blue butterfly in our tiny city garden kinda cheered up my morning (outside of some lovely thoughtful feedback on my Eroding Statues 😊) I'll apologise for poor work handling the phone camera 😂 #butterfly #nature

Also blue butterfly on leaf, wings a little open.

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 21

Elara and the Rec just popping out into the void for a quick trip. Anyone need anything from the shop? #WIPSnips #SFF #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #StatuesErode

She watched the stars appear. As the shuttle smoothly lifted from the deck, she saw the clouds of dust and gas, unmolested by gravity and almost inert here at the edge of the solar system.
She mumbled, “Can’t work out if it’s beautiful or terrifying.”
“It is both.”
“I wasn’t asking.”
“Apologies Captain, the human propensity to talk aloud can be difficult to analyse. What is a question, what is absent wondering? You are complicated creatures.”
She uttered a snort of laughter, “I thought your programming told you everything about us.”
The Rec paused. “Many things. Perhaps most things. But not all things.”
She watched as the shuttle slowly banked left, coming alongside the huge bulk of the Tartarus and heading towards the bulbous protrusion at the bow. The patchwork of ugly steel welded to ugly steel, grazed and pock marked by countless impacts from stellar debris drifted lazily past. She read the huge stenciled letters on the ship’s neck.
“Last time I saw this view was Miranda.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 20

Kinda a long one, Elara and Toren, Engineering. Disappointment... #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #SciFiWriters #WriteSky #sff #StatuesErode

She couldn’t really look at him. Her eyes couldn’t stick on his. “I guess I just don’t want to be a disappointment.”
“You’re not.”
Again, she ducked the eye contact. He placed a palm on her shoulder, warmth flowed from that gnarled, oil stained hand. She looked, long enough to see his smile, “What?”
“Kid, life is disappointment. One thing after another. You try stuff, it doesn’t work out. Sometimes things break, sometimes people break.” His tone dropped slightly, “Sometimes it’s your fault, but sometimes, it’s just the way things go.”
She didn’t feel the tear before it hit her cheek. “This is my fault.”
He pulled her in, wrapping those big arms around her, the smell of old oil and ancient cigarettes filled her nose as her head rested on his chest. “Nah kid, not this one. None of us knew what was coming, or how hard it would hit. So we’re all just making stuff up as we go. One word after another.”
A sniffle. “Your jumpsuit’s getting wet.”
Her head bobbed as a chuckle lifted his chest, “It’s seen worse than a couple of tears. Point is, you’ll be okay. They’ll be okay.”
Pulling back slightly she looked up into the weathered face, “You been reading some psychology books down here or what?”
He laughed loudly at that. “Nah, just the wisdom of the ancient, I think we inherit it when we get really old. So, if we’re all done with the blubber session, maybe we should get back to it huh?”
His arms loosened and she stepped back, rubbing the tears from her face, “Okay you old bastard, how do I look?”
The sudden lopsided smile brought out hers, “Captainly.”
“Fucker.”
“Go on, get out of my engine room.”
She flipped a middle finger his way and turned to leave, suddenly wheeling back and throwing her arms around him. “You’ll always be here right?”
His arms wrapped back around her, “For as long as you need a friend, kid.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 17

Got a Toren after getting called to stop doing some work and start doing some other work. Work, work, work! #StatuesErode #sff #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky #WritingPrompts

He killed the comm halfway through the word “Thanks” and discarded the slurry at the bottom of the mug into the recycler. As he set the V.O.L.E down, the zapper discharged, sparks flew from the metal bench.
Raising an eyebrow, he prodded the thing. Nothing else happened.
He muttered “Scrap piece of junk, do I look like a rat to you? Actually, don’t answer that.”
Scooping up his wrench from a pile of dirty tools, he fed it into the loop on his tool belt and marched out of Engineering, kicking the fire extinguisher that propped the door open out of his path.
The elevator was at the end of the tight corridor, its small green display had a prominent ‘3’ on it. Hab level. Too long to wait.
He chuckled to himself as he punched the call button anyway, just to annoy anyone waiting for it. Then he hit the ladder.
Puffing harder than in years gone by, he climbed rung by rung to Deck Four, paused. There was something that needed…Coolant lines! That was Four's problem for the day. But it could wait. He kept climbing.
When he finally reached the access hatch for Deck Three, he stopped. His breath was ragged and he was sweating. He mumbled, “Losing my edge

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 12

Toren trying to reach out to someone new: #WIPSnips #StatuesErode #sff #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky

Toren dumped himself in the seat next to her. His face pinching tight as his back offered a stab of aged complaint. He sat casually, open and unguarded.
She didn’t turn to look, absorbed as she was by the blank bulkhead. Her short cut black hair hung loose, covering her eyes. The kid looked like she needed more than one solid meal.
From outside the sounds of arguing drifted in.
“You remind me of someone.”
Nothing.
“She was quiet too, once. A little shy maybe. But I don’t think you are shy.”
Not a peep.
“Met her on this ship. Just outside of this shuttle actually. We became friends. You know what my favourite thing is to do with my friend?”
Eyes forward, slow, deliberate breaths. Knuckles white.
He laughed in a short burst. “My favourite thing is to torture her with horrible messy work.”
From the side, he saw her eyes pivot toward him.
“Oh yeah,” he continued. “The messier the better. If her head is under a pipe — tap!” He mimed a tap with a wrench. “Splat! She’s never caught me yet. And I can tell you that the shampoo up here is terrible. Blonde hair is super absorbent. Oil soaks in like you wouldn’t believe.”
A tiny bob of the shoulders.
Was that a laugh?

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 11

Rubbish way to wake up. Last day together for a month and he suddenly has to go to work... #WIPSnips #StatuesErode #sff #WriteSky #WritingPrompts #WritingCommunity

She felt the arm slip out from under her neck and let out a little moan of discontent. The gentle shushing tried to lure her back to sleep as his weight shifting jostled the thin mattress. Then his warmth was gone.
It might have been a few seconds, or minutes before the slightly sour smell of poor quality coffee and citrus body wash forced her to open her eyes. Through sticky lips she murmured, “Jamie?” Nothing. She turned over, the sound of water running and the light bleeding through the gaps in the door from the apartment’s small bathroom. Reluctantly she sat up.
The urge to join him was growing. They didn’t have long left, might as well make the most of it. Before the thought finished, she heard the water stop. A few moments later, the light went out and the door squeaked open on its runner.
He stepped out, a darker shadow in the darkened room.
“What are you doing?”
She saw the shadow jolt, smiled to herself. “Jesus El!”
“Couldn’t resist,” she explained briefly. “What are you doing?”
He crossed the space and she shuffled over as he sat on the edge of the bed, the long bath sheet wrapped around his waist. He let out a sigh, “Work called. Gotta go to the GCC.”

🫜 Jim the Vampire 🫜@jimthevampire· May 10

Some Alex....rare! Welcome back home Alex. Report to medical. #WIPSnips #StatuesErode #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #sff #WritingPrompts