Butterfly Dog

WHAT MAKES A SOULMATE?

Fenn does not put much stock in this whole soulmate business, so he does not see anything morally awry with his profession. Fenn works as a tattoo artist, where he is paid to brand others with illegal fake soulmarks.
Or, rather, he once worked as a tattoo artist.
A close encounter with the local police forces him to close his shop. Without his job or home, he must rely on his wits and best friends to find a way out of the resulting mess. But Dom and Bark have their own share of troubles, as Fenn comes to learn through the days spent hiding out at their apartment.
How does one rebuild their life after losing everything? Who reported him? And why does it feel as if his friends are hiding something?

Butterfly Dog is a short, punchy 15k word novella that displays the structural enforcement of monogamy, the perception of social outcasts, and how fate is actively determined through choice. Highly recommended for fans of "Ink in the Blood" by Kim Smejkal, "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and "Last to Leave the Room" by Caitlin Starling.