Heat #9

Edited by Alopex

Heat, Volume #9, continues our tradition of all-orientations stories of love in its various forms, as told through prose, poetry and comic forms. In this volume we lean perhaps a bit more towards drama than comedy compared to recent issues, with strong and engaging stories throughout.

• In Better, a story by Kandrel, illustrated by Scappo, a female coyote is just getting by in a war-torn city with little more than portraits and an urn of ashes to keep her company until a male coyote she met online braves the fighting to see her in person. Is she ready for wounds that his visit will re-open?
• Love Learn is a poem by Camron Cuccu, illustrated by Vantid, that explores the exhilaration of falling into love, and then, sometimes, the pain of falling out of love again when the person one originally falls in love with changes.
• Two Minutes, a story by Whyte Yoté, illustrated by Alastair Wildfire, depicts a unique moment in time and place, a period of transition for a young male donkey preparing to leave his family's southern plantation to head off to law school. But first, he has one last fling with the family's cook and caretaker, an older male alligator who has helped usher him into manhood and who encourages him to follow his heart even when it means breaking societal taboos.
• In A Weapon, a comic written by Kobal and illustrated by Negger, a lion seeks escape from his patriarchal role in his pride, which is difficult enough, until his discovery of a weapon on the body of a dead man threatens his ultimate goal of joining the tribe of the “Different Ones”.
• Bad Timing, a story by Huskyteer, illustrated by Cara Mitten, tells the tale of a female mountain lion who scores a romantic night with a handsome African lion she meets at her university's student union. She indulges a particular taboo fetish of his, but regrets it later when the details of the grisly murder of a fellow classmate make her suspicious of how far he has taken his fetish with others.
• Do you ever wish that your life had an “undo” button? How would you use it? Rewind, a story by Kyell Gold, illustrated by Nimrais, explores how supernatural powers complicate good intentions in a gay relationship, especially when the possessor of such powers can't (or isn't willing to) grasp the full implications of its use.
• Lonliness can lead to bad decisions. If not corrected, such decisions can escalate to situations that are just...Stupid. (A comic by RayFkm)
• In The Prisoner, a Pict wolf warrior finds himself bound to a tree in the woods next to a flickering fire. How did he get there? Did he escape? A single painting by Blotch inspired author Tempo to expand on the wolf's story, and Blotch have in turn provided additional illustrations to accompany the tale.
• If you had the chance to get revenge on a former lover because he no longer recognizes you, would you? In True Color, a story by Khaz, illustrated by Tush, a male canine finds himself in just such a situation, and in the end, discovers that perhaps his actions reveal more about his own failings than his lover's.

""Advertising"" in this issue is provided by the Crimson Divine, via Rukis, and Top speed Dating service by Foxfeather. The front cover features an illustration by racoonwolf, while the back cover showcases color versions of Scappo's illustrations for ""Better"".