The History of Helena Gorton, DDS

Part 8: Helena Meets Her New Best Friend

Dear Esteemed Readers,

I'm back after about a week or so, with a hot-off-the-press chapter of "The History of Helena Gorton, DDS," which introduces a few new characters, including a certain salamander lady I've drawn a few times, and will be pretty important to Helena. The beginning part of this one is a bit intense, as Helena contends with lingering frustration from the situation with Herman, and misses John, who has been working insane hours as captain of his fishing boat, The Hammerhead, the entire week. Content warning - intense emotions and what could be described as a panic attack, by the way. Later portions of this chapter should be more uplifting, however, as you may see as you read. Before we move forward, here are the important characters:

Helena Gorton:
-Basics:
  -Type/Species: Fish woman
  -Where is She From? Unknown, other than the sea. She was found by a fishing boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
  -Occupation: Dentist
  -Hobbies/interests: travel, alternative music, going to concerts, playing bass, driving
  -Where does she live? San Francisco
  -Diet: Exclusively raw fish and seaweed
  -Favorite Music: Death, Autopsy, Sepultura, My Chemical Romance, Cynic, Death Angel, Meshuggah, Streetlight Manifesto, Foxy Shazam, Björk, Bolt Thrower, Nervosa, At the Gates, Celtic Frost, Triptykon
  -Relationship status: lives with her partner, John Gorton, the fisherman who caught her in the Pacific Ocean

John Gorton:
-Basics:
  -Species: Human
  -Where is He From? Born and raised in Alaska, then moved to San Francisco, where he eventually became captain of a fishing boat called, "The Hammerhead."
  -Occupation: Commercial Fisherman/Captain of "The Hammerhead"
  -Hobbies/Interests: Studying marine biology, beard care, cars/driving, seafood, cooking, writing poetry, songwriting, playing guitar
  -Where does he live? In an apartment in San Francisco, with Helena
  -Diet: Lots of seafood, but he eats a bit of everything, and is generally adventurous when it comes to food
-Favorite Music: Jim Croce, Joan Baez, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, James Taylor, Janis Joplin, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills & Nash
  -Relationship status: Lives with his partner, Helena Gorton

Aja Harrison:
-Basics:
  -Species: Red Salamanderwoman
  -Where is She From? She was born and raised in Mercer, Pennsylvania, but moved to the Bay Area because of an opportunity to get regular gigs with a prestigious jazz band, as well as to record music. She had a friend who knew an A&R rep at a jazz label, but the whole thing fell through, partially because there were tensions within the band that made Aja very uncomfortable. She left, but was able to gig occasionally with other groups in the area afterward. She is currently in San Francisco working under Marla Matoi.
  -Occupation: Dental Assistant at Marla Matoi, DDS; has a side gig playing and performing in various jazz bands, as well as selling her jewelry online
  -Favorite Music: Kamasi Washington, SZA, Snarky Puppy, Weather Report, Miles Davis, Nina Samone, Herbie Hancock, Louis Armstrong, Chuck Mangione, Tower of Power, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Steely Dan
   -Hobbies/Interests: Jazz (she loves Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis; newer acts include Snarky Puppy and Kamasi Washington), playing trumpet, entomology, jewelry-making/beadwork (she has an Etsy shop), going to museums, international folk arts (including traditional/indigenous tattooing if various regions), retro games
  -Where does she live? San Francisco
  -Diet: Carnivore - worms, insects, and spiders. She gets worms and crickets from a local pet shop, and gas a friend named Cassius Kremer who catches spiders for her...for a price
  -Relationship status: Single

Jimmy Marino:
-Basics:
  -Species: Human
  -Where is He From? He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to San Francisco at 5 years old, after his dad got a job with a major software company in the city.
  -Occupation: Restauranteur of Jimmy Marino's Pastaria, a popular Italian restaurant in San Francisco
  -Favorite Music: Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole
   -Hobbies/Interests: Cooking Italian food, running his business, accounting, sailing, wine and cheese connoisseurship, as well as connoisseurship of fine liquors and spirits
  -Where does he live? San Francisco
  -Diet: Omnivore, with a penchant for alcohol, pasta, and steak
  -Relationship status: has a girlfriend, though not too serious. He sees himself as a ladies' man