"The streets of Napoli are scented patchouli when a young police officer has a fateful meeting. It is 1967, the summer of love.
And it all begins on a rainy Tuesday evening."
This series puts the Vento Aureo characters in 1960s Napoli, there are no Stands or supernatural elements of any kind. Start with Ruby Tuesday, a drama centred around the love affair between officer Leone Abbacchio and Bruno Buccellati, a bodyguard who works for the Passione crime syndicate.Friendly Note:
These stories are written for adults, and as such, contain adult themes. You may encounter sexual content and violence, as well as ideologies and opinions of the 1960s era, which were not always pleasant. You have been warned.
the series
The main series consisting of seven stories.
who's who?
The characters, the players in our story.
pulp fiction stand
Further reading. Stories set in the Ruby Tuesday universe as accompaniments or to flesh out the bigger picture.
ready, steady...
The top hits of the time.
Playlists to groove to whilst reading.
i read the news today...
Extra, extra, read all about it!
(Extra stuff that doesn't quite fit in elsewhere.)
Who's who?
❁ the main players ❁
Leone Abbacchio - a rookie officer on the Napoli police force who always strives to do what's right. Harbouring an unhappy past, the winds of change are in the air for Abbacchio when he embarks on his first relationship with another man.Bruno Buccellati - a bodyguard whom Leone meets by chance in a bar. Though charming to a fault, this charismatic young man has more than a few secrets to share.Marco Omaggio - Leone's partner at the police force. A kind-hearted family man who is devoted to his wife, Renata, and daughter, Eloise.Coniegla 'Connie' Bellini - a ticket seller at the picturehouse, Bruno's roommate and ex-lover. A sweet girl, though Abbacchio regards her with some suspicion.
❁ others ❁
Team Buccellati - Bruno's employees, including fellow bodyguards, Pannacotta Fugo and Narancia Ghirga, markswoman Guenda Mista, and informant Cavalla Bellini.The Abbacchio Family - Leone's older sister Regina, and little brother, Trono, and Leone's absent father, Righello.Members of the police force - Commissioner di Costa, the head of the Napoli police force, senior inspectors Lumare and Pacco, and Emilio Taddeo, a rookie officer, training under Abbacchio.
the series
The main story is presented in chronological order.
1966-1969.
Recommended reading order:
Start with Ruby Tuesday, then Wednesday Morning, 3am. If you want a break before carrying on, you can see how it all began with Monday, Monday.Make your choice from the library below.
Spoilers are marked for your convenience.
❁ RUBY TUESDAY ❁
The streets of Napoli are scented patchouli when a young police officer is presented with a fateful meeting.
In this curious man who calls himself a 'bodyguard', Leone Abbacchio finds solace, companionship, and urges he has spent almost his entire adult life repressing. But is Bruno Buccellati everything he appears?It is 1967, the summer of love.
And it all begins on a rainy Tuesday evening.
❁ WEDNESDAY MORNING, 3am ❁
Coming soon.
pulp fiction stand
"On the nightstand sits a tattered copy of 'Kingfisher Tide'.
Leone chuckles to himself as he reaches for it, noticing how worn the spine is, no doubt from multiple revisits. The book opens with a crack, revealing to Leone an inscription written in pencil, which he regards with curious eyes as he considers turning the page."
Set during the series and presented chronologically, these extras pad out the story throughout. They are written informally, in the style of quick, digest reads, so you can dip in and out, at your leisure. Most were written as part of fandom events.
There will be SPOILERS, marked, for your convenience.
(But it's best to read Ruby Tuesday before any of these.)
❁ spring, 1967 ❁
Stories set after that crucial Tuesday in March '67, when Officer Abbacchio met a bodyguard. Leading up to their first date, and shortly after Leone finds out Bruno is
Between The Buttons - NSFW, adult content
Upon hearing he's missed his birthday, Buccellati sets to giving Leone a belated present.What April Showers Bring
Smoking on the balcony, watching the rain fall? Part and parcel for Leone and his friend now.Something Happened To Me Yesterday (written for JJBA Pride Zine).
As his relationship with Bruno deepens, hurt from his past threatens to put a premature end to Abbacchio's happiness.
❁ summer, 1967 ❁
Sunkissed stories centred around the summer there was a carnival, in which Leone and Bruno decided to
'Motorcycle' (written for Februabba 2022)
On a sunny afternoon, Officer Abbacchio takes in some lunch and admires a motorcycle he's spotted parked outside the café. And he's not the only one whose noticed...'From A Distance' (written for Februabba 2025)
One day in July, 1967.
The perfect day for a picnic in the park and a kickabout - the latter of which Abbacchio is destroying Buccellati at.
❁ autumn, 1967 ❁
Cosier stories set around a blossoming relationship, and after
Early Morning Blues and Greens (written for Bruno Week 2022)
There was a time when Bruno Bucciarati thought he might not reach the age of 21. And, if he did, he certainly didn't expect
Narancia likes it when he gets to crash at the penthouse.
It's a plush pad and Bruno's girlfriend always treats him so nice...Warm September Breeze
"Like the warm September wind, babe." The officer's ponderings, shortly after
It's the day after Buccellati's 21st birthday party, but celebration is far from his mind as he cosies up next to his companion for as long as their schedules allow it.'Waltz' (written for Februabba 2025)
Chalk it up to coincidence or intel, but Officer Abbacchio and his partner are tending the same club as a certain someone tonight...Bubbles (written for Februabba 2022)
Bruno will look back on this night with fondness, just as he will look back on the year 1967 as the year that changed his life for the better. The year he
❁ winter, 1967 ❁
MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS THEREIN FOR 'RUBY TUESDAY'.
Stories of winter, set after Bruno and Leone's gambit
20th December, 1967
A Christmas card, and some reminiscing about days gone by.
1967 is almost over.
On the same night, two people look out to the same horizon.Tuesday 22nd August, 1967
A birthday. A scattering of conversations. Memories of a love concealed. For now. Connie takes time to remember the day of
Reminiscing on a relationship, one Tuesday afternoon.
ready, steady, go!
"A record plays; one of Leone’s that he had left behind; and the music, laughter, and such idle chatter brings them softly into the evening."
Ruby Tuesday was inspired by my love of 1960s music, but I also wrote the stories in the series with films from the era in mind. One part summer holiday, one part kitchen sink drama. Stories of ordinary people living extraordinary-ordinary lives. I imagined what songs might play during certain scenes, incorporating the lyrics into the chapters.Each story has a soundtrack, and you can listen to them below.
RUBY TUESDAY
Time of the Season, Happy Together, Nights In White Satin - as well as the eponymous title track, and Love Is Blue - the 'theme' for the whole series.
Playlists curated using Spotify.
i read the news today,
oh boy
"I don’t read the paper much these days. Too depressing.”
Extra, extra - read all about it!
These are extra stories or comic interpretations that may not fit in with the previous sections for whatever reason...Never Reaching The End
Napoli, 1967. Leone Abbacchio is a young police officer, who, for better or worse, always strives to do what's right. A series of short (100 word) reflections upon the man, by those who know him well, those who barely know him at all, and those who know him more than he'd like to admit...
(Written for Abbacchio Week 2024. SPOILER WARNING for Ruby Tuesday)Got Me In Its Sway
1960s Napoli. Bruno Buccellati is a young man who, for better or worse, always strives to do what's right. However, how can a gangster like him truly know what's right?
A series of conversations with those who know him well, those who barely know him at all, and those who know him more than he'd like to admit.
(Written for Bruno Week 2024. SPOILER WARNING: major spoilers for the series.)Imagine Me & You
A comic interpretation of Bruno and Leone's first date at The Sunflower. Illustrated by dejabru.