Has anyone noticed the trend toward addressing major social issues?
"Happi's Delight," "Never Too Old," and now "Bitter End" all address
major social problems which face society.  I'm very interested in hearing

>from the authors regarding whether the drew inspiration from each other

or not.  I am currently writing an issue into a fic of mine, but I had
the idea planted into my head previously.  Is anyone else?
                                                               -M

Zen can only speak for himself, but the new fics that you mention all came
out long after Bitter End was plotted....  Zen started this in november of
last year, and has been polishing and refining it since - completing scenes
and trying to make sure that all the details were as accurate as he could
make them. The research for this was horrifying - both into the issues of
domestic abuse, and into affective disorders (like rage disorders)...

At any rate, all Zen can say for the coincidental posting of social issues
stories is that maybe its a Jungian synchronicity thing...  You can never
tell.

Right now, Zen is hoping that his pre-readers will forgive him.

(They had to read this monster and help Zen polish it!)

Zen really appreciates their help.

Zen no Itan-sha