Line #7 Literature/BillibubBaddings


1	->''"UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}, [[TheRoaringTwenties 1929]]. There are a thousand stories in the naked city; and when you're a dwarf at four-foot-one, they all look that much taller."''
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3	''The Billibub Baddings Mysteries'' is an award-winning FantasticNoir book series/Podiobook by TeeMorris, an AffectionateParody of HardboiledDetective stories, as well as many classic fantasy tropes.
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5	The first book in the series, ''[[http://www.teemorris.com/billi/ Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword]]'' started out in 2007 as a Podiobook with narration by Tee Morris and character voices by several other guest podcasters, but eventually came out in print form as well, published by Dragon Moon Press. In 2008, a sequel called ''The Case of the Pitcher's Pendant'' was published by the same company, though at the time of writing it has yet to be released as a Podiobook.
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7	Billibub Baddings, "Billi" among friends, is a [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarf]] from the world of Acryonis, who, while saving the world, ends up getting sucked into the "Portal of Oblivion" and finding out that it doesn't lead to oblivion, but to UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}} in [[TheRoaringTwenties the late 1920s]]. Finding himself stuck in a world with no magic, elves or dragons, but with plenty of [[GangsterLand gang wars, corrupt police]] and UsefulNotes/AlCapone, he manages to get over the culture shock, learn the language and eventually establishes himself as a [[HardboiledDetective hardboiled]] PrivateDetective. Aided by his SexySecretary, Miranda, he tries to make his way in a world that in some ways is very different from his own and in other ways very similar...
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9	----
10	!!Tropes include:
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12	* AffablyEvil: UsefulNotes/AlCapone presents himself this way, but within the context of the story is probably more FauxAffablyEvil.
13	* BerserkButton: Played with. Billi hates being called a "leprechaun" or "elf" or anything other than a dwarf, and often describes how close he is to flipping when someone uses those terms, but he can usually control himself.
14	* BondOneLiner: Even while drugged and fighting for consciousness, Billi manages to deliver one to [[spoiler: museum curator Samuel Hamill, when he is crushed by falling sarcophagi: "Figured you for a mummy's boy."]]
15	* CrossDressingVoices: Given that most of the female characters in the story are voiced by actual women in the podcast, it's very notable when Tee Morris himself provides the voice for Miranda.
16	* DeadpanSnarker: Billi is a master of this, [[FirstPersonSmartass especially in]] [[PrivateEyeMonologue his narration.]]
17	* EatingTheEyeCandy: Billi has a definite eye for the ladies and is the first to let his appreciation of the female form known. He has a bit of an EstablishingCharacterMoment in the first chapter when he finds himself sucked into the portal in Acryonis, and the last thing he does before vanishing from the world and going towards an uncertain fate is to turn and check out one of the cute elf girls, taking the opportunity to appreciate her cleavage one last time.
18	* ElvesVsDwarves: Alluded to, though while Billi himself makes many sly digs at elves in his narration, he doesn't ''hate'' them (and certainly finds great joy in thinking back on beautiful Elven women). According to Billi, the rivalry between elves and dwarves started over a recipe for malt beer.
19	* FieryRedhead: Billi.
20	* {{Gangsterland}}: It's the main setting.
21	* HasAType: In addition to being a FieryRedhead himself, Billi openly admits his attraction to red-headed women.
22	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: A few show up, or are alluded to -- most notably UsefulNotes/AlCapone, but some lesser-known names also make appearances.
23	* HoldYourHippogriffs: Billi, even after learning English, can't seem to kick the habit of using euphemisms and similes from his own world, leading to several instances of this. Occasionally he uses it deliberately just to confuse people.
24	* ICallHerVera: Billi names his first gun, a .45 automatic, "Beatrice."
25	* LemonyNarrator: The stories are narrated by Billi in [[FirstPersonSmartass first person]], and he gets pretty creative with his similes from time to time.
26	* OfficerOHara: Chief O'Malley, who is as true an example of the stereotype as you could imagine. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the setting.
27	* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Played with, [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] and ultimately averted as quite a few of the traditional stereotypes turn out not to fit dwarves from Acryonis at all.
28	* TheRoaringTwenties: Takes place in the late 1920s.
29	%%* SassySecretary: Miranda has both sass and sex appeal in spades.
30	%%* SexySecretary: Miranda has both sass and sex appeal in spades.
31	* StandardFantasySetting: The world of Acryonis seems to have been this, though with a few parodic aspects.
32	* SupremeChef:
33	** Mick, Polish immigrant and the owner of "Mick's Diner," has a reputation for making the best chili in Chicago. Billi certainly praises his cooking often enough in the story.
34	** UsefulNotes/AlCapone, whom Billi is surprised to learn is the one who cooked the pasta dish he just described in near-lyrical tones.
35	* WeInterruptThisProgram: The "story so far" segments on the podcast takes the form of this, usually "interrupting" programs like "The Chicago Opera Hour" and similar.

Context Literature / BillibubBaddings