The Bleak Streets of Twokinds: A Twokinds Forum Noir Story

[Wynni]

Rofl! I like how you pegged my youngest.

I must talk about them more than I notice.

I approve, it gets the "Momma seal of approval"....

Hmm, guess this means I'd better get off my duff with the Pensacola piece.

[Joe]

“It's a pleasure to meet 'ya, darlin',” Wynni says to Lupe with a friendly grin as she sets a cup of hot joe in front of me, black as the night itself.

HeeHee...I know I'm hot in a cup And yes I do know it's coffe.

[avwolf]

“It's a pleasure to meet 'ya, darlin',” Wynni says to Lupe with a friendly grin as she sets a cup of hot joe in front of me, black as the night itself.

HeeHee...I know I'm hot in a cup And yes I do know it's coffe.

You bring up an important point, Joe. I think I'm going to have to talk to Wynni about this. Her establishment can't go around serving forumites in cups!

[Wynni]

But what if he deserved it? Y'know some folks: a good spoonin' just isn't enough. Next time, I'll stew his little britches for him.

[Nuff]

Read and enjoyed the latest update Av. I've not much to say (I'm useful like that) but keep up the good work

[Keaoden, The hidden]

This entire series is great Avwolf, though it seems you have it a bit easy when it comes to characters, I mean with the entire myriad of forumites to chose from and all.

The part I like the most out of all is how you depict everyone.

I really hope I turn out to be the bad guy

[FoobyKamikaze]

You updated three weeks ago? Crap, I didn't realize I was out of commission that long.

Glad to have an update to come back to, though. =D

[Schrodinger]

Oh! Yash should be the tough as nails, by the book Chief of Police. That would be perfect for him.

[Windwaker]

Oh! Yash should be the tough as nails, by the book Chief of Police. That would be perfect for him.

He and Fast run opposing precincts that get involved in turf wars by proxy.

[Wynni]

Oooomgracious. You wouldn't be giving Avie evil ideas, would you guys?

Noooo, Fasty should be the nosey newshound (coyote) that gives the Commish fits....or maybe the editor of a paper that does...hmmmm. now, THAT has potential.

Yeep! I'm contributing to the madness?

[Silver Seren]

Noooo, Fasty should be the nosey newshound (coyote) that gives the Commish fits....or maybe the editor of a paper that does...hmmmm. now, THAT has potential.

Do it! I command that this be done! It's completely a necessity.

[FastChapter]

Can't wait for the next update, this is too much fun to read!

[avwolf]

Sorry for taking so long to get this together, guys. I like this one because it sets up an action packed next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Now, if I may, I'd like some opinions. I've been feeling like I should get more involved in the FA, actually give my poor, deluded watchers something to look at. So my debate is to try to spread myself even thinner to produce something for it, or co-opt some of my existing work. It's been suggested in some of my conversations with people about this that I see what you all think about me posting this fiction up on FA. So, what's your opinions? I'm concerned that this might all be a little personal, or a bit too far "inside" (as in "inside joke") for inclusion there. Besides, it's not like I really own the characters featured throughout here. That's why I'm soliciting opinions as to what I ought to do. Regardless of the outcome, I don't intend to drop this project until it's run its course.

-----------------------------------

The drizzle presses in on me, stifling, choking, like I'm wrapped in a cold carpet and thrown in the river. The streets watch my every footfall, biding their time for a moment of inattention, any opportunity to throw me to the ground. But at least it's just me now. I can take it, as long as my people aren't in danger. I fumble a cigarette from my jacket's inside pocket. My lighter gives my numbed fingers more trouble than it ought, but once the cherry's finally burning, the smoke fills my lungs with a welcome warmth. I tuck my hands back in my pockets and pull my jacket closer around my body. Even my fur seems thin against this cold, but my destination's getting close.

I need to head down into Newb territory to meet Kilroy, but I want to make a stop first. The night's wearing on, but the lights in the newsstand are still burning. Good. I wouldn't want to have to track down the kid if he'd gone home. The newsies are a couple of fox boys, of varying degree of fox and boy. Depending on who you talk to, sometimes that varies a lot. The one I'm looking for is the one who's less fox and more boy, going by the name of Spike.

Spike's a good kid, but he's got a talent for acquiring the things a furry needs, even if he probably shouldn't have 'em. Tip him the right way and you'll find more in your newspaper than just the funny pages. In his position, he's connected to the news both above and below board. There's a good chance he's heard of the flaming, and he might even know who was involved. I've done him a good turn now and again in tracking down some of the rarer stuff, and for some reason I can't fathom the kid looks up to me. If he knows anything, he ought to pass it along without too much trouble. I step out of a night filled with rain and lit only in pools by dim mercury bulbs into the shelter of the newsstand awning and the warm light glowing from within.

"Avwolf!" Spike slips a pencil back behind his ear and hurriedly moves to hide some sheet music paper he'd been doodling on. He tries to nonchalantly strum a few chords on the guitar sitting across his lap, like he's just been idly playing riffs all night. "What brings you around tonight? I, uh, I don't have the new issue of Lace and Moonlight yet. That's, uh, not until next week. Honestly, I don't know what it is with you and those wolf girls."

"Hey," I protest, "I read it for the articles, I'll have you know. Well, the articles and the jokes."

"And the centerfolds," Spike notes, chuckling. I shrug half-heartedly and grin.

"Anyway, that's not what I'm after. I'm looking for information."

"I'm listening," Spike says, his ears perking up. I take my time and a drag on my cigarette.

"There was a thread down an alley on Comic Boulevard. It, ah, caught fire."

"Now, uh, Av, I didn't have anything to do with that."

"I never said you did. But I want to find out who was involved." Strange that Spike not only knew exactly what I was talking about but was already worried. Somebody must have gotten to him already. Someone with some power behind them. I bend over and select one of the little serials that the newsstand stocks. It's a cute little story about Zen and Natani that I've been collecting. I page through it absentmindedly, waiting for Spike to finish considering his loyalties.

"Well, I don't really know very much about that..." He coughs delicately. I throw the serial on the counter between us, some pictures sandwiched subtly between the pages. Spike picks the book up and smoothly transfers the images to his own palm as he checks the price. I toss some cash down to cover the fiction and lean in close for the fact. Spike looks suspiciously about. I have to stifle laughter. Sometimes you wouldn't believe that he's got plenty of experience in this. "I can't say much," he says, his voice low, not that it would carry far in this weather, "But I've got two pieces of advice. The first is to look over the scene carefully. The second is that you watch yourself, Av. I don't know how far this goes, but it's big. And these people don't share my politics." He leans back. I stay still for a moment, letting smoke curl and slink in serpentine streamers around my fangs while I let the gears in my brain box spin. Spike's a Libertarian. If he's warning me about that, he's not talking geopolitical triangulation. Whoever's behind this isn't about to live and let live. My eyes flick back to the fox boy, his ears still drooped conspiratorially.

"Thanks for the tip, Spike. If I spot Asuka, I'll ask her to drop by and hear that song you're writing for her." Spike's eyes widen and his tail goes stiff in surprise.

"I -- that's not what...uh...." Spike slumps in surrender. "So you knew?"

"I put it together." I slip my serial into my jacket, where it'll be safe from the rain.

"Oh. Well, it's not quite finished yet," he mutters apprehensively. I let my lips drift into a familiar half-smile. I try to keep it just this side of cheerful, so he doesn't mistake it for a smirk.

"It sounds good. I'm sure she'll be impressed by it, but you've got to finish it up and take that plunge soon. Can't keep anything, especially music, too bottled up." Spike smiles nervously back at me.

"Yeah? Yeah." His comments seem to be as much to himself as to me. "Thanks, Av. I'll see you later."

"You can count on it."

"Stay safe!" Spike shouts at me as I leave his lonely island of light and dryness, returning to the unforgiving chill of the night.

There's no mistaking when I enter Newb territory. The streets go from broad, well-traveled thoroughfares to labyrinthine alleyways, each corner hiding some new graffitied-over recruitment poster or huddling, mindless fellow, muttering to himself about Russian pornography and cheap "enhancement" drugs. Every so often, somebody with a mod badge, or a coalition of experienced townsfolk will try come down here and clean things up. They clear out the riffraff and the rule of law holds...For about two days, and then the whole neighborhood begins its slide back into decay. The dilapidated threads form an endless warren of forgotten intentions. Some of them still have flickering lights on inside, where honest new faces are struggling to find their place in the city. But most have fallen dark, their original purpose erased from history, they're nothing more than haunts for the criminally inane now. I spare a glace up to the "welcoming" archway as I walk into the borough. The handful of flickering lightbulbs left unbroken on it can barely stave off the hungry darkness enough to reveal faded and peeling paint. A billboard bearing FastChapter's grinning mug and a list of "friendly reminders" is the first thing a person can see past the arch. The second thing you see is how faded and defaced the billboard's become, barbed wire closing it off to protect what's left of the message. I mutter a quiet prayer of thanks that I'm not responsible for this hole, and I go looking for somebody who might know something. Kilroy shouldn't have any trouble catching up to me, an experienced wolf like me, with more than a few posts under my belt stands out like a beacon around here.

There's a thread partway down the street with plenty of noise and light coming from the inside, its ramshackle edifice clearly erected in the past couple of days. I exhale, blowing smoke into the flickering illumination of the streetlamp and cast my cigarette butt to the ground, extinguishing it with a turn of my boot. This looks like it's one of the current party houses of the Newb Gang. If anybody in the Newbs was involved in the flaming or the attack on my friends and I, somebody here was sure to know something.

"No time like the present," I tell myself, pull my iron, and kick the door open, striding in with a dominant swagger. The shovel makes a cold, metallic clang as it bounces off my face. A thought staggers through my skull: "Not again..." Then my knees go out, followed immediately by the lights, as I crumple to the ground.

[FastChapter]

As much as I'd like to thank you for muttering prayers at my hole...

*ahem*

Very seedy little neighborhood you've constructed, Sad to say that some weeks, when five new threads pop up discussing - once again - why Natani & Keith should hook up, this is pretty much how I see some boards. XD

[avwolf]

Well, I do tend to see the Newbie Board as something of a fever swamp. Originally, I made it out more as being under your control, Fast, but I backed off of that, partly because I didn't want to imply that it's condition was your fault and partly because I'm not ready to fully introduce you yet. It's true, the Newbie Board is certainly not alone in having a multitude of...not entirely valuable threads. It just happens to be an easy target.