#darksidecity

[swtorramblings]

I’ve been trying to ease a bit into maybe continuing/concluding some of my various stories, both about the blog purpose around here and others. I thought I’d start by associating some art with some songs.

All art by @fleeting-sanity​.

Cut for length.

Archimedes Anthony “Tony” Tirell Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler. When The Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going by Billy Ocean Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin

Felix Iresso Piano Man by Billy Joel. Now Tony at the bar is a friend of mine... What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong War (What is it Good For) by Edwin Starr

Koth Vortena: Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkle Do You Hear the People Sing? from Les Misérables Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson

Senya Tirell Bring Him Home from Les Misérables I Got You by Ciara You’re So Vain by Carly Simon

Vaylin from another universe (there’s also a local one): Drowning by the Backstreet Boys Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys Fighter by Christina Aguilera

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Dark Side City: Friends

I figured since @swtorpadawan asked about it, I went in and cleaned up one of the old vignettes, one I think establishes some things about the City and some of the principal players in it. Still trying to figure out if I want to remove certain elements, but the Things in the Darkness are still going to be here.

I pulled my chair out and had a seat. “So, how do you want to handle this?”

The voice was gravely, and almost human-seeming. But there was that usual tinge that told me it was anything but human. “I’d prefer to ‘handle’ your head on a plate. But I guess we can talk.”

Encouraging. Really. The attempt at a pun was not welcome, though. “Yeah, I’d like that. How about this as my offer, then: Get out of my town and you might live, or exist, for a little while longer.”

That got a chuckle. It wasn’t a bad sign. Well, really, it was, but I’d had worse. “No, no, that won’t do. My counter: You promise to stay out of my business, and I won’t burn everything you love to the ground.”

I pulled out my cigarette case, prepared to light up. There was a sharp hiss in the dark.That told me a little. Seriously, you don’t think I carry those things around because I enjoy them, do you?

I folded up the case but kept it in my prosthetic hand. I told the thing sitting across from me in the dark, “All right, we’ve got the threats out of the way. So, maybe we can make a deal?”

“I doubt it. You seem to care about these gnats.”

Great. Just great. One of those. They just love my town. I guess I should stop being surprised. After all, *he* came here, didn’t he? “You mean the people? I mean, have you seen them? They crawl over each other trying to reach some imaginary height, and when they fall, they bring the whole thing down. Why should I care what happens to them?”

“Don’t ask me. But I can see that you do. It’s no use lying about it.”

I had to heave a sigh. My carefully practiced indifference wasn’t working, obviously. “All right, say I do. We could still negotiate keeping them safe.”

Now there was a low growl coming from the other side of the table. “I don’t think so. I plan to take too much of the city, and then maybe I’ll leave some scraps for the others. You aren’t going to like what’s left.”

“No deals, then?”

“No. And you were a fool to meet me. You might have rallied some pathetic resistance. It might have been sport, but I don’t have time for it. So you die now.”

“Hmm, yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“Why not? You have no power that can stop me.”

“Maybe not. But I do have something you don’t.”

It paused. One thing I can always count on is the curiosity of the things that go bump in the night. “And what’s that?”

I snapped open the cigarette case again, took one out carefully and tapped it on the table, slowly. I could sense the thing fuming. I left the small lighter in the case. I wouldn’t need it. I put the cigarette between my lips and finally said, “Friends.”

Another pause, then a low, gloating laugh. It was probably going to give some speech about how friendship wouldn’t save me, or maybe about faith, or uselessness of human attachment.

Yada yada yada.

The explosion caught it before it could say anything. I saw it in the glare for a moment. An indescribable, madness inducing thing clawed at my mind.

I was used to it.

The heat blasted past me, and I finally closed my eyes to keep out the dust that came along with it. I’d have to get my coat dry-cleaned. My hat blew off my head.

Finally, it was quiet again, except for some soft footsteps behind me.I took a puff or two then put the now lit cigarette out. Sometimes, I needed something to help me keep a level head, but I didn’t want to get too attached.

Koth said, “You know I’m not your friend, right?”

Oh, this game again? I thought we’d grown past it. Oh, well. He couldn’t see my smile, but maybe he heard it when I said, “I don’t know about that, but at least you’ll pretend if I pay you enough.”

“That’s true.”

“I think you cut that one a little too close, Vortena.”

He took a moment to survey the damage, the burned in shadow of the thing I’d come here to talk to. “I thought this one would need a little extra.”

“You’re the expert.”

“Do you think they’ll ever catch on?”

“Yeah. We’ll figure something out when it happens.”

“Always a pleasure doing business with you, Tony.”

“Have a good night, Major.”

“I always do.”

[swtorramblings]

Dark Side City Chapter List

Banner, with lounge singer Senya and hard-boiled detective story/likely femme fatale Vaylin by @fleeting-sanity. I'm planning on adding the other major players to it at some point, but this was available.

Dark Side City started out as a Film Noir re-imagining of SWTOR, with "Bucky" Barnes and Vaylin visiting in their interdimensional travels. It eventually accreted several other elements, including some pulp and monster hunting, and is probably too disjointed to keep that way. That happens to me most of the time with NaNoWriMo, that the story ends up a bit bogged down. I'm considering breaking it up into its separate genre stories, possibly with the duo visiting them, possibly not.

We shall see how it goes. Just getting in a few links for today. These are the originals, so may get changed if I break the story apart.

Note also that there is no rhyme or reason to how I have these ordered, it will need to be cleaned up as I clean up the story itself.

Film Noir

Not Even the Best

Reunion

Friendship

Conversation

Thick as Thieves

Monster Hunters

This storyline is directly inspired by Dracula, so is told in snippets of found letters and other records rather than directly.

Worst Case

Hunters

Pulp

Never Go Back

Pulp Adventurer Kira Carsen (art, no story)

Pulp Adventurer Lana Beniko (art, snippet of story)

Miscellaneous

For stories that are part of this but really don't fit any other category.

The Story that Never Was

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Dark Side City: Comfort Zone (intro)

Noir Risha Drayen by @fleeting-sanity​. Thanks so much.

Incorrect Dark Side City quote: “Call me a dame again. Call me a dame one more god damn time.”

There I was, all gussied up for a night on the town and a bit of larceny on the side. Everything was going as planned. 

It was all so beautiful. Of course it didn’t last. Story of my life.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t have a backup plan. I just didn’t like it. I really don’t like violence. It’s messy, it has consequences, I don’t have much use for it. I like it when the plan goes without a hitch, only a few people even know anything’s wrong, and no one knows who done it.

Shame.

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Pulp Hero Vaylin vs. Vampire Vaylin by @fleeting-sanity. Finally using it. Throw me the lightning I throw you the whip.

The woman was leaning back on a metallic cylinder, carved with, what? Runes? Circuitry? The etchings glowed softly in the darkness. It looked too advanced for this odd world, but it wasn’t the strangest thing Vaylin had seen.

The other her spoke while she stood examining the sarcophagus. “So, you’ve finally found me. I think you may not be as clever as you seem to think.”

Vaylin raised an eyebrow. “Or perhaps I was just being cautious.”

She laughed at that. “Oh, come now, I’ve been in your mind, in your dreams. We are very much alike. Caution is not our way.”

Well, she couldn’t very well deny that, could she? “All right. What should I call you? If only for your epitaph?”

She smiled, and Vaylin could now see the fangs more clearly. “Oh, you’re fun, aren’t you? Valeria, if you like.”

“Valeria. Why did you bring me here, then?”

Valeria’s finger traced the etching idly. “I have been imprisoned for some time. I thought perhaps we could bond over what we have in common?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“By which I mean, of course, that I will drain you dry.”

She had been approaching the other her, and gotten too close. Before Vaylin could move or defend herself, the monster was upon her, tearing at the flesh of her shoulder with her fangs. She was strong, much too strong to break free from, and she drank the spilled blood greedily. Vaylin felt faint for a moment.

Suddenly, Valeria pulled away, screeching. Her hand went to her mouth, her eyes were clenched shut, and Vaylin could see sparks. She raised her hand to her wound, the brief burst of lightning hurting, but stopping the bleeding. “Blood too hot for you?”

Valeria looked down at her hand, the pain clearly subsiding. The smile returned. “Oh, you’ve been holding this back, haven’t you? But, no, not too hot, just surprising.” She lifted the hand and flicked the blood off of it, which became a burst of lightning.

Vaylin tried to stop it, catch it, but something was wrong. She couldn’t control this bolt made from her blood. Something about the vampire’s powers? Valeria laughed. “Oh, this feels good. I will have to keep you alive just so I can feel this again.” Her eyes flashed, and red lightning sparked from her hand. She was using the blood she had consumed. Hopefully, it wouldn’t last long.

“Oh, another person wanting to put me in a cage for my power.” She lifted a hand and swung it down, trailing lightning, then forcing it into a semi-solid form as quickly as she could. “You know I won’t stand for it.”

“Don’t worry, I think I’ll make sure you are unconscious most of the time. Or controlled. You’re much too dangerous.”

“True.”

Vaylin lashed out with the lightning whip, attempting to disrupt her opponent’s own lightning, or perhaps her concentration, but Valeria caught the strike on her off hand and flung the gathered bolt back at her. Vaylin danced aside, and tried to yank on the whip, pull Valeria off her feet. It was like trying to pull a bantha that didn’t want to move.

Valeria was laughing at the attempt, but it wasn’t unexpected. Vaylin jumped, and yanked the line connecting them again. Letting go with one hand, she slammed her palm into the monster’s face, blasting her with lightning, tossing her back, burning her.

She landed on her feet, though, hissing at the blow, her eyes filled with red light. For a moment, Vaylin saw something else, something even more monstrous than herself, looking back at her, but it was already starting to return to her own face.

They locked eyes, which was a mistake. The vampire spoke. sounding so sad. “Vaylin, please, don’t you understand? Don’t you want to help me? I was imprisoned, too, I don’t know how long.” She approached, and Vaylin’s arms dropped to her sides. Valeria patted the sarcophagus. “In this. Before that, in a room in a castle until I was old enough to make me like him.” She was standing less than a meter away, now, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “I only woke because of you. I only escaped when you damaged my prison. And I can only be free with your help.”

It might even be true. From what she had seen, parallels like this happened. She was much like Vaylin, but could a vampire even be helped? Wasn’t she already dead?

As she saw the fangs bared once again through the haze her vision had fallen into, she realized it didn’t matter. She was determined to try, but not like that.

Her mind once again her own, she dropped to the floor, bringing her leg around to kick Valeria’s legs out from under her. It barely worked, the vampire’s strength almost canceling her surprise, but she still fell. As she did, Vaylin bound her other wrist with her whip and pulled them together, tying them securely.

Valeria growled at her, but looked confidently down at the binding, attempting to break it with brute force. While she wasted her time doing that, Vaylin attempted to also bind her legs, lengthening and thickening her rope, but she got kicked in the gut for her trouble, and she fell, black spots spinning in front of her.

She knew she had internal injuries. She tried to will herself to stay conscious. It was important that she stay conscious, she knew, but she couldn’t remember why. The enemy that she saw approaching her with a smile? No, that wasn’t it. Why was Valeria still on the ground? Was it the rope?

Oh, right. The rope. That was the problem. She hadn’t had time to make it stable.

More red lightning blasted her, and knowing didn’t keep her from losing consciousness.

She drifted in and out of consciousness. Once, she saw one of the vampire’s hands lying nearby, severed by the whip exploding, before blacking out again. 

She finally woke in pain, her flesh burned and bruised in numerous places. Her shoulder burned from the wound, and the poultice that had been put over it seemed to make it hurt even more. Bucky and Tony were there, tending to her. Senya, though, was watching her and sharpening a stake.

Vaylin said drowsily, “Always willing to think the worst of me, Mother?”

The stern look didn’t change. “I’m not your mother. And am I right?”

Vaylin took stock. Her heart beat, and she no longer felt the other presence in her mind. She shrugged and answered, “Frequently. But not now.”

Bucky laid a hand on her shoulder and said, “I’m glad you’re all right, but that was unfair. About your mother.”

She shook her head and said, “Yes, I know, old man. It was just a joke.”

Tony said, “It seems it wasn’t funny.”

“No. It never is.”

[swtorramblings]

Felix Iresso playing at the Timeless Paradise by @fleeting-sanity. You must remember this.

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Pulp adventurer and explorer Kira Carsen by @fleeting-sanity.

For the pulp chapters of Dark Side City.

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Random Lines: As is tradition her legs also go on for some time

Aviator Lana by @fleeting-sanity​

Hardboiled Detective Theron’s description of Lana Beniko, member of Her Majesty’s Secret Service and loyal subject of the Empire:

“She had shoulders that went on for miles, and arms that looked like they could break a man in two. Easily. Which they are, I’ve seen her do it.”