All art by @fleeting-sanity​.

Cut for length.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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

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: