Luci smokes another cigarette in the garage as Chirpa the Ewok sits in his living room, yelling on his phone. Luci smokes too many cigarettes these days, the multi-colored fumes she exhales clouding the garage and dissipating slowly. She smokes too much, she paints too much, she does anything she can that will keep her busy. She paces the garage, growing slowly more stir-crazy. Luci is also acutely aware of the stress she is putting on Chirpa and his family, and her guilt tends to keep her from voicing any complaints. Chirpa and his family are taking a huge risk in sheltering Luci, both from the authorities and the Orc Mafia. One of the only breaks from the boredom of Luci's recent routine are the occasional briefings from members of the underworld regarding the latest criminal activity. Luci hears the front door open and stubs out her cigarette, hurrying to the living room.
Moss the elf walks in, alone for once. He has his warpaint on, three thin lines of his own blood underneath his eyes in a Native-American style. It used to be just the two, but now Moss is the president of the Westside Knife Ear Warriors, and so he earned his third stripe. He leans his longbow against the wall and sits on the couch with a sigh. Chirpa and Moss start to talk as Luci brews coffee.
"They had inside information," Moss says in his oddly deep voice. "I heard Gulg was in the area, that sick fuck, but I didn't realize what it meant until Hopper went missing on a scouting run. Gulg must have worked him over good, they knew everything. We didn't even see the stuff, they shot our contacts and took off. And you know, those weren't even my contacts. The Hufflepunks are going to be pissed, that's their main chem supplier."
Chirpa nods in understanding as Luci brings over three cups of coffee.
"Klowdy would have known," Moss says in a miserable voice. "He would have taken every scout and runner off the street as soon as he heard Gulg was in town. Fuck," he adds, as Luci rubs his arm comfortingly.
"Maybe he would have," says the Ewok in his scratchy, high-pitched voice. "Klowdy was a very intelligent man. But we cannot know, as Klowdy has never faced adversity such as this. He has never been so out-manned, nor so outgunned. But then again, I think that Klowdy would be doing everything he could to even those odds."
Chirpa stares at Moss meaningfully. Moss stares back defiantly for a moment.
"I'm not the problem," Moss says earnestly. "I want the westside to unite against the orcs, but nobody wants to poke their heads out because the orcs are going to blow them clean off their shoulders, and I can't argue against that. I can't ask anyone to stand up and say 'fuck the orcs' if it's mean their neighborhood gets burned down or shot up. Instead they'll just hide in their holes, and one day the orcs will roll through their neighborhood and it'll be over."
Chirpa sips his coffee. "Have you thought about what you're going to say tomorrow?" the Ewok asks. Moss laughs.
"Yeah, join or die."
***
Luci presses her face against the tinted window of the black sedan. Outside, the citizens of Tier-5 go about their day, unaware that throughout their city are black sedans with tinted windows containing killers and criminals of all stripes on their way to a war council. Luci looks in the backseat. Moss is also staring out the window, his lips moving; he is practicing. She looks at the driver, a young but capable elf known as Passion Flower, as he parks the sedan behind a run-down abandoned movie theater. One of the guns Luci stole is holstered at his hip. Two cars are already in the parking lot when they arrive. Moss and Passion Flower exit, and Luci follows.
The three of them walk together, Moss in the lead, Luci and Passion Flower on either side. Their elven war paint burns brightly on their faces.
Chirpa walks up to greet them, flanked by two Ewoks. They could not arrive at the war council in the same car; it was strictly against gang politics. Moss bends down on one knee to embrace Chirpa, then rises.
"Is Korax here yet?" Moss asks, looking over his shoulder.
Chirpa nods. "Yes, he wants to talk to you about the south-west."
Moss groans and pushes open the doors to the abandoned theater, followed by Luci and Passion.
The theater is dank and decaying, lit by flickering battery-powered lights. Moss leads them past the abandoned concession stand and into a theater marked 4. Inside, a swath of seats has been cleared away, creating a ring of chairs all facing each other. A trio of familiar Klingons in vaguely Native-American garb are already lounging in the circle. The one in the center, a hulking Klingon with angry eyes, rises and embraces Moss.
"I am sorry for your loss," says the Klingon that Luci knows as Koloth as the pair break. "Klowdy was a good elf, and a strong leader."
Moss nods in thanks as the theater doors open and Chirpa and his Ewoks enter.
"They'll be here soon," Chirpa assures the group.
Chirpa, Moss, and Koloth, start to walk around the theater together, discussing high-level gang politics and laughing while their lieutenants do nothing to ease the awkward silence. Luci sizes up the other members of the Westside Coalition.
The Westside Coalition was once the strongest gang in the westside, containing over a hundred members from eight different gangs. They are down to just three gangs with thirty members. Moss now leads the Westside Knife Ear Warriors, which boasts fifteen active gang members, including Luci. The Mighty Westside Klingons have only twelve (mostly Klingon) gang members, but are feared across Teir-5 for their ruthlessness and combat prowess. Chirpa leads what remains of the Westside Ewoks, which now contains only himself and his two brothers as lieutenants .
Luci lights a cigarette and offers one to the Ewok lieutenant next to her. He accepts it gratefully, as does his brother. They smoke together in silence.
The doors of the theater are kicked open as the tough young leader of the Hufflepunks arrives, her two mohawked lieutenants glaring behind her. The trio are dressed in a mix of Hogwarts school attire and modern street-punk fashion.
The red-headed leader cranes her neck around, and spots the leaders of the Westside Coalition in a corner.
"Oi Moss!" she calls. "Yeah you, fuckboy! Mind telling me what the FUCK happened to my chem supplier?
***
Moss the elf walks in, alone for once. He has his warpaint on, three thin lines of his own blood underneath his eyes in a Native-American style. It used to be just the two, but now Moss is the president of the Westside Knife Ear Warriors, and so he earned his third stripe. He leans his longbow against the wall and sits on the couch with a sigh. Chirpa and Moss start to talk as Luci brews coffee.
"They had inside information," Moss says in his oddly deep voice. "I heard Gulg was in the area, that sick fuck, but I didn't realize what it meant until Hopper went missing on a scouting run. Gulg must have worked him over good, they knew everything. We didn't even see the stuff, they shot our contacts and took off. And you know, those weren't even my contacts. The Hufflepunks are going to be pissed, that's their main chem supplier."
Chirpa nods in understanding as Luci brings over three cups of coffee.
"Klowdy would have known," Moss says in a miserable voice. "He would have taken every scout and runner off the street as soon as he heard Gulg was in town. Fuck," he adds, as Luci rubs his arm comfortingly.
"Maybe he would have," says the Ewok in his scratchy, high-pitched voice. "Klowdy was a very intelligent man. But we cannot know, as Klowdy has never faced adversity such as this. He has never been so out-manned, nor so outgunned. But then again, I think that Klowdy would be doing everything he could to even those odds."
Chirpa stares at Moss meaningfully. Moss stares back defiantly for a moment.
"I'm not the problem," Moss says earnestly. "I want the westside to unite against the orcs, but nobody wants to poke their heads out because the orcs are going to blow them clean off their shoulders, and I can't argue against that. I can't ask anyone to stand up and say 'fuck the orcs' if it's mean their neighborhood gets burned down or shot up. Instead they'll just hide in their holes, and one day the orcs will roll through their neighborhood and it'll be over."
Chirpa sips his coffee. "Have you thought about what you're going to say tomorrow?" the Ewok asks. Moss laughs.
"Yeah, join or die."
***
Luci presses her face against the tinted window of the black sedan. Outside, the citizens of Tier-5 go about their day, unaware that throughout their city are black sedans with tinted windows containing killers and criminals of all stripes on their way to a war council. Luci looks in the backseat. Moss is also staring out the window, his lips moving; he is practicing. She looks at the driver, a young but capable elf known as Passion Flower, as he parks the sedan behind a run-down abandoned movie theater. One of the guns Luci stole is holstered at his hip. Two cars are already in the parking lot when they arrive. Moss and Passion Flower exit, and Luci follows.
The three of them walk together, Moss in the lead, Luci and Passion Flower on either side. Their elven war paint burns brightly on their faces.
Chirpa walks up to greet them, flanked by two Ewoks. They could not arrive at the war council in the same car; it was strictly against gang politics. Moss bends down on one knee to embrace Chirpa, then rises.
"Is Korax here yet?" Moss asks, looking over his shoulder.
Chirpa nods. "Yes, he wants to talk to you about the south-west."
Moss groans and pushes open the doors to the abandoned theater, followed by Luci and Passion.
The theater is dank and decaying, lit by flickering battery-powered lights. Moss leads them past the abandoned concession stand and into a theater marked 4. Inside, a swath of seats has been cleared away, creating a ring of chairs all facing each other. A trio of familiar Klingons in vaguely Native-American garb are already lounging in the circle. The one in the center, a hulking Klingon with angry eyes, rises and embraces Moss.
"I am sorry for your loss," says the Klingon that Luci knows as Koloth as the pair break. "Klowdy was a good elf, and a strong leader."
Moss nods in thanks as the theater doors open and Chirpa and his Ewoks enter.
"They'll be here soon," Chirpa assures the group.
Chirpa, Moss, and Koloth, start to walk around the theater together, discussing high-level gang politics and laughing while their lieutenants do nothing to ease the awkward silence. Luci sizes up the other members of the Westside Coalition.
The Westside Coalition was once the strongest gang in the westside, containing over a hundred members from eight different gangs. They are down to just three gangs with thirty members. Moss now leads the Westside Knife Ear Warriors, which boasts fifteen active gang members, including Luci. The Mighty Westside Klingons have only twelve (mostly Klingon) gang members, but are feared across Teir-5 for their ruthlessness and combat prowess. Chirpa leads what remains of the Westside Ewoks, which now contains only himself and his two brothers as lieutenants .
Luci lights a cigarette and offers one to the Ewok lieutenant next to her. He accepts it gratefully, as does his brother. They smoke together in silence.
The doors of the theater are kicked open as the tough young leader of the Hufflepunks arrives, her two mohawked lieutenants glaring behind her. The trio are dressed in a mix of Hogwarts school attire and modern street-punk fashion.
The red-headed leader cranes her neck around, and spots the leaders of the Westside Coalition in a corner.
"Oi Moss!" she calls. "Yeah you, fuckboy! Mind telling me what the FUCK happened to my chem supplier?
***
![[Image: V4Dvvfy.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/V4Dvvfy.gif)