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shy-nightmare · 2 months ago

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The Toonz Twins: Toontown Sleuths

Chapter Four: The Ink & Paint Club

Summary: The three investigators visit the Ink & Paint Club and find the singing beauty Jessica Rabbit. She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment. The twins also meet one of the two men who fought hard for Toonkind: Marvin Acme.

Credit for inspiration goes to @imaginarytoon1, author of “The Birchwood Twins: Toontown Investigators” and @its-metal-mistress, author of “Bendy and the Ink Machine: Learning How to Live”. Please check out their own wonderful content ^^!

Special Guests Tags 😊: @marinerainbow, @slashingdisneypasta, and @weaselnerd

Eddie and the twins decided to wait it out until past sundown. During that time, the twins decided to wash up while they were having lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon going over the details of how to deal with Roger once they did the job.

Once nightfall reigned the streets of L.A., Eddie led the twins down a couple of streets leading to a dark, gritty alley. The washed-up Toon investigator kept his eyes on the trail, and behind him the twins were having another of their silent tete-a-tete conversations.

“All right. Now tell me how you’re going to sneak in without getting…” he trailed off when he heard a sparkling noise, followed by two glowing lights. He turned around and his eyes widened, “…caught?”

Standing before him were two identical twins, a young man and a young lady. They both had ivory pale skin and raven-black hair. The man’s hair was short but scruffy, tufted in wild bangs nearly hiding a scar on his right eye. He wore biker clothing, though his outfit looked more realistic and didn’t have as many outlines. Standing on his right, the lady had her hair styled in voluminous curls and coquettish bangs covering her left eye, framing her heart-shaped face. She wore familiar biker clothing, too, including a silver crescent moon necklace. They both were large black fedoras, but the only feature that was “Toony” was their pie-cut eyes.

They looked at each other, sharing a once-over. “Not bad, sis.” Tom said.

Twyla jerked her chin at him. Same to you.

The twins both looked at Eddie…who was just completely gob-smacked. “What?” Tom said casually.

“How the hell did you do that?” he whisper-shouted.

Tom only chuckled, “This is Toon nature, Valiant. You should be expecting this by now. We’re just…special.” He snickered.

“Yeah, but you didn’t say anything about transforming into humans!”

The gunslinger only laughed again, “Oh, Valiant. How clueless. I thought you knew everything about Toons.”

His boss glowered at him, then sighed and shook his head, muttering before knocking on the door. A hatch slid open, revealing a bloodshot Toon eye. “Got the password?” a deep, gruff voice asked.

“Walt sent me.” Eddie replied.

The hatch closed again, but then the door slowly opened. The twins followed Eddie into the brick passageway and turned around to see the bouncer. He was a tall, husky Toon gorilla drawn with brawny furry muscles and a mean mug. He only wore a tuxedo.

“Nice monkey suit,” Eddie cracked.

However, the gorilla didn’t like that joke. “Wise ass!” he growled.

Eddie rolled his eyes and motioned the twins to follow him. They walked down a dark, dim-lit hallway built in brick and stone when all of the sudden, Twyla started hearing…music?

She nudged her brother, motioning for him to come closer. “Do you hear that?”

Tom perked his right ear up, then nodded. “Yeah.” The music only got louder and louder as the trio finally made it to the end of the trail where two imposing doors stood. The music seemed to be coming from whatever’s behind these doors.

The trio stopped at the doors. “You two ready?” Eddie asked, somewhat impatiently.

Twyla and Tom nodded. Then, Eddie pushed the doors open.

A musical light dawned upon the twins, and their eyes widened. “Whoa.” Tom whistled.

The interior of the nightclub was designed like an underground bistro, accenting the cavern with rounded alcoves and lamped pillars dimly lit by pale pink and golden light. The walls were built of beige brick and the pillars were painted in carmine and burgundy, and on the far-right side of the club, an art-décor bar proudly displayed its glamour and was occupied by a Toon octopus bartender. Glossy onyx concrete floors ran throughout the entirety of the club, illuminated pale pink and gold from the lights. In the mouth was the round stage podium pulling up velvet curtains and designed with a T-catwalk, lit up by neon footlights. Tables surrounded the stage, all decorated with white tablecloths and little lamp lights, and many Toon penguins, probably the ones from Mary Poppins, were wearing little black bowties and holding trays of food and liqueurs while a white cloth draped over their other forearm. The nightclub was filled with music, laughter, and life.

“So this is the Ink & Paint Club?” Tom asked, looking around the cavern. “Ritzy.”

“Hey, look at that! Ha-ha!” a guy laughed, and the twins looked back at the stage. Two Toon ducks were playing two pianos; Donald Duck who was dressed in a black tuxedo and playing a polished, black piano, and Daffy Duck who was banging his feathered fingers on the white piano’s keys repeatedly.

“Hey, hey! Cut that out!” Donald shouted over his shoulder.

“Does-th anybody understhand what thith duck is saying?” Daffy asked the audience with his iconic lisp.

The twins grabbed a seat near the stage, and Twyla whispered, “How much are you betting?”

Tom watched the two avian crackheads, then pulled out his wallet. “$50 for Donald to get fired for assault and battery.”

Twyla pulled out hers, “$50 for Daffy to get blasted by a cannon.”

“Deal.” The twins shook on it.

“I’ve worked with a lot of wise-th crackerths,” Daffy exclaimed, “but you are DESTH-PICABLE!”

“Doggone stubborn little…” Donald mumbled, then quacked in loud anger. “THAT DID IT!”

“Thith ith the last time I work with sth-omeone with a speech impediment!”

“Oh, yeah?!” Donald exclaimed angrily. The sailor duck reached behind him to grab Daffy, hoist him up in the air, and slammed him inside the black piano. The lid closed on the wisecracking duck, only leaving his beak out. “This means war…” Daffy declared threateningly.

From Tom’s left, Eddie grabbed a table for himself next to an elderly bald man. He was a bit of a tubby guy with a baby face and balding, greying dirty blonde hair. Unlike Eddie and Maroon, he wore an odd fashion of choice. He wore checkerboard suit and matching trousers in dull colors of red, blue and white. He wore a white dress shirt with a poofy beige bowtie with red spots and large black dress shoes.

Tom didn’t know what was weirder about this guy, his style of choice or his style of humor when he grabbed a fountain pen and purposely squirted black ink on Eddie’s shirt. The glare of death in Eddie’s eyes was enough to cue Tom to shield his arm in front of his sister in case this little joke escalates into violence.

“Do you think that’s funny?!” their boss exclaimed.

“It’s a panic!” The practical joker laughed, but his laugh was quickly cut off when Eddie grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of his chair.

“You wouldn’t think that’s funny when I stick that pen up your nose!” he growled.

The other man held his hands up, trying to calm him down. “Calm down, son. Look, the stain’s gone. It’s disappearing ink.” Eddie and the twins looked at his shirt, and the ink instantly disappeared. Twyla’s brows rose in surprise and briefly nodded, impressed. “Look, I’m—” the balding man was about to introduce himself, but Eddie cut him off.

“I know who you are. Marvin Acme, the guy that owns Toontown, the gag king.”

Marvin Acme? The twins’ eyes widened in surprise and amazement. “Is he the guy who is not only the owner of Toontown, but also one of the civil rights activists for Toons?” Tom asked his sister, who eagerly nodded. He turned back to the laughing man. This is him. Marvin Acme, in the flesh.

“If it’s Acme, it’s a gasser.” The man smiled, and Tom was unable to hide a smile, too. He even said the catchphrase. “Put it there, pal,” he grabbed Eddie’s hand for a handshake, but suddenly, the twins heard a buzzing noise and Eddie shook. Acme revealed his palm, and he was wearing a hand buzzer. “The hand buzzer! Still our biggest seller!” He laughed, and that made Twyla chuckle a little.

Meanwhile, the two ducks were having a battle of history. Daffy somehow pushed Donald inside the white piano, and he was banging on the keys while playing the black piano with his left webbed foot before Donald kicked the lid open, sending his opponent in a spiral before falling into the other piano again. The Navy-trained Toon then leaped onto his former seat and played his number, using his foot and tailfeathers as fingers to stroll across the white piano’s keys, creating a lovely melody as he continued to play with elated vigor. “This is hot stuff! Wow!” he smiled.

Suddenly, Daffy punched him in the face with a boxing glove and sent his fiery-tempered coworker flying back in the lighter-colored piano. He then started playing rapid, wild tunes while wearing his boxing glove. His feathery hair whipped around like wild lashes, his eyes rolling around as he began throwing inanimate objects such as a hammer and a rubber duck. He finished his solo and pulled his feathered hair back while fluttering his eyes. Behind him, Donald slowly lifted the lid up and smiled devilishly…while aiming a cannon at him.

Twyla’s amethyst eyes widened. “Wait. Is he really going to…?” she trailed off, and instantly regretted her bet.

Her brother recoiled as well. “Oh, shi….”

Donald lit up a match and ignited the flame on the rope.

“Get down!” Tom called out to Twyla, Eddie, and other members of the audience, using his body as a shield for his sister while pulling her down to the ground.

BOOM!

Donald shot at Daffy with a loud, booming blast. The cannonball hit the black piano, missing Daffy’s head by an inch. The dark-feathered avian instinctively jumped in the clattered claviature. And finally, the curtains bestowed upon the stage just as Donald and Daffy were pulled off the stage.

Tom checked for any signs of danger before helping his sister back in her seat. A toon penguin water brought Eddie his drink. As he was about to drink his glass of scotch, he pulled out a real-life rock. Classic.

“Toons,” Eddie mumbled, ignorantly unnoticing Tom’s icy glare.

“Humans,” he mumbled to his sister, who only shook her head.

“Cigars? Cigarettes?” a feminine, high-pitched voice called. “Eddie Valiant!”

“Betty?” Eddie said, surprised.

The twins turned around and saw a petite Toon lady, wearing a black sweetheart mini dress and black pumps, and she had her hair styled in a curly pixie cut. Tom’s demeanor faltered a bit, and his posture relaxed. He’d know those sweet doe-eyes and that lovely face anywhere. Betty Boop.

“Long time, no see.” She winked at Eddie.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, and the twins caught on how softly he spoke to her.

“Work’s been kinda slow since cartoons went to color. But I still got it, Eddie!” Betty smirked, humming a small tune and strikes a pose. “Boop-Oop-a-Doop!”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiled, “You still got it.”

He felt something glaring daggers at him and looked over his shoulder. The twins both gave him deadpan glares.

“What?”

“Nice.” Tom said.

Suddenly, all the guys the crowd gathered around the stage, cheering and clapping with wild, enthusiastic vigor as the lights slowly began to dim. Acme started spraying himself with cologne.

The twins then remembered why they were here.

“Looks like the show’s about to begin.” Tom whispered to Twyla. She nodded.

“What’s with him?” Eddie asked Betty, referring to the gag king.

“Mr. Acme never misses a night when Jessica performs.”

“Got a thing for rabbits, huh?”

A spotlight pointed at the velvet midnight curtains. The audience fell into silence.

"🎵 You had plenty money in 1922…🎵”

A long, creamy leg peeked out.

The twins’ eyes widened. Wait, what?

Then, the curtain slowly swings open and reveals…

A beautiful Toon woman.

She stood six feet in height, and carried herself in sensual, seductive grace and power. Her flawless skin was smooth cream and peach, as if comprised of rich silky ink. She had an hourglass body drawn with sensuous curves, as if she were drawn for the Junoesque era, framed by two outstanding legs, teasing limbs of elegance that shimmered in musical rhythm to the sway of her hips. The singer’s beautiful face was a soft structure of beauty and innocence, but the icy glint of her sultry emerald eyes and alluring thrall of her body brought a sense of danger. Her ruby hair cascaded down to her back like a waterfall, styled with long coquettish bangs veiling her right eye. The graceful predator smiled at her ogling prey with full, plump lips glistening like the skin of a dark, forbidden fruit. She wore a sparkling, fuchsia dress with a sweetheart cleavage that teased the hungry eyes of the males with her smooth creamy flesh, accented with a long slit up her right leg, and wore matching sparkly heels. Her delicate arms were veiled in dark purple opera gloves and two golden stud earrings pierced her small ears, complimenting the singer’s look. Behind her, a group of Toon crows dressed in blue tuxedos played the blues.

It was her. Jessica Rabbit, the singing beauty of the Ink & Paint Club, and the wife of Roger Rabbit.

“🎵You let other women make a fool of you

Why don’t you do right?” Her voice was a siren’s song of soft silks and sultry charms like the notes of a rare, unforgettable melody. She strolled over to the wall and effortlessly rubbed her hips.

“Like some other men do~🎵”

Her legs moved like delicate smoke as she strolled her way across the stage, not a rigid motion in her movements. A guy tried to sneak a peek from underneath her dress, and she lightly but firmly kicked him in the face. The sleazy move of that creep made Tom’s lip curl in a disgusted snarl.

“She’s married to Roger Rabbit?” Eddie whispered to Betty, his eyes wide with shocked rapture.

The petite lady sighed wistfully. “Yeah, what a lucky goil.”

She closed Eddie’s mouth and turned away. Tom glanced at her and saw her eyes glisten with tears. Her movements were quick, but he knew why. She didn’t want them to be seen. She wasn’t looking for pity. Tom only knew one other woman who mastered the art of hiding pain so expertly, no one was able to see the cracks of the windows.

Betty Boop was once the star in the spotlight, the most desired girl in the Toon world and the fairest one of all. Her symbolism might have been no different than Jessica’s, but everyone still loved her. Their love for her was what got her into the spotlight, but now Tom realized this was her last scene on the big screen. And soon, she will be left in the dark. Her dark, pretty eyes sparkled with girlish charm and her sway was energetic, but Tom could see her soul dying.

Those were real tears on a drawn woman.

Betty straightened her posture and strolled around with a charming swing of her hips, holding the tray while keeping her hand on her hip. She heard something faint land on her tray, and she saw a little white envelope wrapped in a cute pink lacy bow. Curiously, she set the tray down and opened the envelope, which revealed to be a card.

You still got it, Betty. Always. 🖤

Betty’s brows rose with surprise, and she looked around to see who gave her that note. Until her eyes met a young gentleman’s, whose dark eyes had an eerie shape to them. He winked at her, and she giggled while trying to hide a grey blush blooming her cute cheeks. She grabbed her tray and disappeared with a happy little swing.

Tom chuckled, but then he caught his sister smirking knowingly at him.

“Oh, shut up.” he grumbled.

“🎵Why don’t you do right

Like some other men do~?🎵”

The twins turned back to Jessica, who took Acme’s hand as she gracefully stepped off his table. She walked behind him and pinched his cheeks playfully.

“🎵Get out of here,” she sang and pulled out his handkerchief, rubbing his head with the cloth. “Get me some money, too~🎵”

Then, she turned around and slowly sat on Eddie’s lap. He moved in like he was about to kiss her, but she pulled away and gently shoved his fedora in his face. All eyes followed her trail like hungry wolves, but the true predator didn’t even spare them a glance. She seductively strolled around the twins’ table and gently ran her gloved nails across Tom’s shoulders. Then her eyes met Twyla’s, and for a moment the ravenette almost got lost in those pools of desire, sparkling in emeralds and gemstones. Jessica smirked softly and gently booped her nose, silently chuckling at her pink blush.

“🎵Why don’t you do right?” Jessica sat on the stage, teasing the men with a long swing of her unveiled leg. “Like some other men…”

She leaned over and pulled Eddie up by the tie, just inches away from pressing her lips against his. “Do~🎵” she pulled away, slipping the tie out of her fingers.

The crowd cheered with thunderous applause, jumping out of the chairs as Jessica strolled her way back to the curtains. Each round grew louder and louder, filling the club with praise and wolf-whistles. They all watched the redhead beauty disappear back into the world of the stage, and the curtains finally fell.

Eddie stared at the stage, stuck in a trance.

The twins grabbed their belongings and got up before heading over to their boss.

Twyla stood next to him, taking one last sip of her drink. “Enjoy the show?” she asked.

“Hey, you do talk!”