Wolf & Coyote Mercenary Services [Looney Tunes AU]

Episode 7: Closer to Heaven

There is a chill in the wind blowing through Acme City. Dead leaves flutter and fall, sprinkling the streets and sidewalks with speckles of brown and orange. Storefronts decorate their window displays with paper ghosts and cotton cobwebs, and cafés advertise and sell their seasonal pumpkin spice lattes. Wile E. samples one of these lattes, curious about its unique, autumn spice-laden taste.

"It tastes... interesting," he says between sips. "I never thought I would taste anything like this in my lifetime."

"Nothing like pumpkin spice latte to kickstart the season," Ralph replies, then takes a sip from his own cup. "That reminds me: when's your birthday? I need to log it into my calendar."

"Three days ago."

The red wolf freezes in shock. "Oh, it already passed? That's too bad. I was going to get you something nice, but I guess there's always Christmas."

"You already gave me something, though," Wile says, showing off his new phone, decked out in a Batman-themed hard case. "Took me some time to get used to this touch screen, but I think I have basic navigation down. Since we're on the subject, when's your birthday?"

"January 3rd."

He logs the number into the digital calendar. "Three days before Pepé's. How convenient."

"Getting back on track, have you checked out the Acme World website? I was thinking we can ride the new roller coaster, play some games, and then we can go down the Tunnel of Love and cap things off by watching the sunset atop the ferris wheel. Pretty romantic, huh?"

"Yeah, romantic," Wile says flatly. "I've heard that this city has a train that travels underground. Why haven't we gone on it yet?"

"Oh, you mean the Acme Underground? I've gone on it before, but I found it easier to just drive myself around. Less crappy, too. Working around messy train schedules, being stuffed in with a bunch of strangers, the fucking smell..." Noting the innocent look on the coyote's face, Ralph cracks a bashful smile. "Actually, we can save ourselves some time by taking a ride into the East Quarter. In fact, we might be able to catch it if we head out now."

***

Acme Underground is the premiere railway system of the city. While created with convenient travel in mind, its rail cars are designed to accommodate commuters of all sizes, with seats low enough for mice and other small animals to hop on and off easily while still remaining comfortable for most other creatures, canines included. Though enraptured by the novelty of underground transportation, the loud noises and stifling crowds cause a slight sense of overwhelm. Ralph, less phased by sensory overload, grabs him by the hand and helps him navigate the waves of travelers into the train. Once they get into their seats, they find a sense of calm amongst the chaos.

"Morning crowd's a bit more lively than usual," Ralph comments. "I'm guessing we're not the only ones with plans in mind. There's more room to breathe in Acme World, though, so just stick close to me and you'll be fine." From the corner of his eye, he notices Wile E. messing around with his phone and leans over to take a closer look. "Hey, you know how the camera works, right? See that icon with the arrows going in a circle? Click that. Now, raise the phone at just the right angle..."

Wile raises the phone overhead, pointing the camera at an angle which allows both of them to appear on-screen. Finding an odd sense of satisfaction with the visual, he presses the white button to take a snapshot. Immediately afterwards, he texts Ralph, attaching the new photo with it. The text reads, "Here. Don't post it on that social media crap. Keep it between the two of us."

With a giggle, Ralph texts back, "Sure thing, sweetie. I know you're the shy type," punctuated with a winking puppy face.

The coyote avoids making eye contact with his date-for-the-day, trying not to show the bright red blush seeping through his fuzzy cheeks. He wants to snap back, to warn him of the risks of oversharing their daily activities when there are corrupt individuals wanting their heads, but he knows there is no convincing his carefree partner. If he wants to share that picture, he will, no doubt about it. A buzz from Wile's phone, followed by a text from Ralph which simply reads, "That's a promise."