#20: Jeremy Tableau and The Conductor
Page One
Panel One: We open up at the platform of a public train station. It’s near empty except for a few people in a tussle. On the floor is a guy, named Dallas, who’s strung out and high and dressed in a nice business suit, getting kicked in his stomach by our protagonist, Jeremy Tableau. Jeremy is a young black guy in his early 20s. Good looking and dressed in a white and black suit. Joining him is Gerard, Jeremy’s best friend, who’s dressed in Gothware and is half black, half Latino with cornrows. Approaching the scene is a civilian trying to stop the attack. Gerard is looking over his shoulder towards the civilian. Maybe add a business briefcase on the floor that belongs to Dallas.Caption: Bringing you up to speed, name’s Jeremy Tableau, the Black Sheep. I’m the fine brother in the white suit. Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Civilian: Hey! Hey!!
Panel Two: A shot now of Gerard looking over his shoulder.Caption: This is my trustee right hand man, Gerard. And best friend. And much needed devil on my shoulder.
Gerard: You wanna leave.
Panel Three: Small panel shot. Vampire fangs have just popped out, revealing he’s a vampire.Caption: I don’t need to say what else he is.
Panel Four: The civilian is running away as we see Jeremy, who’s knelt down, pull up the victim by his collar. The man is sweating and bleeding from his mouth as he’s pleading. Jeremy is cold.Caption: And this is Dallas. Apparently he doesn’t understand the way the Serpent’s Tail Club is run now that I’m in command of it.
Jeremy: You been holding out on me, Dallas.
Dallas: Jeremy. Please…. It’s not my fault! Just give me another chance.
Jeremy: Nah. Don’t think so. I’ve got better use for you.
Jeremy: Gerard.
Panel Five: A small shot of Gerard’s hand grabbing Dallas’ collar.Panel Six: Gerard has flung Dallas off the platform and towards the tracks. Dallas is still in mid-air as a train is about to hit him.Caption: Hmm. This is gonna get messy.
Page TwoPanel One: A shot in front of the train with Dallas bursting into a blob of blood, some of his limbs flying about.Caption: You might think that was fucked up. But have no fear, he served his purpose. You’ll see…
Panel Two: We’re inside of the train, behind the specific door that has stopped in front of both Jeremy and Gerard. In front of us is a figure in a blue dress shirt and a white pagri. We won’t see his face yet. This is the Conductor. I’ll describe him in a bit.Caption: The man with the turban is The Conductor.He runs this magical train that acts as a teleporter. With the right summon and right price of magic, he’ll teleport you to wherever in the city you wish to go. As long as there’s a station.
Panel Three: The door has opened as Jeremy and Gerard are stepping in.Caption: He’s also fast. It may seem like you’re riding for hours, but in actual time only a few minutes will pass.
Jeremy: Morning, afternoon, and night to you, Sartaj.
Panel Four: We’re now inside of the train. It’s completely empty except for our protagonists and an Indian man standing before them. This is Sartaj, the train’s conductor. He is wearing a blue dress shirt and black slacks and a white pagri (turban) wrapped around his head. He has a black beard with a white streak down the middle. He looks to be in his 40s-50s. He has a serious look on his face. Have Gerard sitting down, slouched on a seat. The train doors are closed as they’re now moving.Sartaj: Black Sheep.
Jeremy: Conductor. You look displeased. Were you not a fan of my offering?
Sartaj: It was human blood. It is forbidden.
Jeremy: Shhh. I won’t tell if you don’t.
Panel Five: Now Jeremy is sitting next to Gerard, his arms behind his head and his legs crossed and against a pole. I would like panels 5 and 6 to be side by side, that way the dialogue bubbles can go back and forth. So Jeremy is on 5 while Sartaj is on 6.Jeremy: Now, cutting to the chase: You are going to be shipping transfers of Unicorn Dusts.
Sartaj: You too? I’ve thought many things about you, Tableau, but never a stooge for the Serpent’s Tail.
Jeremy: They’re under new management.
Sartaj: Well, that’s promising to know. The answer is still no. I refuse to be part of drug trafficking.
Jeremy: Guess what, Conductor. I didn’t ask.
Page ThreePanel One: On a furious Sartaj.Sartaj: You have some nerve. You use blood sacrifice to summon me when you know I forbid it and then you try to use force to have me do your evil bidding.
Sartaj: This is and will always be my house. You are a guest. Get your ass up off my couch.
Panel Two: On Jeremy and Gerard. Jeremy has his arms crossed but has a slight smirk on his face. Gerard looks bored.Caption: Sigh.
Gerard: May I?
Jeremy: Must you ask?
Gerard: Thank you.
Panel Three: Gerard now has Sartaj by the throat. Have a multi-image of Gerard movements behind him to indicate how fast he approached Sartaj. He’s holding Sartaj up while he’s smiling with his fangs out.Sartaj: Hhh!
Panel Four: We’re above/behind Sartaj as we’re looking down at Gerard and Jeremy who is looking up at Sartaj.Jeremy: Here’s the deal. I am going to give you a portion of Unicorn Dust. You won’t be shipping them to specific places. You’ll be shipping them into the systems of your customers.
Jeremy: You’re a very resourceful transporter to a lot of magis in this city’s UnderUnderworld. They call on you for all things. I can only imagine how many powerful magis you’d have riding inside you. Pause.
Panel Six: On Jeremy.Jeremy: Now… imagine their power in my hands. The Unicorn Dust… sucking them dry. They don’t need all that power, all their magickal essence. Why be selfish.
Jeremy: And with all that said, I will split the portions with you. If your answer is no… well, let’s just say in your current position, you can’t refuse-
Panel Seven: A shot of Jeremy’s eyes bulging.Caption: …Fuck!
Page Four:Panel One: Jeremy is kneeling to the floor, choking and gasping for air. His hands are at his throat.Jeremy: Can’t….breathe…
Panel Two: Back to Sartaj and Gerard. Sartaj’s eyes are red. If we see Gerard, show his fangs out.Gerard: I can kill you right now. Did you forget? I don’t breathe.
Sartaj: You seem to forget: This is my domain.
Panel Three: We’re now looking at the windows of the train as we see the sun shining brightly through it.Panel Four: Black smoke is drifting and seeping out of Gerard as his skin is starting to turn a bit of a chalky color. He’s not fully turning into ash as he’s a half vampire of a specific vampiric race. He’s simply turning human. The ash is simply covering his skin and is his vampire skin.Caption: Fear not, dear readers, he won’t die. Gerard’s specific race, when exposed to the sun, only turns human.
Gerard: Fuck. Fuck! Jeremy, do something!
Panel Five: Sartaj flicks his finger at Gerard, sending him flying. Show some of the ash flying off Gerard’s skin as he’s hit back from the force of Sartaj’s attack.Sartaj: So much for power.
Caption: Ight, now he’s really starting to annoy me.
Page FivePanel One: On Jeremy. He’s still kneeling down. One hand seems to be fused with the floor, the specific area he’s touching looking to be veiny while his other hand has a green ball of flame. The veiny area should also have a red shining Veve circled around Jeremy’s hand. The Veve should be this design that’s under Jeremy in this picture (http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h29/xeero0/ShakyKane.jpg).Jeremy: Tell me about it.
Panel Two: Jeremy has blasted Sartaj, engulfing him in flame, his clothes burning away.Caption: Uuuh… this feels… so… fucking good…
Panel Three: Jeremy is now standing up, blasting Sartaj with the green flames, Sartaj is burning in pain. Gerard is in the background, groggily getting up.Jeremy: You feel this? This is your power. I own you now. I spiked my offering to you with my own specific batch of Unicorn Dust. The other ingredients are my secret.
Caption: A mix of possession powder fish and other thingies.
Jeremy: And don’t think I don’t know that not only is this train your source of power… it’s also your life source, ain’t it? Your own brain, heart, and oxygen tank. How bout that?
Sartaj: …please…
Panel Four: On Jeremy. Jeremy: I suck all the magickal essence from this train, you die. Feel like bluffing?
Panel Five: Jeremy now is holding a naked and burnt Sartaj by the throat.Jeremy: Feel like bluffing?
Sartaj: No..
Jeremy: And what will you do after I get off this train?
Sartaj: I’m going… to transfer… the Unicorn Dust…to my riders.
Jeremy: Discreetly.
Sartaj: Discreetly.
Jeremy: I swear you know how to make a nigga happy! Now stop the train…
Panel Six: Jeremy and Gerard are now exiting the train. Jeremy has a smile on his face as he's adjusting his tie while Gerard is dusting the ash off.Jeremy: … This is my stop.
Caption: On to the next one.