Post by Red Bull Icon on Sept 14, 2020 2:28:49 GMT -5
(Our scene opens onto an over sized second story deck overlooking the forest in Baker Lake Canada. The wood, oak, painstakingly sanded and stained. Lovingly crafted and carved by hand. Labored, built, and loved. This patio where countless hours, smokes, and talks dissected every nuance of nearly all facets of this life. Of this world. Explored all the possible outcomes. Every scenario. Examined from every angle and obsessed over even the smallest detail. So much has been learned. If you were a young man or woman and found yourself here with its owner, it meant school was in session and you were about to be gifted with an education unrivaled.
We are not joined by youth, however. Not really. Childish and petulant it’s the same immature pair from the Metro Station. In the daylight and with sober eyes we recognize clearly the couple. He’s Remedy Monroe. The Creole Curse. The Talk of Two Towns and The New Talk of the Town. Slim, built, and confident he stands looking out over the lake. She’s CeCe Freeman-Monroe. Words can’t describe her beauty, so let’s not waste the time.)
CeCe; “We shouldn’t be here. He hates us.”
Remi; “No ‘e don’.”
CeCe; “He stabbed you in the stomach.”
Remi; “Well, maybe ‘e ‘ate me, buh I jus’ so ‘appen ta know dat ‘e be quite fon’ ah you.”
?; “I do not believe he is much of a fan of either of you.”
(Steven Eldritch. The third member of Fors Fortis. Clean shaven, short buzzed hair, striped polo tucked into his jeans, and white Nu Balance sneakers stands in the doorway out to his deck. The Louisiana Lovers turn to meet their friend.)
Remi; “Maybe no’ much-a-fan bu’ a bon’ dat can’ be broke.”
CeCe; “Love what you have done with the place Steve.”
Eldritch; “Steven. And yes, welcome. Glad you just made yourselves at home. Now we just need Nate, and we would have a full blown reunion.”
Remi; “Nate busy.”
~*~*~
(We cut to a somber scene in a hallway. White painted cinder block walls. Greyed and shiny from traffic concrete floor. Brown doors with a small window, a number, and a portal for passing meals. Then a familiar face. Simultaneously bored and hyper vigilant ZAM stands in front of one of the doors obscuring it’s view entirely with his massive back.
He’s joined by a second even bigger if that’s possible man walking down the hall. Dark black skin, tall as tall can be and equally as broad. His skin, hair, beard, teeth, nails, shine of his shoes, and fit of his tailored uniform belie his apparent station in life. This is the gigantic Nathan Dawkins, the fourth and final member of Fors Fortis.)
Nate; “She talk yet?”
ZAM; “Nope. And nothing of interest happened. Brennen should be here at 8.”
Nate; “Alright then. Get up. Get out.”
(And with that ZAM once again strolls out of a prison. It’s truly his favorite part of the day. Into the cell door Nate greets it’s occupant.)
Nate; “Gislaine Maxwell! How your day been, baby?”
(We can hear the scramble. The hurried panicked footsteps across the six by six foot cell.)
Gislaine; “Nate? Is that you Nate? Please, please, Remi said he would help me!”
Nate; “Remi is helping you. This is the best place to be right now. One way in with ZAM, Brennen, and myself keeping it closed. You wouldn’t want to get Epstein’ed.”
Gislaine; “Yeah, one way in.”
Nate; “Two way’s out though. Where’s that list?”
Gislaine; “I’m not stupid Nate. I give up that list and I never see you again. Back to regular and desperate crooked guards.”
Nate; “You give up that list and the names on it will have other things to worry about than your health.”
Gislaine; “Yeah, Remi. We should all worry about Remi.”
~*~*~
(Back on the patio.)
Remi; “’E look good, yeah?”
Eldritch; “No. He really does not.”
(From our vantage point we turn to see what the three of them have been watching. In the distance on the shoreline stands the first member of Fors Fortis. The Red Bull Icon. Randy Boolzian. With him is Eldritch’s niece, born of her uncles’ sister and unknown father, Matilda. Tilly. All she’s ever known was her uncle and his friends and her overwhelming dream to one day share stories like theirs. Why not? She already shares the same skunk spot beauty mark in her hair as BoolZ.)
Remi; “’E sleep?”
Eldritch; “One could call it that. Nap would be more appropriate.”
Remi; “Eat?”
Eldritch; “Yeah. Not enough though. Just Red Bull and cigarettes.”
CeCe; “And women, right? Lots of them. Kept in shape I hope?”
Eldritch; “Randy is who he is, and he had to do something after you got him locked out of the business.”
Remi; “Eh was fo’ ‘is own good.”
Eldritch; “I am sure he will see it that way. This was your idea. Let’s go.”
(Eldritch leads the way as CeCe hands Remi a cup to slip into his pants. She taps on whatever form a rigid body armor is covering his torso. He puts in the mouth guard. And then they follow Eldritch.)
~*~*~
(Our scene shifts now. We’re not entirely sure where we are. Are we in a restaurant? Are we in a smoke lounge? Country Club? There are three things that are distinctly clear, however. The money in this room is immense for one. Real top shelf stuff. Second, the very pretty face like an angel with a body built for sin brunette is making eyes with BoolZ. And lastly there is tension. So much tension at the table. BoolZ sits on one side with Remi and CeCe on the other. Neither saying a word as Alicia, the brunette, takes a second empty wine bottle from CeCe before placing a third on the small table.
She notices BoolZ pullout a pack of Marlboro Blend 27 cigarettes and his Zippo.)
Alicia; “Oh sir…”
BoolZ; “…”
(They make eye contact as BoolZ slowly puts the cigarette in his mouth and flicks his Zippo. No spark. The tiniest little piece of flint falls free.)
Alicia; “You really should try the vape instead.”
BoolZ; “Ah, no I ordered the veal.”
Alicia; “Here.”
(The perky pretty little lady produces a small box mod and a smaller bottle of light amber fluid.)
Alicia; “Try this. There’s the button. Just put it in your lips, press the button, and suck.”
BoolZ; “Oh, role reversal already?”
Alicia; “Maybe we’ll trade roles again a little later. You can borrow that til then though.”
(She saunters off to the back making sure to look back at RBI before entering the staging area. Remi leans over to a slightly, and growing more so, inebriated CeCe.)
Remi; “I ev’a tell ya ‘ow we met?”
CeCe; “I know how we met!”
Remi; “No, no, me an’ BoolZy. Ran’y you rememb’ah?”
(Paying the Bayou Bitch no mind BoolZ takes a long drag from the vape and exhales a smokestacks worth of cloud into the room.)
BoolZ; “Tastes sweet. Like, like, kinda like flat Red Bull.”
(BoolZ is fixated on this little magic paper weight and examines it further.)
Remi; “’Course ‘e ‘memb’ah. I was in’a Japan. Lan’ ah da risin’ sun. Been dare ‘bout two mon’s an’ no’ a damn thin’ I do workin’. I try dem dare mask. I try da make-ups. I try changin’ mah gear, mah music, mah entrance, mah moves, ‘ell I don’ change ev’re’ting I coul’ change. Yes I did. An’ it all sho’ did fail. Ent’ah ta chirpy chirpy crickets. So I’m a’mah wits en’! ‘Bout rea’y ta move ‘ome an’ pursue a career as’a senator. Ah Don’ know wha’ ta do, an’ one day I’m sittin’ on dat bench aft’ah a bad bad nigh’, an’ who shoul’ sit dow’ nex’ ta me? Ya ‘memb’ah? Ya ‘memb’ah wha’ ya say ta me a’most twelve years a-go ta’day?”
(Barely paying attention the Red Bull Icon exhales a plume of vape from his nostrils, recoils, and starts wiping the water from under his nose.)
BoolZ; “Whatever it was I should have kept my mouth shut.”
Remi; “Buh ya did’in an’ da res’ be ‘istory.”
CeCe; “What he say!?!”
Remi; “’E say ta me. ‘Kid you gotta stop trying to fit in and start standing out. Good or bad, right or wrong, nobody cares. Just play the hand you’re dealt, let the chip fall where they will, and fuck’em all!’”
(Waving away the vape so CeCe could see BoolZ.)
CeCe; “Brilliant. Inspirational even.”
BoolZ; “Yeah that sounds like something I would say.”
Remi; “True ‘nuff Ya save mah life on dat day. Fact be fact a life a stuffy negoti’aitin woul’ kill me. Or da bullet I’d hav’ta put in mah skull. Save mah life on dat day. Cross wa’ born on dat day. From dare grow ol’ Remi Mon-Roe! Swamplan’ Sup’ahman. Jus’ like playin’ ya han’. Jus’ like settin’ ya sigh’s on ya wan’s. See ya can’t pick wha’ ya wan’, ya jus’ wan’ wha’ da har wan’s. Either way, zero in, take ya shot, an’ don’ nev’r look back.”
CeCe; “Doesn’t sound to hard.”
Remi; “One woul’ t’ink dat, no? But sadly dat’s jus’ not da case. No sir. See much ah’da time da har’ an’ da head don’ agree. Lil girly t’ink she gotta grape fan-ta-see an’ convince ‘erself she like suckin’ on dat dick. But she do not an she don’. No no no! All she real’lee wan’ be ‘er chosen beau ta choose ‘er too, an’ pursue an’ wan’ her wit un-con-trol-able passion. An’ shewan’ make ‘erself more appealing to ‘im so ‘e stick ‘round. Fact be fact much’ah da time peoples don’ really know wha’ dey wan’. But ya save mah life on dat day Ran’y. Ya taugh’ me valuable lesson’s. Now I save ya’ life wit’ da valuable lesson’s I taugh’choo!”
BoolZ; “You taught me? You aint taught me a damn thing, Cross! You played me for a fool and got me kicked from the game!”
Remi; “No. No tha’s not true at’tall! I taught you wha’ ya real’lee wan’ in dis life. You migh’ not like it, o’ wanna ‘mit it, bu’ true is true an’ once ya thin’kit through, ya see’it. Now sure mah methods migh’ maybe be a bit ‘arsh, bu’ ya make real real bad decisions on ya own. So ya gotta learn some’a’dis stuff da ‘ard way.”
(Putting the less than real smoke down and using a candle on the table to light his cancer stick. CeCe doesn’t miss a beat or a chance to try the vape herself.)
BoolZ; “Oh this is gonna be rich. Indulge me. What hard lessens did you teach me?”
Remi; “Well I am so gla’you ax. We gon’ finish up dis lessen den. Ya’ rea’y?”
BoolZ; “Lay it on me.”
(Remi takes off his crossed out glasses, crosses his legs, and leans back into the tall leather chair.)
Remi; “Man to man I’ma get you my answer to wha’ I teach you by lettin’ you figure it ou’, and I’ma use ya answers ta do it.”
(The accent is pulled back. This isn’t the Creole Curse and RBI. This is Remi and Randy. Friend to friend.)
Randy; “Waiting.”
Remi; “Randy I know you. I know you so well an’ ya know I know you so well. I know you know, know beyond a shadow, you wanna help ya kid not make da same mistake you don’ make ya’self, yes. You wan’ keep ‘er from da ring! You don’ ev’ah wan’ be the Travis Roberts to someone else’s BoolZ. You don’ wan’ no one else ta be BoolZ to anoth’ah Ash”
Randy; “Of course.”
Remi; “O’course. Let me ask den, Tilly still wanna wrestle?”
(Puff of smoke. Moment to contemplate.)
Randy; “Yeah.”
Remi; “Wha? How dat be? You wit that lil’girl ev-ver-ree day fo’ tha last five years. You teach ‘er. You show ‘er. You set’ah gleamin’ example ah da shit you is. You showed ev’re one. An’ she still wan’ follow in ya footsteps? How dat be? More importan’ doe, ‘ow dat make ya feel? Shame? Regret? Like ya fail. Again. Or deep down, so deep, so down, so proud. She gon’ do wha she do, rest’ah you all be damn she gone do her. You don’t gotta answer that. I know. An’ so do you. Do answer dis, though. You wan’ love? True blue love. Soul mate. Someone ta grow ol’ wit. Share ya deepes’ secrets. Someone ya can show weakness too. You want that one true love?”
Randy; “Who doesn’t?”
(Flicking the ash to the plush winter green carpet.)
Remi; “*PFFT!* Lotta folk. You one ah’dem. I know dis! You know dis! Because we both know you ‘ad dis. Maddy, and ya let ‘er go. Grace, ya can’t tell me ya didn’t ‘ave ‘er, but ya let ‘er go. Mary…”
Randy; “Mary! You mean the whore you paid for three years to convince me I loved her?”
Remi; “No. Mary the whore I paid an ass load of money to for three years to let you love her, play along, and love ya back! Love ya like Maddy. Look like Grace. Fuck like CeCe! Win, win, win, an’ ya couldn’t ‘elp ya’self but get in da way. You did’in wan’ dat! What you do? What ya do when I, arguably, take two women’s from ya?”
Randy; “Beat the shit out of you.”
Remi; “Yes ya did. Yes ya sure did. Hit me a’hard as I ev’ah been hit.”
CeCe; “Broke your jaw.”
Remi; “Yes he did. I take two, two, not one but two loves ah’yer life from ya an ya beat me up! Wha’ you do when ya find out it was Remi Monroe that got ya blacklisted. When you fine out I tell all dem promoters dat if dey put you on a card then they will never evah put Remi Mon-Roe on a card? What’d you do?”
(It’s a deep sigh from RBI. He rubs his chin like his coming to grips with guilt or maybe fighting the urge to do it all over again.)
Randy; “I stabbed you in the gut.”
(Victorious.)
Remi; “Yeah, ya did. I take the love of ya life away. Twice. An’ ya beat me up. Once. I end ya curse. I reset ya life from ya broken childhood. I set you free from your cage. Release you from the shackles that hold you in perpetual torment, and make it so you never have to worry about falling back in that hole again and you try to kill me.”
(Silence.)
Remi; “Or maybe. Jus’ maybe we got dat backwards.”
(CeCe puts a thick envelope on the table.)
(Silence.)
BoolZ; “What’s that?”
Remi; “That’s a contract. Negotiated by yours truly. Make ya even more money dat ya nev’r gone spend. You wan’ dat freedom. Dat’s wha’ ya wan’ mo’ den anyt’ing else ya wan’ liberation. Your passion be in dat ring. Dat’s where ya belong. Dat’s wha’ ya har’ want.”
(First the first time in a seven years they lock eyes as Remi stands up with CeCe before he puts on his crossed out glasses.)
Remi; “You saved my life twelve years ago. Today I save yours. I’ll be watchin’ you.”
(BoolZ doesn’t wait long after they’re gone. He snatches the contract, gives it a once over, then hurries out the door. A moment later he returns, finds Alicia, gives her back her vape, then together they find a quiet place to practice that lip and suck method she’d mentioned earlier.)
~*~*~Three Days Later~*~*~
(We rejoin the Red Bull Icon in Oceanside California. The air miraculously still smoke free. Well not the immediate air, but in the general sense. We’re at the beach. BoolZ sits on the back bumper of his tricked out custom, and stolen, U-Haul moving van the ‘U-Suk Mobile’. A carne asada burrito in one hand, a Red Bull in the other, and Conni at his feet. It’s sunrise on a new day, and they’re ready to greet it.)
We are not joined by youth, however. Not really. Childish and petulant it’s the same immature pair from the Metro Station. In the daylight and with sober eyes we recognize clearly the couple. He’s Remedy Monroe. The Creole Curse. The Talk of Two Towns and The New Talk of the Town. Slim, built, and confident he stands looking out over the lake. She’s CeCe Freeman-Monroe. Words can’t describe her beauty, so let’s not waste the time.)
CeCe; “We shouldn’t be here. He hates us.”
Remi; “No ‘e don’.”
CeCe; “He stabbed you in the stomach.”
Remi; “Well, maybe ‘e ‘ate me, buh I jus’ so ‘appen ta know dat ‘e be quite fon’ ah you.”
?; “I do not believe he is much of a fan of either of you.”
(Steven Eldritch. The third member of Fors Fortis. Clean shaven, short buzzed hair, striped polo tucked into his jeans, and white Nu Balance sneakers stands in the doorway out to his deck. The Louisiana Lovers turn to meet their friend.)
Remi; “Maybe no’ much-a-fan bu’ a bon’ dat can’ be broke.”
CeCe; “Love what you have done with the place Steve.”
Eldritch; “Steven. And yes, welcome. Glad you just made yourselves at home. Now we just need Nate, and we would have a full blown reunion.”
Remi; “Nate busy.”
~*~*~
(We cut to a somber scene in a hallway. White painted cinder block walls. Greyed and shiny from traffic concrete floor. Brown doors with a small window, a number, and a portal for passing meals. Then a familiar face. Simultaneously bored and hyper vigilant ZAM stands in front of one of the doors obscuring it’s view entirely with his massive back.
He’s joined by a second even bigger if that’s possible man walking down the hall. Dark black skin, tall as tall can be and equally as broad. His skin, hair, beard, teeth, nails, shine of his shoes, and fit of his tailored uniform belie his apparent station in life. This is the gigantic Nathan Dawkins, the fourth and final member of Fors Fortis.)
Nate; “She talk yet?”
ZAM; “Nope. And nothing of interest happened. Brennen should be here at 8.”
Nate; “Alright then. Get up. Get out.”
(And with that ZAM once again strolls out of a prison. It’s truly his favorite part of the day. Into the cell door Nate greets it’s occupant.)
Nate; “Gislaine Maxwell! How your day been, baby?”
(We can hear the scramble. The hurried panicked footsteps across the six by six foot cell.)
Gislaine; “Nate? Is that you Nate? Please, please, Remi said he would help me!”
Nate; “Remi is helping you. This is the best place to be right now. One way in with ZAM, Brennen, and myself keeping it closed. You wouldn’t want to get Epstein’ed.”
Gislaine; “Yeah, one way in.”
Nate; “Two way’s out though. Where’s that list?”
Gislaine; “I’m not stupid Nate. I give up that list and I never see you again. Back to regular and desperate crooked guards.”
Nate; “You give up that list and the names on it will have other things to worry about than your health.”
Gislaine; “Yeah, Remi. We should all worry about Remi.”
~*~*~
(Back on the patio.)
Remi; “’E look good, yeah?”
Eldritch; “No. He really does not.”
(From our vantage point we turn to see what the three of them have been watching. In the distance on the shoreline stands the first member of Fors Fortis. The Red Bull Icon. Randy Boolzian. With him is Eldritch’s niece, born of her uncles’ sister and unknown father, Matilda. Tilly. All she’s ever known was her uncle and his friends and her overwhelming dream to one day share stories like theirs. Why not? She already shares the same skunk spot beauty mark in her hair as BoolZ.)
Remi; “’E sleep?”
Eldritch; “One could call it that. Nap would be more appropriate.”
Remi; “Eat?”
Eldritch; “Yeah. Not enough though. Just Red Bull and cigarettes.”
CeCe; “And women, right? Lots of them. Kept in shape I hope?”
Eldritch; “Randy is who he is, and he had to do something after you got him locked out of the business.”
Remi; “Eh was fo’ ‘is own good.”
Eldritch; “I am sure he will see it that way. This was your idea. Let’s go.”
(Eldritch leads the way as CeCe hands Remi a cup to slip into his pants. She taps on whatever form a rigid body armor is covering his torso. He puts in the mouth guard. And then they follow Eldritch.)
~*~*~
(Our scene shifts now. We’re not entirely sure where we are. Are we in a restaurant? Are we in a smoke lounge? Country Club? There are three things that are distinctly clear, however. The money in this room is immense for one. Real top shelf stuff. Second, the very pretty face like an angel with a body built for sin brunette is making eyes with BoolZ. And lastly there is tension. So much tension at the table. BoolZ sits on one side with Remi and CeCe on the other. Neither saying a word as Alicia, the brunette, takes a second empty wine bottle from CeCe before placing a third on the small table.
She notices BoolZ pullout a pack of Marlboro Blend 27 cigarettes and his Zippo.)
Alicia; “Oh sir…”
BoolZ; “…”
(They make eye contact as BoolZ slowly puts the cigarette in his mouth and flicks his Zippo. No spark. The tiniest little piece of flint falls free.)
Alicia; “You really should try the vape instead.”
BoolZ; “Ah, no I ordered the veal.”
Alicia; “Here.”
(The perky pretty little lady produces a small box mod and a smaller bottle of light amber fluid.)
Alicia; “Try this. There’s the button. Just put it in your lips, press the button, and suck.”
BoolZ; “Oh, role reversal already?”
Alicia; “Maybe we’ll trade roles again a little later. You can borrow that til then though.”
(She saunters off to the back making sure to look back at RBI before entering the staging area. Remi leans over to a slightly, and growing more so, inebriated CeCe.)
Remi; “I ev’a tell ya ‘ow we met?”
CeCe; “I know how we met!”
Remi; “No, no, me an’ BoolZy. Ran’y you rememb’ah?”
(Paying the Bayou Bitch no mind BoolZ takes a long drag from the vape and exhales a smokestacks worth of cloud into the room.)
BoolZ; “Tastes sweet. Like, like, kinda like flat Red Bull.”
(BoolZ is fixated on this little magic paper weight and examines it further.)
Remi; “’Course ‘e ‘memb’ah. I was in’a Japan. Lan’ ah da risin’ sun. Been dare ‘bout two mon’s an’ no’ a damn thin’ I do workin’. I try dem dare mask. I try da make-ups. I try changin’ mah gear, mah music, mah entrance, mah moves, ‘ell I don’ change ev’re’ting I coul’ change. Yes I did. An’ it all sho’ did fail. Ent’ah ta chirpy chirpy crickets. So I’m a’mah wits en’! ‘Bout rea’y ta move ‘ome an’ pursue a career as’a senator. Ah Don’ know wha’ ta do, an’ one day I’m sittin’ on dat bench aft’ah a bad bad nigh’, an’ who shoul’ sit dow’ nex’ ta me? Ya ‘memb’ah? Ya ‘memb’ah wha’ ya say ta me a’most twelve years a-go ta’day?”
(Barely paying attention the Red Bull Icon exhales a plume of vape from his nostrils, recoils, and starts wiping the water from under his nose.)
BoolZ; “Whatever it was I should have kept my mouth shut.”
Remi; “Buh ya did’in an’ da res’ be ‘istory.”
CeCe; “What he say!?!”
Remi; “’E say ta me. ‘Kid you gotta stop trying to fit in and start standing out. Good or bad, right or wrong, nobody cares. Just play the hand you’re dealt, let the chip fall where they will, and fuck’em all!’”
(Waving away the vape so CeCe could see BoolZ.)
CeCe; “Brilliant. Inspirational even.”
BoolZ; “Yeah that sounds like something I would say.”
Remi; “True ‘nuff Ya save mah life on dat day. Fact be fact a life a stuffy negoti’aitin woul’ kill me. Or da bullet I’d hav’ta put in mah skull. Save mah life on dat day. Cross wa’ born on dat day. From dare grow ol’ Remi Mon-Roe! Swamplan’ Sup’ahman. Jus’ like playin’ ya han’. Jus’ like settin’ ya sigh’s on ya wan’s. See ya can’t pick wha’ ya wan’, ya jus’ wan’ wha’ da har wan’s. Either way, zero in, take ya shot, an’ don’ nev’r look back.”
CeCe; “Doesn’t sound to hard.”
Remi; “One woul’ t’ink dat, no? But sadly dat’s jus’ not da case. No sir. See much ah’da time da har’ an’ da head don’ agree. Lil girly t’ink she gotta grape fan-ta-see an’ convince ‘erself she like suckin’ on dat dick. But she do not an she don’. No no no! All she real’lee wan’ be ‘er chosen beau ta choose ‘er too, an’ pursue an’ wan’ her wit un-con-trol-able passion. An’ shewan’ make ‘erself more appealing to ‘im so ‘e stick ‘round. Fact be fact much’ah da time peoples don’ really know wha’ dey wan’. But ya save mah life on dat day Ran’y. Ya taugh’ me valuable lesson’s. Now I save ya’ life wit’ da valuable lesson’s I taugh’choo!”
BoolZ; “You taught me? You aint taught me a damn thing, Cross! You played me for a fool and got me kicked from the game!”
Remi; “No. No tha’s not true at’tall! I taught you wha’ ya real’lee wan’ in dis life. You migh’ not like it, o’ wanna ‘mit it, bu’ true is true an’ once ya thin’kit through, ya see’it. Now sure mah methods migh’ maybe be a bit ‘arsh, bu’ ya make real real bad decisions on ya own. So ya gotta learn some’a’dis stuff da ‘ard way.”
(Putting the less than real smoke down and using a candle on the table to light his cancer stick. CeCe doesn’t miss a beat or a chance to try the vape herself.)
BoolZ; “Oh this is gonna be rich. Indulge me. What hard lessens did you teach me?”
Remi; “Well I am so gla’you ax. We gon’ finish up dis lessen den. Ya’ rea’y?”
BoolZ; “Lay it on me.”
(Remi takes off his crossed out glasses, crosses his legs, and leans back into the tall leather chair.)
Remi; “Man to man I’ma get you my answer to wha’ I teach you by lettin’ you figure it ou’, and I’ma use ya answers ta do it.”
(The accent is pulled back. This isn’t the Creole Curse and RBI. This is Remi and Randy. Friend to friend.)
Randy; “Waiting.”
Remi; “Randy I know you. I know you so well an’ ya know I know you so well. I know you know, know beyond a shadow, you wanna help ya kid not make da same mistake you don’ make ya’self, yes. You wan’ keep ‘er from da ring! You don’ ev’ah wan’ be the Travis Roberts to someone else’s BoolZ. You don’ wan’ no one else ta be BoolZ to anoth’ah Ash”
Randy; “Of course.”
Remi; “O’course. Let me ask den, Tilly still wanna wrestle?”
(Puff of smoke. Moment to contemplate.)
Randy; “Yeah.”
Remi; “Wha? How dat be? You wit that lil’girl ev-ver-ree day fo’ tha last five years. You teach ‘er. You show ‘er. You set’ah gleamin’ example ah da shit you is. You showed ev’re one. An’ she still wan’ follow in ya footsteps? How dat be? More importan’ doe, ‘ow dat make ya feel? Shame? Regret? Like ya fail. Again. Or deep down, so deep, so down, so proud. She gon’ do wha she do, rest’ah you all be damn she gone do her. You don’t gotta answer that. I know. An’ so do you. Do answer dis, though. You wan’ love? True blue love. Soul mate. Someone ta grow ol’ wit. Share ya deepes’ secrets. Someone ya can show weakness too. You want that one true love?”
Randy; “Who doesn’t?”
(Flicking the ash to the plush winter green carpet.)
Remi; “*PFFT!* Lotta folk. You one ah’dem. I know dis! You know dis! Because we both know you ‘ad dis. Maddy, and ya let ‘er go. Grace, ya can’t tell me ya didn’t ‘ave ‘er, but ya let ‘er go. Mary…”
Randy; “Mary! You mean the whore you paid for three years to convince me I loved her?”
Remi; “No. Mary the whore I paid an ass load of money to for three years to let you love her, play along, and love ya back! Love ya like Maddy. Look like Grace. Fuck like CeCe! Win, win, win, an’ ya couldn’t ‘elp ya’self but get in da way. You did’in wan’ dat! What you do? What ya do when I, arguably, take two women’s from ya?”
Randy; “Beat the shit out of you.”
Remi; “Yes ya did. Yes ya sure did. Hit me a’hard as I ev’ah been hit.”
CeCe; “Broke your jaw.”
Remi; “Yes he did. I take two, two, not one but two loves ah’yer life from ya an ya beat me up! Wha’ you do when ya find out it was Remi Monroe that got ya blacklisted. When you fine out I tell all dem promoters dat if dey put you on a card then they will never evah put Remi Mon-Roe on a card? What’d you do?”
(It’s a deep sigh from RBI. He rubs his chin like his coming to grips with guilt or maybe fighting the urge to do it all over again.)
Randy; “I stabbed you in the gut.”
(Victorious.)
Remi; “Yeah, ya did. I take the love of ya life away. Twice. An’ ya beat me up. Once. I end ya curse. I reset ya life from ya broken childhood. I set you free from your cage. Release you from the shackles that hold you in perpetual torment, and make it so you never have to worry about falling back in that hole again and you try to kill me.”
(Silence.)
Remi; “Or maybe. Jus’ maybe we got dat backwards.”
(CeCe puts a thick envelope on the table.)
(Silence.)
BoolZ; “What’s that?”
Remi; “That’s a contract. Negotiated by yours truly. Make ya even more money dat ya nev’r gone spend. You wan’ dat freedom. Dat’s wha’ ya wan’ mo’ den anyt’ing else ya wan’ liberation. Your passion be in dat ring. Dat’s where ya belong. Dat’s wha’ ya har’ want.”
(First the first time in a seven years they lock eyes as Remi stands up with CeCe before he puts on his crossed out glasses.)
Remi; “You saved my life twelve years ago. Today I save yours. I’ll be watchin’ you.”
(BoolZ doesn’t wait long after they’re gone. He snatches the contract, gives it a once over, then hurries out the door. A moment later he returns, finds Alicia, gives her back her vape, then together they find a quiet place to practice that lip and suck method she’d mentioned earlier.)
~*~*~Three Days Later~*~*~
(We rejoin the Red Bull Icon in Oceanside California. The air miraculously still smoke free. Well not the immediate air, but in the general sense. We’re at the beach. BoolZ sits on the back bumper of his tricked out custom, and stolen, U-Haul moving van the ‘U-Suk Mobile’. A carne asada burrito in one hand, a Red Bull in the other, and Conni at his feet. It’s sunrise on a new day, and they’re ready to greet it.)
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