Ghede: Guerrier Extraordinaire #1: Pages 1-2
Page 1, 6 Panels- Corinne’s, Southwest Port-au-Prince, Haiti: January 20, 2015
Panel 1: We open one evening to the outside of a local drinking establishment, located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, Cite Soleil. With exception to the circular sign with the metal arrangement spelling "Corrine's," given its weathered exterior design, it could be mistaken for any other type of weathered, bruised building throughout the city and the country that was affected by the 2010 earthquake. Seated next to the entrance is a young panhandler playing "Cimalo" from his '50s styled auburn-colored Les Paul guitar as a shadowy figure walks past him inside. Panel 2: Cut to an interior shot of the bar, where we see our titular heroine GHEDE burst through the saloon-styled wooden doors inside. The traditional folk music outside blends innocently with the modern hip-hop playing from the unseen ceiling speakers. Her bright silver eyes stand out from the rest of her jet black physique, which is decidedly androgynous. Panel 3: We move to an action shot, showing the faceless spectre as she makes her way to the bar area in the background. You can see the bartender (an angelic figure with light brown skin and angelic wings), mixing a drink for one of the supernatural customers (a 7-foot gray ogre with a slump in workman's clothing) seated next to a deathly thin gremlin already deep in his brew. ANGEL BARTENDER [glancing to Ghede, smiling; translating from Creole]: Ghede... GHEDE [translated from Creole]: Cor! Panel 4: Slight close-up a few moments later of Ghede sitting down at one of the empty bar stools to the left of the bar counter. You can see the bartender Corrine walking over to her, ready to take her order. In the background, you can also see one of the human customers (a hefty man with gaudy clothes in his mid-20s) looking at the two of them as they speak. CORINNE [translated from Creole]: It's been awhile since I saw that beautiful face of yours. How goes things? GHEDE [sighs; translated from Creole]: Sweaty...sore. But ultimately good. Panel 5: Same setting/layout as the previous panel where we see the two friends chatting it up with the same convivial nature befitting the bartender and a favored regular. As for the person leering at them in the background, we see now that he is visibly drunk. The top half of his body tipping forward toward Ghede without her or Corinne noticing. GHEDE [Cont., rubbing her left side with her right hand]: The giant spiders and their winged Mohsknas provided some intriguing sport for me and my Avalonian compatriots, though the humans of Hamburg might disagree. Now... DRUNK [translated from French]: You--You're one'a'em... Panel 6: We move the focus up from the two supernatural ladies toward a proper shot of the Drunk Straggler as he approaches Ghede. He's wearing a baggy white jacket, opened up to show a red t-shirt with the logo of Real Madrid on the center of it. There's the usual sense of entitlement and baseless bravado apparent on his face and his loose body language as he speaks. DRUNK STRAGGLER [Cont., accusatory]: Those, uh...Pasty Gods from the Gahrdian! The ones who trashed London up… Page 2, 6 Panels- Corinne’s, Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince
Panel 1: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. The bravado of the young Straggler has now shifted toward one of seething anger. His hand just beginning to grip the top of the bottle, armed with every intention to use it as a weapon.
DRUNK STRAGGLER [Cont.]: If ya’are, I gotta ask, beeyahtch…are ya male or female?
Panel 2: Close-up on the man, a second after Ghede slides off the stool, recognizing the scent of the young man before he can go into battle. As for the bottle, it is firmly in his left hand, rising just above the metal banister next to him.
DRUNK STRAGGLER [brewing in drunk rage]: Just curious about how much joy I’m gonna get outa this!
Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. Action shot of the young man thrusting the bottle back toward the counter to finally smash the bottom of it. It’s stopped before it can be achieved, however, by the edge of one of Corinne’s wings. The Straggler looks over to Cor with shock and a sudden jolt of fear as to what may happen.
GHEDE [Off-Panel; to Corrine, in English]: I’ll take care of this, Cor…
Panel 4: Cut to Ghede in the middle of a step toward the Drunk. You can see a little glow of orange in the irises of her silver eyes. Every scrap of her body language showing that she is in fact ready to reciprocate the intention to fight, though not without a discussion.
GHEDE [passive aggressive, switching to French]: Actually, I’m not a God or Goddess, though I have lived just as long as many of them on this little pebble of a planet.
Panel 5: Same setting as the previous panel. The layout widens slightly to take in more of the Straggler, whose back is seen at this point, as he listens. Corinne looks on, along with some of the others seated at the bar around them.
GHEDE [Cont., adding a touch of confidence]: As such, with my powers, I can do a lot of things to those squishy pile of rotted sausage meats who attempt to get on my bad side without those…pesky moral hangups!
Panel 6: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. Her left hand has touched the top of his forearm as she stands a couple of steps from the young man. The balance of confidence and rage is still firmly evident as it was in Panel 5.
GHEDE [looking down at the Drunk Straggler’s eyes]: I could slip in, drag you into the middle of a street, and calmly slide out just as a car comes by and turns you into red goo…