James Brighton Society, Chapter 1: Pages 1-2

Page 1, 5 Panels- Columbia Heights, Washington D.C., December 24th, 1943 Panel 1: We open on a shot of the Columbia Heights section of Washington, D.C. in the middle of the night. There is a great deal of peace in the air at that moment, with the skies around filled with both military scouting dirigibles as well as those used by the city for public transit (or PT dirigibles). All as snow starts to fall down on the tiny buildings and indescript people below traveling homeward at the same moment. You can see in between a couple of dirigibles an aircraft starting to move toward the reader. CAPTION: Washington D.C. December 24th, 1943 GREM [narrating Caption]: Gods, I hate the Wintertime! The cold, the ice, the fact the world shuts right the hell down whenever it's snowing out. Also how there's always a pale pitch in the air that reminds me way too much of home...in a bad way. One moment in particular that you may or may not know about, depending on where you're from- an Gorta Mór...the Great Hunger! Panel 2: Cut to a close-up of the ship that we saw far in the distance in the previous panel, the Emerald Isle. The man seated at the helm is one GREM ALLEN. He's a youthful looking fellow who appears to be twentysomething with wavy blonde hair, a wiry athletic build, and blue eyes that denote decades more experience than he puts on. He's wearing a white work shirt with long sleeves that appear to be partially soaked with sweat from a long few days of work as well as a necklace with a single key, weathered over the years but still in solid condition. Underneath that is a green shamrock vest that is as fresh and clean as the day it was bought by all appearances. GREM [Cont. caption]: Over a million of my countrymen were wiped off the face of the planet by starvation or typhus in a matter of just 7 years. My parents and my dear Margaret were among the dead. I left in search of an elixir to give me immortality, to help beat Death and ensure that I can experience all that humanity can. And after a year of great adventure I did it, thanks to some fortuitous Egyptian magic (and the work of a dear mecha friend), though the Reaper was not entirely beaten. Panel 3-4: A two-part set of panels taken from the same setting as the previous panel, albeit with a slight change in layout as it goes toward the side. In Panel 3, we see Grem reach with his left hand (as the right holds on to the side of the oval steering column) and presses on to a non-visible button near the middle section of the right. In the next panel, you can see the work shirt come to life with its auto-clean function, which sparks a cringing pain somewhere on his body. As this all goes on, you can see the background change to compensate for the Isle's entrance into downtown D.C. GREM [Caption, Panel 3]: I can heal quickly and, thank the blessed Gods, I've got my youthful good looks at 120 years young. But I can still feel pain, still get cut and bleed near death badly long enough. I'm guessing it's her way to get that final laugh in at the crafty mortal who beat her, which if that's the case... ROBOTIC VOICE [from the shirt, Panel 3]: Self-Clean Mode activated. GREM [Cont. caption, Panel 4]: I'll happily fucking take! Panel 5: Same setting/layout as Panel 2. A few minutes pass by, and the Self-Clean Mode has come and gone. In the background, to the sides of the ship's view, you can see a little more of the buildings involved in closer view in the downtown area. You can also see mroe of the snowy night sky immediately behind him as he speaks. GREM [Caption]: As much as I bitch about the Winter, however, there are some enjoyable parts to it like Christmas coming up tomorrow. There's also those moments of keeping warm with a lovely woman in the bedroom or, on occasion, the dining room or living area. Page 2, 5 Panels: The Cloak Room, Washington D.C. Panel 1: Cut to a street-level shot of the bar he's flying to, the Cloak Room. We see the Isle landing on a section of the street now covered with a few inches of snow, right between a couple of cars that have already been parked to the left and right of the panel view. You can see through the windows to the bar bright sections of red and yellow and black as well as a lot of commotion emanating from inside. GREM [Cont., Caption]: Then of course, there's my personal favorite... Panel 2: Action shot moments later from within the pub, showing Mr. Allen step inside with the right door slamming open. A gust of snowflakes slide inside behind him as he slips a metal piece of paper into his messenger bag. In the background, you can hear the sounds of uproarious big band music playing on the radio, echoing through every inch of the bar. GREM [Cont.]: The Cloak Room! Panel 3-5: A three-part set of panels showing a set of action shots, tracking Grem moving throughout the interior of the pub toward the bar area. Each one forms a full picture of the type of clientele that stay in there- a mix of locals and government workers as well as the occasional Mecha and visiting soldiers and generals there on Leave. He slips his hand into the messenger bag and pulls out a notebook and pen out of it. As in Panel 2, you can hear the booming harmonies of the music playing from the radio as he thinks. GREM [Panel 3]: One of the few bars in the eastern seaboard who welcome all kinds, from humans to Mechas to the occasional faeries, one of which I had a brief fling with one New Year's after I went to America. First time I've ever had sex upside down on a ceiling...really fun (once we moved away from the ceiling fan! GREM [Cont., Panel 4]: They're also the only pub in the whole country, by my guess, that isn't owned by humans. A Mecha and a troll from Gibraltar, to be exact. Nice folks...give me free beer for life after I took out a couple of anti-Mecha assholes a few years back. GREM [Cont., Panel 5]: I use the place sometimes as a nice spot to unwind after work or after helping some protesters (like I did tonight). I also stop by if I want to get smashed and doodle a bit. It's a good life, all things considered. Not that I don't miss some people though...