Old Scars, Chapter 4: Part 4.2

Page 94

Panel 1: A two-part set of panels that goes back to Grem as he finishes tying up the unfinished ADU work with a strong rope as the questions fly by.

PO

(Cont., Off-Panel) Is she your sister? Former companion?

T

(Off-Panel) Some type of long lost cousin?

Panel 2: In the second part, he quickly goes back to his feet with the answer tinged with an emotional pain that's barely being held together as he speaks.

GREM

She was my fiance! Long, long time ago now...

Panel 3: T and Po look on with stunned glances at the revelation, trying to bubble up some type of response to it.

T

But- that's not possible. The photo was dated December 1839. If that were true, it'd make you...

GREM

(Off-Panel) 126 years young, give or take.

PO

...How the hell is that even possible?!

Panel 4: Back to Mr. Allen a few beats later; the setting and layout similar to Panel 2. You can see his body language mellowing slightly as he speaks, though with a touch of defensiveness.

GREM

(Cont., explanatory) It's a long story, filled with action and heartbreak and Egyptian magic that brought me to my current state. There's also a lot of stuff involving...

GREM

(Bubble 2) OF COURSE NOT! I...my dear sweet Margaret was gone long before I began to build the Emerald Isle. Her memory is one of those pure, precious things I hold on to as a reminder of life's beauty and...

Panel 5: Po fires back with a question that pops up amidst the first barrage of Grem's response from the previous panel.

PO

(interjecting) So, you left this woman to die in order to live forever?

Panel 6: Action shot of the immortal Irishman storming out of the living room a second later; his eyes quickly growing red with the flow of tears.

GREM

My apologies...I need a minute!

Page 95

Panel 1: In front of the apartment, we see Grem looking out at the stars as he wipes off a bit of tears that streamed by. In the background, you can see the light from the opened door coming from T joining him.

Panel 2: Same setting as the previous panel, though with a wider layout as T moves alongside the immortal Irishman, ready to exchange his photo of Margaret; his hand out to receive said photo.

T

What was her name?

GREM

Margaret.

T

(Bubble 2) How did she die, if I may ask?

GREM

(Bubble 2) Cholera, same as my parents. Never stops hurting, truth be told.

T

(Bubble 3) I understand. How did you guys meet?

Panel 3: Close-up on Grem's face continuing on with the rest of the story. You can see the glints of love and pain flash in his eyes as he speaks.

GREM

I was 14 when I began to see her in a romantic light, 15 when I had the bloody courage to ask her.

GREM

(Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 4, Bubble 1) Was the end goal, aye. Then the Gods and the bloody Famine dropped by and...

Panel 4: You can see the sympathy in T's eyes, listening to the story as a whole; a glint of tears beginning to form.

T

Were you guys ever husband and wife or--?

T

(Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 3, Bubble 2) My sympathies.

Panel 5: He looks back at the photo with renewed melancholy as he finishes the rest of his thought from Panel 3.

GREM

Cheers! Over the years, I've come to accept the deep pain and absolute beauty that existed within those handful of years. It grounds me to the uniqueness of life, the universe...makes sure I don't get too big for my britches!

Panel 6: T looks on with understanding and a bit of a playful smirk visible in their response.

T

I respect the logic. Not gonna lie though, when I first met you...I never would've pegged any of this.

T

(Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 7, Bubble 1) Genius playboy with a wide string of female admirers.

Panel 7: Back to Grem glancing over with a matching playful energy that T displayed in the previous panel.

GREM

What did you "peg" me for?

GREM

(Bubble 2; reacting to Panel 6, Bubble 2) HA HA HA...fairly accurate, on my best day. And my second best.