RC at The SEA: Pt2-Beginning at The Beginning…

And so it was that on the first POST-DUCKIN’TALES session, RC THE STORYTELLER settled down and commenced with an interwoven series of stories… Read on! —The Gang

[click here for Part 1]

Ready For This ??

Let’s do this!

FADE IN:

INT. WESTSIDE BREW PUB – RC’S CORNER

The crowd has gathered around the usual spot. As the music fades, RC steps up.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Well, guys… Great to see you… and honestly… Came this close (motioning with his fingers) to pulling the plug altogether — taking off for a few…

He shakes his head as he paces back and forth.

RC THE STORYTELLER
But then…

RC makes the DING!THING motion, thumb top of head and pinky pointing to the sky.

RC THE STORYTELLER
It clicked… (pauses). So without further ado, let’s get started, shall we.

AUDIENCE IN UNISON
Yes, please!

RC THE STORYTELLER
Not so long ago, at a CAFE not so far away…

RC channels the style of radio plays from the past as he presents the story — He narrates and then adapts a different tone of voice for the various characters.
Notable: Off to the side is a CLOCK which he glances at from time-to-time while scanning his audience.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. JEDEMI CAFE

It’s another Wednesday afternoon at the Jedemi Cafe where KATIE (formerly known as THE SUIT), is sitting at her window seat scribbling away. On her table is her iPad and a comb bound script-
like document.

Katie seems to be in a nice rhythm this day, as thoughts flow effortlessly into her JOURNAL.

However, something causes her to stop… Something she feels almost …like she’s being watched. So she pauses, looks around and speaks softly.

I can’t see you, but I know you’re here…

KATIE
I can’t see you, but I know you’re here…

Katie eyes her iPad (AKA SLABBY THING) and opens it up to her drawing app. Stylus in left hand, she is poised but seems not quite ready to make the first strokes.

Then she hears a VOICE.

VOICE
Seriously…? Like O-M-G! Whatcha waiting for? Been watching you for weeks here… and like… What’s the dealio?

Katie calmly stands to stretch and looks around trying to place the VOICE.

KATIE
That voice… Not the regulars. I know them. I mean… though they could have more buddies, but…

She lets that thought just sorta hang as she sits back down. Her movement causes her chair to slide a bit –making a scraping sound which is immediately followed by a howling.

VOICE
E-e-e-e-e-y-y-a-a-a-o-o-o-w-w-w-w! Watch it, Toots!

KATIE
Who ya callin’ Toots? And better yet, who the heck are you?

VOICE
They call me MR SQUEEK (pause)

Katie follows the voice to below her chair.

VOICE
That’s right… down here. Now can I join you so we can talk eye-to-eye, Lady?

KATIE
Sure… why not?

With that, Mr Squeek hops up on the chair opposite Katie. And what she sees is a fantastic looking CAT.

KATIE
Wait a minute… I know you… Aren’t you…? (pause)
DOORKAT, right? The good luck cat at the front door?

Mr Squeek winks which catches Katie off guard.

KATIE
You can wink? Wow! I take that as a ‘yes.’ Huh… I also noticed…
You’re raking it in aren’t ya?

MR SQUEEK
What? Oh… you mean the dish? Really wasn’t the intent, but hey… I little extra coinage and “billage” never hurts. A kitty’s gotta eat… and relying on scraps… well…

Shakes head.

KATIE
Gotcha Mr Squeek. So not to be blunt or anything… but what brings you to my table this day?

MR SQUEEK
Well… I’m curious…

KATIE
Yes, a curious cat… shocked I am… but please go on…

MR SQUEEK
Enlighten me. What are you trying to do with that SLABBY THING you’ve been bringing with you?

KATIE
Slabby? Why do you guys keep calling it a… Never mind. (under her breath) Accept… Flex-n-Flo…

A DragonBustR Mantra…

MR SQUEEK
Well?

KATIE
I’ve got a really cool app on it that let’s me draw stuff which I can upload to my computer to insert into blog posts and other things I’m creating.

MR SQUEEK
Oh… Wow! Sounds useful. So now… how ‘bout explaining why I haven’t seen you actually… drawing stuff to upload. All you seem to do is stare at it with that thingie in your hand… like ready to go, then no-go.

Katie gives Mr Squeek a look… Studying him carefully as she’s about to respond, but the words don’t come out.

MR SQUEEK
Yeah… busted. So, like… what’s up?

Getting started. Not so easy…

KATIE
Getting started… Not so easy. Maybe, I’m overthinking it…

MR SQUEEK
Ya think? It’s drawing… like you’ve been doing it since you were a small child, right? Not rocket surgery.

KATIE
Rocket what?

MR SQUEEK
Please to continue.

KATIE
Well its just that… those little dragons in my head are like… what the hell? You really think you can draw? Put that down and move on!

MR SQUEEK
Kick their ass! Come on now, I know you can and you have, so…

KATIE
How do you…? Okay, perhaps easier said than done… The funny thing is… I’ve been working on this DragonBustR stuff for a while…

MR SQUEEK
Which is… a plan of attack or something?

KATIE
Calling it a FRAMEWORK for now and it needs to be tested driven by others, but that’s a story for a different day.

MR SQUEEK
You’re right about that as today I plan on continuing the pestering of you regarding the slabby thing you got there. Gotta know… Is there something in particular you want to draw and upload?

KATIE
Don’t laugh, but I see my eyes… manga-style storytelling… Started reading the Dragon Ball series during the shutdown and kept at it. Felt like a visual take on “The Hero’s Journey” which was way cool. Plus, that style plays well in Thumb Scroll-Mode on your phone…

DragonBall Journey…

She pauses to see if Mr Squeek is following and then flips open the iPad with stylus in hand and starts drawing.

MR SQUEEK
Ha! You’re napkining! There you go. A way to get yourself started!

Katie smiles and nods.

KATIE
Hold on. Let me save it to my DropBox.

MR SQUEEK
If I’m reading this correctly, you are building off the stories you already created — The Jedemi Chronicles — and are going for something that’s like… more accessible.

The original stories…

KATIE
Yes, and… Theoretically, a lot faster to produce. It took me friggin’ forever to write the launch trilogy and …

CUT TO:

INT. WESTSIDE BREW PUB – STANDER IN THE CORNER

KATIE, the former Suit and her husband THE GEAR GUY, are at a STANDER TABLE (tall cocktail-type) listening. He nudges her and they whisper back and forth.

GEAR GUY
Your story? Did you…?

KATIE
To make this work… to get him over the bump… it’s okay. He’s doing fantastic.

GEAR GUY
But…

KATIE
The audience doesn’t know its me, so … it’s okay. Now shhh!! He’s looking this way.

CUT TO:

INT. WESTSIDE BREW PUB

RC THE STORYTELLER

Putting this story on pause…

Gear Guy and Katie look at each other.

KATIE
Now you did it…

RC points to the CLOCK in the corner.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Have you ever watched… er, experienced a TED TALK?

There’s some murmuring.

RC THE STORYTELLER
The speakers are on-the-clock… presentations are 18 minutes or less.

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
Yes, and…

RC THE STORYTELLER
I’m… experimenting here. Figuring out the material — how much of the story I can tell in that timeframe while also allowing for this bantering back and forth thing we do… So, please work with me.

AUDIENCE IN UNISON
Gotcha!

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
Okay… Sure… Let’s go!

AUDIENCE IN UNISON
WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT. ??

Katie whispers to Gear Guy.

KATIE
Good. He’s managing expectations.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Okay… now where was I?

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
Girl at table. Slabby thing. Answering the questions posed to her by… a CAT.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Right! … And not just any ol’ neighborhood cat… Talkin’ MR SQUEEK THE DOORKAT.

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
Rollem’ buddy… On the clock, right?

The audience laughs.

RC THE STORYTELLER
So it seems that Mr Squeek got himself an earful from Ms KATIE. The point being, she’s been pondering a different kind of format for storytelling.

KATIE
Working name I’ve given the style is “ZukaYama Manga” as it is a kinda of mashup style that can’t be easily classified in an Amazon listing.

ZukaYama Storytelling…

MR SQUEEK
Let me see if I understand… You’ve taken inspiration from Toriyama’s Dragon Ball and Dr Slump, thus the YAMA, and before him, the ASTRO BOY creator Godfather Tezuka, thus the ZUKA to create this new style of…

KATIE
Storytelling… yeah. Work in progress and I guess… maybe I visualized it so far that I got myself stuck getting started.

MR SQUEEK
Aha! I think I understand.

He gently taps her on the shoulder. Then he motions.

MR SQUEEK
Do me a favor Ms…

KATIE
Katie…

MR SQUEEK
Put the stylus down. Put the pencil down and snap that Journal of yours shut.

KATIE
Huh?

MR SQUEEK
Your work here today, is done. Let’s get some air before that TIMER of yours goes off.

KATIE
You know about the timer?

Mr Squeek nods.

MR SQUEEK
Don’t miss much around here.

DISSOLVE TO:
INT. WESTSIDE BREW PUB

RC stops and studies the audience.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Guys… This IS a good stopping point.

The murmuring starts up.

RC THE STORYTELLER
I know. I know. But I got something for you.

On sheet that is strung between a couple of trees near where RC is speaking, is projected some words. Looks like words on a napkin.

RC points.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Some of you may know this already. For others, the concept is new.

NAPKIN
You learn to swim in the winter and skate in the summer…

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
Sounds familiar…

RC THE STORYTELLER
Stumbled upon it… Rollo May’s book, Courage to Create. And HE was quoting a gentleman named William James… who was quoting someone else apparently.

LISTENER IN THE SHADOWS
The idea’s been kicking around for a while. William James was like… Turn of last century.

RC THE STORYTELLER
Funny how early 1900s are still relevant…
Anyway, next week… heck… make that in the next several weeks, you’ll hear and experience what that is about…

Applause breaks out. RC bows and someone hands him his favorite beverage…