["Mean" Jean Carter] Turning Off the Lights
Dec 19, 2011 23:02:53 GMT -5
Post by motosada on Dec 19, 2011 23:02:53 GMT -5
We open to the office of OG-Joshi Coach "Mean" Jean Carter, now nearly empty. The filing cabinets are deserted, the beautiful desk gone, pictures of friends, Champions, and both having been taken down days ago, leaving only a discoloration on the walls as a reminder of their presence. Two coats and a purse hang on a stand by the door. The office chair remains, one of those overly-fancy Sharper Image-style affairs, packed with more buttons and doo-dads that most computers. Jean Carter remains, too, sulking in said chair. She breathes deep, taking a moment to just stare off into space.
A knock at the door stirs her.
"Come in," she says, dropping from her listlessness and sitting upright with a smile when she sees that it's Luke Kisiera coming in.
"Hey," he says, just barely walking into the room. "They're getting ready to shut the power off."
Jean nods. "Okay," she says, but not really feeling okay. She stands up, fighting a compulsion to walk around the area where the desk no longer resides. "I just needed another look around. I just wanted to remember this place. And maybe remember when the movers came to get my desk and pictures and everything!" she laughs.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about that. Something tells me that's all inventoried and will be going with us," Luke says, patting his pockets.
"Good! I liked that desk!"
"It is a pretty (big) desk."
Jean sighs, longingly. "I'm going to miss all this. Tonight was a great ending to what I did here... but I wish it didn't have to end."
"I think Visper put it best, Jean," Luke says, as he puts his arm around her. "She said, 'Life doesn't end at Immortal; it begins.' And she's right."
"I know. And I'm happy our life can finally, really begin."
They share a smile, and Luke grabs their coats, helping Jean put hers on. She grabs her purse, slings it on her shoulder, and looks back at the room. Another deep, contemplative, longing breath is exhaled, a wide smile crosses her face, and she turns the lights to her office off for the past time.
They leave the room, Luke shutting the door behind them. He reaches up to the placard on the door which reads "Coach Carter, Head of OG-Joshi Op." and puts it in a pocket before taking Jean's hand.
A few steps afterward, Luke stops dead in his tracks, causing Jean to squeak with surprise. "Wait! I almost forgot! Visper wanted you to have this!"
Luke reaches into a pocket. And keeps reaching. It's a pretty deep pocket, apparently. "Ah-hah!" he exclaims as he pulls from his crazy pocket a letter. It's a "C". "... Wrong letter."
Luke tosses the "C" and reaches into a different pocket, this time quickly producing an envelope. It's a dark purple envelope, and handed to Jean with a smile.
Jean takes the letter, holding it and just staring. Luke stares, concerned, but Jean looks at him and smiles. "I'm okay," she says, "just not sure I want to read a goodbye letter from Visper."
Jean stares at the letter a second longer, then turns it over and opens it. "Huh."
"What, Jean?"
"Listen to this; 'Dear Jean, tonight was amazing, and it's all owed to you. You've been my boss and my friend and my sister, and I and all of OG-Joshi are worse for your absence.
"'And before I forget, I have something to reveal. When you started here and I was first interviewed by you, I labeled you 'Mean'. I'm guessing you haven't figured out why, so included is a picture of an old wrestling interviewer named 'Mean' Gene Okerlund.
"'Enjoy!'"
Jean looks into the envelope, but doesn't see the picture. Luke sees that it fell and picks it up, seeing the photo in the process. "Uh..."
"What? Did you find it? Lemmie see!"
Luke reluctantly hands Jean the picture, and Jean freezes.
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!"
Fade out.
A knock at the door stirs her.
"Come in," she says, dropping from her listlessness and sitting upright with a smile when she sees that it's Luke Kisiera coming in.
"Hey," he says, just barely walking into the room. "They're getting ready to shut the power off."
Jean nods. "Okay," she says, but not really feeling okay. She stands up, fighting a compulsion to walk around the area where the desk no longer resides. "I just needed another look around. I just wanted to remember this place. And maybe remember when the movers came to get my desk and pictures and everything!" she laughs.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too worried about that. Something tells me that's all inventoried and will be going with us," Luke says, patting his pockets.
"Good! I liked that desk!"
"It is a pretty (big) desk."
Jean sighs, longingly. "I'm going to miss all this. Tonight was a great ending to what I did here... but I wish it didn't have to end."
"I think Visper put it best, Jean," Luke says, as he puts his arm around her. "She said, 'Life doesn't end at Immortal; it begins.' And she's right."
"I know. And I'm happy our life can finally, really begin."
They share a smile, and Luke grabs their coats, helping Jean put hers on. She grabs her purse, slings it on her shoulder, and looks back at the room. Another deep, contemplative, longing breath is exhaled, a wide smile crosses her face, and she turns the lights to her office off for the past time.
They leave the room, Luke shutting the door behind them. He reaches up to the placard on the door which reads "Coach Carter, Head of OG-Joshi Op." and puts it in a pocket before taking Jean's hand.
A few steps afterward, Luke stops dead in his tracks, causing Jean to squeak with surprise. "Wait! I almost forgot! Visper wanted you to have this!"
Luke reaches into a pocket. And keeps reaching. It's a pretty deep pocket, apparently. "Ah-hah!" he exclaims as he pulls from his crazy pocket a letter. It's a "C". "... Wrong letter."
Luke tosses the "C" and reaches into a different pocket, this time quickly producing an envelope. It's a dark purple envelope, and handed to Jean with a smile.
Jean takes the letter, holding it and just staring. Luke stares, concerned, but Jean looks at him and smiles. "I'm okay," she says, "just not sure I want to read a goodbye letter from Visper."
Jean stares at the letter a second longer, then turns it over and opens it. "Huh."
"What, Jean?"
"Listen to this; 'Dear Jean, tonight was amazing, and it's all owed to you. You've been my boss and my friend and my sister, and I and all of OG-Joshi are worse for your absence.
"'And before I forget, I have something to reveal. When you started here and I was first interviewed by you, I labeled you 'Mean'. I'm guessing you haven't figured out why, so included is a picture of an old wrestling interviewer named 'Mean' Gene Okerlund.
"'Enjoy!'"
Jean looks into the envelope, but doesn't see the picture. Luke sees that it fell and picks it up, seeing the photo in the process. "Uh..."
"What? Did you find it? Lemmie see!"
Luke reluctantly hands Jean the picture, and Jean freezes.
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!"
Fade out.