One Day behind so I will be posting the third and fourth ones close to each other.
Day 2 of my daily pieces, this is a collaboration with artist Anthony Edwards. This is his re-imagined folk character Papa Bois. Colours by me.

The time is decadent. People were more lax about politics and the emphasis from day to day is more about who you know and how you look. Rhonda sat reading the newspapers, fidgeting. She would fix her glasses, tug at her clothes and keep the newspaper leaves inline as she turned the pages.

“You gonna go crazy one of these days you know.”

Kayla crumpled down on the bench next to her. The girl was a complete opposite of her friend. She couldn’t have cared less about what people thought of her. And it showed, from her scuffed up boots to her barely ironed Tee with a print of a middle finger on the back. The two met at the same bench every lunch time around the Savannah.

“The coolest place to beat the heat.”

Came Keston’s voice as he tossed a drink for Kayla

“Catch.”

Kayla almost dropped the can but managed to hold tight, “ HEY!”

Rhonda as if oblivious to the last part of the conversation finally put down her newspapers, leaned forward, and staring at the road said to her friends says, “I think Soucouyant come back.”

Daaknotes: Songs that took me through the writing and the illustrations are Ratatat Various remixes, especially this one featuring Kanye West, Talib Kweli and Common.

This one from the Roots made me put down the pencil a few times, Rising up.

This was nice for some local flavour. Basement Party Remix.

Lastly this tune being used for the up and coming fast and Furious movie’s soundtrack got me listening to it more than a couple times, it’s called We are the Rock Stars.

All in all was a decent week, lots more work to come. Wallpapers below.

[Show as slideshow]

]]> http://shizzies.com/blog/the-coronation/prelude/feed/ 1 http://shizzies.com/blog/daaknite/daaknite-season-2-episode-5-festival-of-masks/ http://shizzies.com/blog/daaknite/daaknite-season-2-episode-5-festival-of-masks/#comments Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:28:17 +0000 shizz http://shizzies.com/blog/?p=40

The voice of the people is the voice of Earth - The Mighty Shadow

Adrian was flung into the room. Soucouyant was losing her human form as her chalk white skin started to show. Adrian held his mask trying not to be intimidated. If Moko was right then the power Maljo would protect him.

She watched the mask and opened her hand. The heat of invisible flames burned Adrian’s hands. It soon became too intense and Adrian was forced to put the mask on. Unbelievable power surged through his body.

Soucouyant seemed surprised as Adrian stood looking at her, his eyes burning bright blue. Maljo was telling him things. He stepped closer to her with his hands in a fist, teeth clenched and an almost uncontrollable rage.

Red flame fought for dominance over blue. In another step Adrian held Soucouyant.

“What yuh trying to do now?” he barely managed to get out through a mouth brimming with anger. Madame looked at Adrian, her hands moved over his face. She seemed sad.

“Adrian, why don’t you care for me like I care for you?”

Adrian stammered despite all things he felt for her when he looked into her sad eyes it was evident that she needed someone. He had lost Candace and Rhonda would never accept this life. He was beginning to reach out to Madame when her hands gripped his neck.

Instinctively Adrian screamed out calling on Maljo’s power.

It burned a hole through Soucouyant’s stomach. She tried frantically to maintain her grip on Adrian’s neck but she fell back, weakened by Maljo.

“Why?” she questioned with more hate in her eyes than anything else.

Adrian could not look at her; instead he looked at the broken glass on the ground. “I guess sometimes we must destroy to create.” He looked back at her and only saw smoke in her place. Never did Adrian feel more alone and lost.

Something stepped on some broken glass. Adrian spun around quickly in response to the sound, ready to attack Soucouyant.

“Easy dere. Is only me.” Moko stood in the light, displaying his creepy grin.

“What you want now?” asked the boy.

“Well….” Moko stepped toward him and started walking around him. He held his hands in the air as if to show him the club. “You rule. You maintain balance.

If you need any help just whisper, I’ll be around.”

After Moko left Adrian kneeled slowly to the ground and started to laugh.

“What a fucking mess!” he chuckled.
“Gahoor, stop it now!” Pan’s voice boomed through the caves. Rapso was at his side ready to attack. Gahoor turned around and laughed.

“What you really come here to do, certainly not to stop me?” Gahoor held up a copper mask. “I see that you managed to find the Dragon’s mouth.

Well I have the mouth of the serpent.” Gahoor put on the mask and stepped forward.

“When was the last time we did this? Come on help me now. Ah Yes the

1950′s I think it was. Not even the fire of the people was enough to believe in the idea of Pan eh.”

“Yahhhh!” Pan stormed after Gahoor his hammer catching lightning as it swung through the air. Gahoor immediately transformed into a beast. Parts of him gave way to decay and his left arm and right leg became bone. A stench emanated from him. At the same time the serpent’s mouth grew over his exposed bone, the copper rolling like mercury when heat rises.

It was one of these exposed limbs Gahoor used to parry Pan’s strike. He then punched Pan knocking him back on the ground at Rapso’s feet and started chanting propaganda curses for them.

“Want to try me now boy?”

Startled to see the mighty Pan taken down so easily Rapso held his hand.

Pan spoke to him. “The people’s power is not as strong as it in me as it is in you and can be. They believe in you, draw on that belief it is your strength and help me defeat this monster.”

“I will break you like I broke all the others. What is the profit in these people man come on?” Gahoor walked around the cave circling Pan and Rapso, neither making a move.

The Dragon’s mouth is an impressive relic but so were you Pan-when you were Carne Val. You Kaiso and Mas, not even the combined might of the three of you was able to stop me. Yuh come here now with a young one and think that is a winning formula. Yuh smoking’ or what?”

Pan who had been gathering his strength took his turn to talk.

“Yuh forgetting something, The Dragon’s mouth is the voice of the people.”

He said this taking off the piece and giving to Rapso, he continued. “and the people’s voice is the most powerful weapon you can have.”

“Really? No shit. Was it not me who taught you that lesson stupidee?”

“THE POWER OF THE WORD…” shouted Rapso and Pan continued lifting his hammer

“…IN THE RYTHMN OF THE WORD.” The hammer fell again this time on the ground in front of Gahoor. Rapso’s voice, which sounded like a million men shouting, rocked the entire caves and echoed in time with Pan’s pounding. With every pound Gahoor disintegrated from the shockwaves until only green smoke and the serpent’s mouth remained.

Rhonda dashed for her mask. Madame was not going to win this time.

“I am not here to stop you child, I am here to,” she paused as she looked at Adrian who had secured his blue mask, “…I am here to help.”

Rhonda had one brown mask and a multicoloured one. The brown mask glowed in her hand. Slowly at first but then a bit more courageously she put the mask on her head. Soucouyant seemed desperate as Adrian considered putting on his own glowing blue mask. Moko had told him that it was the mask that would give him control over the jumbies.

“Adrian,” she cooed lovingly, “I took you in and treated you well. You know I love you Adrian.” Tears streamed down her eyes.  Adrian watched her and clenched his jaw, detecting the oncoming guilt trip.

He held the mask up to put it on not saying a word but keeping his eyes on Madame. She was unnerved that he was saying nothing. She grabbed Rhonda and held her around the neck; the multicoloured mask fell from Rhonda’s hands.

“Adrian you listen to me. Don’t put that mask on – if you do that I swear I will kill your friend here just like… Candace.”

Adrian eyes twitched he watched Rhonda.

“Adrian, listen to me. I am safe don’t worry about me-EEEEE!” Soucouyant threw Rhonda on the ground.

“Okay listen to me. I am sure we can work this out, I overreacted. Let’s go back to the Club, have a drink and we can talk about this,” Soucouyant cajoled. She approached Adrian, her outstretched hands came to rest on his shoulders. With narrowed eyes.

“Let me go,” he whispered. Soucouyant was puzzled.

“What did you say? We can talk about this Adrian.  Don’t close me out. I am here for you,” Soucouyant continued.

Rhonda had managed to gather her wits and realised that a portal of sorts was opening within the shadows. Soucouyant had plans.

Rhonda picked up the other mask.

“Look,” Adrian had noticed Rhonda and decided, “it is time for me to leave.”

He stood back and began to put the mask on.

“NOOOOOOO!” Soucouyant shouted as she grabbed Adrian and began to drag him into the fully opened portal. She grabbed for Rhonda but the girl managed to stay just out of her grasp.

“ADRIAN!” Rhonda screamed. Adrian turned to her.

“I could handle this.” They made eye contact, their silence speaking volumes.

“Okay,” she whispered as she ran out of the area. She looked back briefly – Soucouyant’s eyes burned her back.

“You may run girl, but we are everywhere. You cannot hide.”

Her laugh echoed through the tree as Rhonda ran tried to get away and out of the cemetery quickly. Mama D’glo had told her that the other mask was for Kayla; as for Keston she said that there were other plans for him.

Rhonda found Kayla on top of a truck with Keston. They were frantically singing a tune.  It seems as though they were having a sound clash with DJ Midnite who had revelers screaming in the crowd for him. She could feel evil in the presence of the revellers, though she doubted they knew that she was their target.

Someone shoved Rhonda, a boy with blue paint and glowing eyes. Instinctively she reached for her mask. Her hands tingled when she held it, and as she put it on the boy shoved her again and Rhonda fell onto the drain on the side of the road. Some more people gathered around her and surrounded the fallen girl. The mask would save me, She thought closing her eyes. Brown light glowed from within her mask and she looked at them all that were jumbies she could see clearly, scared, Rhonda shouted out for Keston. After doing that she thought about how foolish the prospect was. She stood up.

“No Fear.” whispered Rhonda taking a tentative step toward the crowd of Jumbies. Some snarled at her, and other undead creatures cursed at her. Despite all things they did not touch her. It must be the mask, she thought. She arrived at the truck a little shaken. Kayla noticed Rhonda and she jumped up on the truck with her.  Kayla and Keston were an amazing team their tunes had enchanted the crowd. Rhonda could not help but feel proud of her friends’ accomplishments.

“Where allyuh get them beats from Kes?”

“Is just some beats I had there working on home. We was desperate nuh, so I called down some ammo for ‘Sound Bwoy’ dere.” Keston looked across to Midnite, eyes burning behind his dreads.  He was bitter beaten sound boy.