Tribulation, My Ass.
While it is light years from Citizen Fucking Kane, Pulp Fiction has some serious lessons to teach us … ones that don’t end with ‘Try not to be the first one to take it in the ass from a couple of rednecks.’ Add to that the fact that it was the last movie I saw before Buffalo and you can see why it holds a special place in my heart. Bruce Willis plays a character named Butch … a boxer that has some not minor issues with the cast for which they decide a messy death is the only cure. Not to be a spoiler; but he escapes … and he does purely because everyone in the movie underestimates him to such a huge degree.
As I sat reading my e-mail from Felipe, his joking tone coming across even in writing, I was reminded of Butch. It seems the entirety of the Crone of New York thought me incapable of polite discourse. My ‘ordeal’ was to be … Hosting a party.
“That's how you're gonna beat 'em, Butch. They keep underestimating you.” Pulp Fiction, 1994
It certainly was not the party that caused me the most issues that evening … it was that the VII decided that this evening, 07/07/07, was a grand time to grind some serious axes. After arranging security for the gathering, despite the ridiculous ineptitude of Dumica, I headed there myself with Callahan, ‘Thorne and Ava … Now this little Demon’s mama always taught him to put on his seat belt, and it was a good thing because one misplaced bullet can flip a car … can, does and did. Ava took this chance to show me a new trick to locate the shooter; she also mind raped me in the process.
Let me stop there for a second and vent a bit about this whole fucking me in the ear until you hit brain thing. In case you missed it I am not so much happy with the whole idea. If Ava was not the closest thing I have to a woman, I would have taken the opportunity to tear her head off before going after the shooter … but she is … so I didn’t. One would think that a smart Demon like me would not be surprised that a sniper could pull an ‘Amazing Randy’ on me and blow me out of Obfuscate … I was pissed, and not thinking real clearly. Senor Shooter cleared my mind, though … shot me right in the face. I threw him from the top of the bridge, so I figure that makes us even. I wish I could say that was the only time I got caught in the face that night; but my ‘friend’ Callahan caught me in the mush with a flare gun while I was trying to bail his narrow ass out as well. Some gratitude.
Long story - short, ‘Thorne got torp’ed, Callahan was not far from and I wasn’t about to go up against 4 VII myself for giggles. Once Ava, Callahan and ‘Thorne were away, I made with the ‘into thin air’ trick and beat mist for court. Apparently, mine wasn’t the only ‘band of intrepid adventurers’ to receive a calling card that night. Everyone who ever pissed in the wheaties of the VII got a visit. But the Prince informed me that the show had to go on.
After getting some boys on the door and being informed that both Danica and Guilermo were too important to watch either the door or the Prince, I settled down to greet guests and kiss babies. Exactly what I wanted to be doing at that point. I made Ava buy me a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and was comfortable at court for the first time in months. With the exception of Barrow frenzying and some zombies melting outside, my only issue was Ava’s refusal to stay put. At one point, she went out with ‘Thorne for some ‘private time’. I will have to have a conversation with the boy at some point.
As the court was winding down, Felipe informs me that we have yet to do the ‘entertainment’ and I should get cracking on it. The ‘entertainment’ consisted of a tale spinning contest; which would have been cool … had almost /noone/ wanted to participate. I give props to the 4 or 5 that did; but even the ‘great and powerful’ Guilermo decided not to participate. All the talking he does about how big and bad he is ... he might as well have been wearing a diaper for the crying and whining that came from him.