She Walks in Beauty (Renegade, Honey, Didi)

[SwitchBack]

Peace, Renegade and Honey are backstage celebrating The Kings of Hardcore becoming the new tag team champions. Renegade smiles and shakes Warren's hand before he and Honey take their leave.

Peace spends a few moments admiring his belt before flicking on the TV. He sits down as an old episode of The Obituary Section begins.

[glow=blue,2,300]"She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place."[/glow]

[glow=blue,2,300]"And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent."[/glow]

[Deathie]

{The television goes off, seemingly on its own. Warren Peace picks up the remote & stares quizzically at it. From behind him a voice is heard…}

Didi: I wasn’t aware that The Obituary Section was already syndicated…

{Warren jumps to his feet & spins around, coming face to face with Scythe.}

Scythe: Hi, "Champ". Enjoying the show?

{Before Peace can answer, Didi’s voice comes from behind him, AGAIN.}

Didi: We didn’t think you’d mind missing a rerun to converse with the genuine article, Mr. Peace.

{Warren spins back around, looking slightly disoriented. Didi now faces him as she stands in front of the television.}

Didi: I’m not sure what it is about me that drives you wax poetic, Mr. Peace. I do, however, find it interesting. Something else that I find to be of some interest, is the fact that you & Renegade are the only title holders that did not actually WIN your championship.

Scythe: WIN?!? They didn’t even COMPETE for the belts.

{Didi brushes by Warren as she walks by him & stands next to Scythe.}

Didi: …Interesting, indeed. Such a turn of fortunes brings to mind...of all things...a poem. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, Mr. Peace, but bear with me…

From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:



But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.



Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:



Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

{The three of them stare at each other in silence. Warren Peace seems to be dissecting the poem line by line.}

Scythe: Was that a long enough pause? ‘Cause all this silent staring at each other reminds me of some other “cultured” gatherings I saw in Greece…

Didi: Thank you for that visual, Scythe…I would like to say it was appreciated, but…

{Didi closes her eyes & shakes her head violently. As her head stops shaking the tremor seems to carry down through her body to the floor.}

Didi (feeling an aftershock visual): Ugh!!! I think it’s time we were going now Scythe. (back to Peace) I hope you understand, Mr. Peace, that the unethical means by which you acquired your championship is precisely the reason that Scythe & I seek to eliminate your precious cTn from OCW. Enjoy your title run, while it lasts, Mr. Peace...

Scythe: I’d say congratulations, if you’d done anything more than look pretty while you got handed a belt…

{The television behind Warren comes back on & he spins, startled, towards the sound. He turns back to see that Didi & Scythe are no longer in the room. Peace looks around the room, sits back in his chair & resumes watching. On the screen, a closeup of Didi speaks about the great choice Scythe made for a ppv tag team partner. The image winks out of the screen at Warren Peace & smiles sinisterly.}

[SwitchBack]

As the image fades from the screen, Warren contemplates his reasons for pursuing the mysterious Didi. What was it about her that captivated him? Peace sat down and breathed a heavy sigh. He couldn't help but feel lost and alone in the world.

[glow=blue,2,300]"From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were — I have not seen
As others saw — I could not bring
My passions from a common spring —
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow — I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone —
And all I lov'd — I lov'd alone —
Then — in my childhood — in the dawn
Of a most stormy life — was drawn
From ev'ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still —
From the torrent, or the fountain —
From the red cliff of the mountain —
From the sun that 'round me roll'd
In its autumn tint of gold —
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass'd me flying by —
From the thunder, and the storm —
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view —"[/glow]