Chapter Text
Kickin sat down with his feet up on the balcony railing, the crawfish hawker went by, singing out to whomever want's to buy. Even the one lady from across the street in the dance hall gave him a little wave, to which Kickin waved back and blew a little kiss. "Hey, Kathy, is Dad up yet?' Kickin yelled out from behind him. "He left long ago." Katherine said, going out to the balcony then swiftly moving back inside. After a while of staring into nowhere, Kickin decides to get up and go to his father. Arriving at the pharmacy, he get's there right in the middle of the action. "Mr. Bunny, off and on for over 25 years, I've been doing the same kind of work, and I've filled a lot of prescriptions just like this one." Kenneth said while Kickin silently walks in, listening to their conversation. "Now, in my opinion..." "I don't care how long you've been filling out prescriptions." Bunzo interrupted. "What I'm telling you is that I'm running the store." Bunzo added while grinding together things inside of a pestle and mortar. "Why, of course, sir. But see, all I'm saying is that in my opinion, the mixture that you're using..." "Kenneth, will you just shut your old mouth up? Just shut your old mouth up and do things the way I say or get out." Bunzo scathingly said while Kickin listened and looked down in anger. "Why, yes, of course." Kenneth submissively said. "Now take that jar and put it back on the counter where it belongs." Bunzo said while Kenneth just followed what he said, just mumbling to himself "Yes Mr. Bunny, Yes sir." until of course he saw Kickin, who was just about to leave. "Kickin." Kenneth said, making Kickin turn around. "Hey, Dad." He replied. "Kickin, what... what a pleasant surprise. You been here long?" He said while looking behind him.
"No, I-I just walked in. I wanted to wish you luck on your first day." Kickin said with a small smile. "Well, thank you. Would you like to sit down for a few minutes?" Kenneth said. "No. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, Dad, but, you know, you were up and gone before I even woke up this morning." Kickin said while slightly laughing. "Uh huh. This job, this is the one I keep." Kenneth said while nodding. "Well, we'll talk about it tonight, Dad." Kickin said. Just then, Bunzo walked out with a bowl. "Anything wrong here?" He said, pushing past the two towards the counter. "Uh..." "Uh, yes, there is plenty wrong here." Kickin swiftly said, interrupting his dad. "I had a prescription filled here last week, and I got the wrong medicine. It almost poisoned me." Kickin said, lying to give his dad some more credit. "Oh, that pharmacist is no longer with us." Bunzo replied. "So I was just told. Lucky for you this gentlemen here knows what he's talking about." He said before turning towards Kenneth. "Thanks you very much, sir, I'll be coming back in. Good day, sir." Kickin said with a big smile before walking out. "Uh, good day, sir. Call again." Bunzo said, to which Kickin just nodded while he left.
When he got outside though, he just leaned against a pillar, feeling quite down. Knowing that despite everything, his dad still hasn't changed. He still doesn't have enough of a bite to back up his skill and experience. So after contemplating for a bit, he decided to meet with Bubba again, at his club the King Creole. When he got there, the place was empty and all the chairs and stools were on the table. Save for the bartender cleaning glasses, someone on a piano tuning it, someone sweeping, and Mr. Bubbaphant himself, reading a newspaper while smoking a cigarette. "Well, hello." Bubba said while putting away his newspaper, noticing Kickin walk in. "Hi." Kickin simply replied. "I figured you would decide to stay in with Dogday." He said while crossing his legs. "No, but...well I don't know what to do, Mr. Bubbaphant. You see, my old man's against all of this. He want's me to go back to school." Kickin said. "Oh? Sit down." Bubba said while Kickin complied. "What does he want you to be?" He said while taking a drag off his cigarette. "Well, he used to talk about me becoming the president, but, uh I think he gave up on that idea." He said which made both of them chuckle. "How much does the singing job pay?" Kickin asked.
"Here you start at scale... Eighty-five dollars a week. If the audience likes you, then you get paid more. How does it sound?" Bubba said. "Well, is sounds good, but, uh... Well, I... For one, never sang professionally before. I don't even know if I can do it." Kickin said with a tremble. "Well, you did it last night." He said. "Yeah, but last night, I was mad." Kickin simply said. "So stay mad." Bubba simply replied, to which Kickin shrugged with a smile. "You've already sold me. Now if I could just sell it to my old man." He said with a chuckle. "Well, if you do as he says and go to school, what about after school?" Bubba said, getting up from the chair and leaning against the bar. "No deal." Kickin said, making Bubba turn around. "He says I do the studying. He does the work. Only, I saw him do the work." He said before standing up. "You hate to see someone crawl so much, Mr. Bubbaphant, especially if it's your own father. Now, I pushed him into getting that job, but eighty-five dollars a week could get him out." He said. "Then let me talk to him." Bubba said, pouring some tea and sipping from it. "It won't do you any good. I've known him since I was born." Kickin said with a smile. "Invite me to dinner." Bubba said with a nod. "You're just gonna waste your time." Kickin said while shaking his head. "Why? It's a free meal. You afraid of him?" Bubba asked. "No." Kickin simply said. "Then invite me." Bubba replied. "Ok, you're invited. Twenty-nine Coop street, all the way up the stairs." Kickin said while Bubba repeated the address to himself. "Crafty says you're smart." Kickin spoke up. "Does she? She ought to know. She could've had a career. Not that she hasn't got one, mind you. Dogday Fields... There's a name for you. Everything he touches, turns to drink." He said. "You know him all right." Kickin exclaimed. "Know him? Dogday and I go a long way back. We grew up together. I remember the first words that came out of his mouth... "Stick 'em up." See you at dinner." Bubba said while shaking Kickin's hand before he swiftly left.
"No, you don't understand how I feel, Mr. Bubbaphant, and you won't watch out for him like he's your own son, because he's not your son. He's my son." Kenneth said to Bubba who was sitting down on their table while he was standing up. Katherine was pouring both men some tea while Kickin was elsewhere in the room, sitting down on a chair, watching the whole ordeal. "Just a minute, Mr. Chicken. You keep speaking of Kickin having a profession. Singing is a profession. All right, so he's staring out in a sewer. Sewers can't be ignored though. They run under the best cities, and some of them lead to the fanciest plumbing at the Ritz." Bubba explained. "But, Kickin isn't a plumber." Kenneth said, unchanging of his opinion. "What I meant was..." "I know, I know what you meant!" Kenneth said, voice getting louder. "And the answer is no. Sorry, Mr. Bubbaphant." Kenneth said before turning away. "No, you're not sorry. Why don't tou ask him what he wants to do? The boy was born with an unusual talent. He is old enough and has the right to think for himself." Bubba calmly stated.
"You don't have the right to ask me these questions. Kathy, will you please get Mr. Bubbaphant's hat?" Kenneth said. "All right." Katherine simply replied, handing Bubba his hat. "Thanks for the dinner, Kathy. You're quite the cook." He said to which made Katherine blush a bit and thank him. "I may be leaving empty handed but at least I'm full everywhere else." Bubba said, which made Katherine blush even more which made her go outside for a bit. "I'm gonna go out for a bit." She said before leaving. "I'd like to speak with you again about this matter. Maybe we can have a drink and talk it over more quietly." Bubba said. "I don't drink." Kenneth immediately replied. "I didn't think you would." Bubba quietly muttered to himself while turning towards Kickin. "Good bye, Kickin." He said before leaving. Kenneth closed the door behind him and turned towards Kickin who was turned away.
"Why'd you bring a man like that here?" Kenneth said, the anger building up in his voice. "Dad, you didn't have to shout at him like that. He thinks I can do a job for him. But you don't car what he thinks or what I think or what I want for that matter." He said while still not facing him. "What do you want, son?" He said, voice a bit softer. "A convertible Cadillac." He exclaimed while turning around. "Then, register at school." Kenneth replied. "Look dad, I got a very average brain." Kickin said while pointing to his head. "I'm not a brilliant student. I'm average. Do you understand that? I don't want to crawl." He said, voice getting louder. "Oh, and I crawl? Is that it? Is that what I want to do?" Kenneth said. "Yeah, you crawl. You have no choice. You got tired from running early." Kickin exclaimed.
"That's not true! That's not the truth! I've fought..." "You fought! Sure, you fought!" Kickin mockingly said while he interrupted. "You back-pedaled all the way. I saw what happened today between you and you boss, Dad, and it's not gonna happen to me. "Bubba Bubbaphant's got eighty-five dollars that says I can perform for a living. Id he's willing to take a chance, then so am I." Kickin argued. "What about school?" Kenneth said, barely a whisper. "I went to school." Kickin immediately replied. "You failed." Kenneth immediately replied. "I'm through failing." Kickin said back before opening the door and leaving.
Outside, Bubba and Katherine were talking the whole time, Katherine was sitting on a bench while Bubba stood. "You know, if you weren't so young, I'd ask you to have that drink with me." Bubba said while smoking. "I think I'm old enough to have a drink, Mr. Bubbaphant." Katherine replied with a smile, while Bubbaphant also grew a smile. "Swell. Let's go." He said while extending his hand for her to take. "No. Not tonight, I think it would look kind of funny." Katherine said. "Tomorrow night then? I'll pick you up at nine." Bubba said while sitting down next to her. "All right. It's a date then." Katherine replied. "I wanted to ask you this. What does a man whose aged forty say to a girl who's just about twenty?" Bubba asked. "Say you're thirty-eight." Katherine simply replied. Just then, Kickin walked towards both of them, ending the romance. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bubbaphant. I knew it was gonna happen." Kickin said with a saddened expression. "Aw, that's all right. If you don't mind, could I have a drink with your sister?" Bubba said with a smirk. "Well, you know I don't care about that, but you better check in with the old man first." Kickin said with a chuckle. "Mr. Bubbaphant isn't gonna make a singer out of me, so why..." "No but he's gonna make one out of me." Kickin remarked, interrupting her. "Do we sign papers, or shale hands, or what?" Kickin asked. "We shake hands. After you open and show thw audience what you're made of, then we sign papers." Bubba said, extending his hand which Kickin takes. "I'll be at the club tomorrow morning." He replied which made Bubba smile and nod.
At the entrance of the King Creole, the hawker is advertising some old performers but giving special attention to Kickin. "Rock and roll at the King Creole. It's the hottest show in town, folks. See the beautiful Bobby Bearhug, doing the dance that started the gold rush. And opening tonight, the new sensation of Bourbon street... Kickin "Firecracker" Chicken!" The man yelled out to the crowd. Inside, Bobby Bearhug, a red french bear, was just about to perform with her sing and dance number that started off with some bongos. Then the spotlights came on to reveal bobby leaning on a palm tree, wearing a banana themed leotard with actual banana's hanging off of it.
"Banana. Anybody want banana?" She sung while slowly revealing herself by moving some leaves that she was holding.
"Ripe and ready, this banana. Come and pick it off the tree. Oui. Hey, honey. If your heart does not go reeling. When you see banana peeling. Then Monsieur you are finis. Mais oui." She sung as she hopped off the tree, before leaning back forwards on the tree, almost like she's hugging it.
"Banana. How she loves the sun to warm her. Any mother's son can warm her. Hey, baby, maybe it's you. Voulez-vous?" She sung as she danced around the tree. And after a short intermission where she just danced around, showing off her body, while the crowd cheered and whistled. And all the while she was tossing some of the banana's clinging to her, to some people in the crowd. While that was playing out, Bubba and Katherine were sitting down at a table, waiting for Kickin's turn to perform. "The old man wouldn't come, huh?" Bubba remarked. Katherine replied with an "Mm-mmm". "Some father." Bubba replied, mockingly. "Oh, he's a good father." Katherine immediately said. "Oh, he's a good father, but a lousy audience." He remarked while Bobby finally went back to singing. This time the music going a bit slower.
"No bones, all meat. Toujour so sweet. Don't wait. What for? Mon cheri, I'll guarantee you'll find it easy to adore." She sung while she went up on the stage behind the stage where the musicians were and played around with the closed curtains.
"Banana. How she loves the sun to warm her. Any mother's son can warm her. Hey, baby, maybe it's you." She held the final note when she started to walk off-stage and slowly the song finished, jumping up and down to the beat as she finishes, and the audience applauses.
In the dressing room. Kickin is getting ready, putting on a scarf. When the host of the club enters, a green robot on treads, to tell Kickin it's time to start. "Here we go, you'll be great tonight. I heard you rehearsing before. What kind of songs are you singing, folk songs?" Boogie bot said to him. "I guess so." Kickin replied, focused on himself right now. "That's what I thought. From what planet?" He jokingly asked with a large grin. Kickin didn't laugh though, he just looked at him terrified. "Just laughing it up, kid. No offence. Ha ha!" He said, laughing. "Ha ha." Kickin ironically laughed before leaving. "Nervous?" Bubba came backstage to see him before he performs. "Yeah, a little." Kickin replies. "Well, I just wanted you to know the place isn't full. But half a house, can hate you just as much as a full one." Bubba says with a small smile. "Right." Kickin says while nodding. "Now, when you walk out there tonight, as far as your concerned, the entirety of Louisiana is watching. They're expecting the best and that's what you gotta give them." He says, trying to give Kickin some confidence. "You wanna know something Bubba? Im glad you told me this. Im not nervous anymore." Kickin said while trembling slightly. "Good." Bubba exclaimed. "I'm scared to death." Kickin said while chuckling, his tremble growing stronger. "What for? All you have to do is sing like you're mad, and you'll be a smash!" He said while the drummer started to get the audience's attention. "Here we go." Boogie bot said, going onstage. "The two biggest words in show business... You're on." He said as he walked with Kickin to the stage while Kickin crossed his fingers.
Bubba went back to the table with Katherine as Boogie bot started to talk. "Now, ladies and gentlemen... The moment you've all been waiting for. The King Creole takes great pride in presenting a young man with a big future. The new sensation of Bourbon street... The boy with a beat... Kickin Chicken!" He shouted as he pointed to Kickin walking onstage. The only applause coming from his sister. Kickin, seeing this, signalled to the band to start while he clapped his hands to the beat. After a while, the crowd started to clap with him when he started to sing.
"Well, down in New Orleans at the Golden Goose. I grabbed a green-eyed dolly that was on the loose. Well, I dig that music "well, " she said, "me too". I said, "pretty baby, come on and let's do". The Dixieland Rock (Dixieland Rock)" Kickin sang with an upbeat energy, dancing, almost vibrating, while he sings and claps.
"Well, the Dixieland Rock (Dixieland Rock). Let your hair down, sugar shake it free. And do the Dixieland Rock with me, hey, hey. With the blue light shining on her swinging hips. She got the drummer so nervous that he lost his sticks. The cornet player hit a note that's flat
The tromboner hit him while the poor cat sat." He sang with exaggerated movements and gyrations, all the while, a massive grin on his face.
"The Dixieland Rock. Well, the Dixieland Rock (Dixieland Rock). Let your hair down, sugar shake it free. And do the Dixieland Rock with me, hey hey." He sang until a short intermission, where he jumped down from the stage to sing and dance to the audience at the front. Some of them even joining him in dancing. Eventually he hopped back on the stage.
"I was all pooped out and when the clock struck four. But she said, "no, daddy, can't leave the floor". She wore a clinging dress that fit so tight. She couldn't sit down so we danced all night. The Dixieland Rock. Well, the Dixieland Rock (Dixieland Rock). Let your hair down, sugar shake it free. And do the Dixieland Rock with me, hey hey. Let your hair down, sugar shake it free. And do the Dixieland Rock with me! (Dixieland Rock, Dixieland Rock, Dixieland Rock)." He finished singing with a large bow. The entire audience being surprised and cheering for Kickin, especially his sister who gave him a standing ovation. As he walked off-stage, Bubba called someone over to put Kickin's name on big bright lights, in front of the club.