Dragons, Decay, and Too Many Legs - Interlude 1 (Patreon)

[center][B]<<Kaede Tabata>>

17th December 2010[/B][/center]

She did her best to avoid shaking like a leaf as Lung-dono spoke. Her father had failed Lung-dono, and was now another body in the city morgue, while her mother was given to one of the many pleasure houses that Lung-dono oversaw. As for Kaede herself…

“You are to be given to the cape that just joined the ABB. What he does with you is up to him. He will punish you as he sees fit. If that punishment includes your death, then so be it. If you flee, it will be your mother that suffers,” Lung-dono stated.

“Hai, Lung-dono,” Kaede agreed, placing her forehead against the floor while fighting back tears.

Lung-dono nodded, before leaving the apartment. Despite being alone, she didn’t let her tears fall. She didn’t know when the ABB’s cape would return, and she couldn’t risk ruining her makeup in case it would anger him. Fortunately, the front door opened a few minutes later.

To her dismay, the new cape, for who else could he be, was ugly. Short, covered in coarse facial hair, his skin an unnatural pallid grey, yellow eyes, a nose like a monkey’s, and worst of all a hideously western face. She’d spent her entire childhood expecting to be wed to a proper Japanese man, one with good business sense and elegant features. Like Byakuya from Miko’s posters. Instead, she was given to a gaijin as a plaything, a toy.

Still, she mused as she prepared the sandwich he asked for, at least he seemed disinclined to kill her in a fit of pique.

[center][B]20th December 2010[/B][/center]

Kaede could admit, she’d been a touch harsh in her initial impressions of… the gaijin. She’d been expecting him to be like the gaijin boys at school, the ones that looked at her with either leers or hateful gazes. Oftentimes both. The worst were the blatant Empire goons. But, while he’d had her do the housework, he’d otherwise been… decent.

He still had her waiting on him hand and foot, but he wasn’t a brute about it, or rather, the only times he was it seemed to be part of some inside joke that she wasn’t privy to. She still had plenty of time to work on her homework, he’d even provided a little help with some math problems that she’d been struggling with.

The sex… the sex was both better and worse than she’d been afraid of when she’d realized that he planned on using her. He showed himself to be just as barbaric as to be expected of a gaijin, just that morning she’d been preparing breakfast and he had taken her right there over the stove. That’s without considering that he was clearly trying to… breed her, despite the fact that she was still fourteen. But… it felt… it felt so good. And the thought of being a mother… she’d always planned on it, just not this soon.

But what else could she do? Her father was dead, her mother both made a prostitute and a hostage, even if she’d worked up the courage to kill the gaijin and escape, where could she go? She didn’t have any other options, all she could do was make the best of the situation she was in.

She was in the middle of preparing oyakodon for dinner when there was a knock at the door. Making her way to the door, Kaede pulled out the stool that would let her look through the peephole. She didn’t recognize the man on the other side, but he dressed like her father would when he’d go do jobs for Lung-dono.

“Can I help you?” she asked through the door, hesitant to open it.

“Ophioc sent me to pick up some of his mushrooms. Didn’t say why,” the man outside responded.

Kaede hesitated, she didn’t want to let a strange man inside while she was alone, but if he was telling the truth and she didn’t…

“Please wait a moment,” she called out, before running to the bedroom and grabbing her cell phone.

Dialling his number, her foot tapped nervously before he finally picked up, “Ophioc. What is it?”

“This is Kaede, Master. There’s a man saying that you sent him to pick up some of your mushrooms.”

“Yeah, the ones in the closet, green shoebox on the top shelf. Go ahead and let him in.”

“Yes Master, sorry to bother you.”

He grunted before hanging up, causing Kaede to look at the phone in surprise. She’d never heard him be that curt before. As she went to the door to let the strange man in, part of her couldn’t help but feel concerned. She’d only finished the chopping part of the meal, if she were given the time to put the ingredients in the fridge…

“May I come with you?” she asked as the man made his way to the door, the appropriate box under one arm.

He hesitated, before shrugging. Making sure to grab her keys, Kaede followed him to his car, climbing into the passenger’s seat and holding the shoebox on her lap. He didn’t say a word as he drove, and despite her curiosity, Kaede didn’t ask any questions. Within five minutes, they arrived at Lung-dono’s Manor.

Quietly, as was proper for a young lady, Kaede followed the man as he went inside. Soon, she saw the gaijin, dressed like an armored shinobi. He sat in the center of a circle of some white/grey powder, and in front of him was a very large bird with a red, bald head. Mindful of the fact that she still held the shoebox, she stepped forwards, careful not to step on any of the powder.

“The box, Master,” she whispered, her eyes locking onto the very large knife in his hand.

He barely paid her any mind, simply taking the box from her and turning his focus onto the clearly weak bird in front of him. Backing away, she stepped up to the few women she saw and quietly asked, “Do you know what is happening?”

“The new cape’s apparently a Trump,” was her answer, “He demanded someone hand him a femur, Ju-Wong grabbed one from the butcher shop across the way, then he started speaking gibberish. Before our eyes, the femur turned into that knife. As for what he’s doing now? Fuck if I know.”

Kaede frowned at the crude manner of speaking, but any rebuttal was cut off as a wind picked up. Despite being inside, the air inside the room whipped around the circle, causing everyone except for the gaiji-Ophioc to cover their faces from dust and debris. Then, in an echoing voice that was suffused with age and power, Ophioc spoke.

Eall ðone as weaxan, must drûgian witodlic steorfan.

Aet oðfeallan, landriht 'land−right sê eardian beon biwist.

þīn feorh beon ende.

þīn têorung giefan accenednes.

Abysgian ðês cild hyge, leort êower hwîlen wraðu hit.

Bletsian tôhwon fl¯æschama, attraction with pron ðe ic hwîlen cræft êower.

As his words reached a crescendo, Ophioc brought the knife to the bird's back, drawing a line down from the back of its skull down to its tail. Then, barely visible through the indoor twister, a stream of something rose from the box and drifted down onto the bird’s back, exactly where Ophioc cut.

There was a flash, black as night yet filled with the green that spoke of life. The wind died down, and as everyone lowered their arms, eyes wide in shock, they took in the sight before them. Ophioc was standing, and perched on his shoulder was a two and a half foot tall bird with massive talons and a hooked beak.

“What’cha all staring at?” Ophioc asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

[center][B]29th December 2010[/B][/center]

It had been an adjustment, living in the same home as a turkey vulture, but everyone had to have some kind of pet. And fortunately, whenever Ophioc went on a job for Lung-dono he took the bird with him. Thinking of Ophioc brought the beginnings of a smile to Kaede’s face. While their introduction was far from ideal, she’d had a realization the other day.

It was just after he got back from a job; he grabbed her by the waist while she was ironing and pulled her into a hungry kiss that left her panting for breath and her lips bruised. Fortunately she was able to unplug the iron before they got carried away and he fucked her into the kitchen floor. But the realization she’d had as he kissed her: she was for all intents and purposes in an arranged marriage. It was Lung-dono who’d arranged it rather than her parents and earlier than she’d expected, but she’d grown up knowing that her parents choosing a husband for her was her most likely future.

Sure, she’d most likely have her first child when she was fifteen, but it was the future she’d been planning for since she was a little girl. On top of that, her ‘husband’ was one of the three capes in the ABB, which would give her tremendous influence among her peers. She could even stop pretending to care about that stupid bitch Barnes’ opinion, because the other members of the ABB would back her up.

Yes, much as she missed her mother and father, being given to Ophioc-sama was by far one of the best things to happen to her.

[center][B]<<Collin Wallis/Armsmaster>>

30th December 2010[/B][/center]

“Cape fight at the corner of 12th and Lord,” Console reported.

“En route, ETA one minute twenty six seconds,” Armsmaster responded, shifting his bike to manual as he tore down a side street.

“Acknowledged, be warned, one of combatants is an unknown, wearing ABB colors. Other combatant is Alabaster.”

Armsmaster bit back a growl. As if the Empire’s roster wasn’t bad enough, now the ABB had another cape as well. Hopefully they weren’t on the level of Lung. As Armsmaster predicted, he arrived at the scene of the fight in just under a minute and a half, prompting the unpowered gangsters to flee as the two capes fought in hand to hand combat.

“This is the Protectorate, stand down immediately!” Armsmaster shouted as the unknown cape delivered a devastating backhand to Alabaster’s jaw.

“Cathartes, tell him what we think of that!” the unknown cape shouted, causing Armsmaster’s eyes to snap to the rooftops.

Armsmaster was ready for another cape or a sniper. He wasn’t expecting a turkey vulture to swoop from behind and grab his halberd. The vulture flew to the unknown cape who took his halberd and drove it into Alabaster, pinning him to the ground. He looked up at Armsmaster, who charged at him. Even without his halberd, Armsmaster was skilled in unarmed combat, and his armor provided him with the physical capabilities to keep up with brutes, movers, and combat thinkers.

“Sorry Armsy,” the unknown cape said as he ducked away from Armsmaster, letting him grab onto his halberd and pull it out of the resetting Alabaster. “But I’ve had my fun. Maybe next time.”

With that, the unknown cape turned around and ran. For a moment, Armsmaster considered pursuing, but the cape was picking up speed, far faster than he could hope to catch on foot. Turning instead to Alabaster, he knelt down next to the Empire cape and handcuffed him.

“Alabaster, you’re under arrest.”

Hopefully he’d be willing to provide information on the ABB cape during his interrogation.

[hr][/hr]

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[b]♦ Topic: New Cape Joins the ABB[/b]

[b]In: Boards ► United States ► East Coast ► Brockton Bay[/b]

[b]Bagrat [/b] (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Posted On Jan 1st 2011:

Well, it seems that the Asian Bad Boyz have a new recruit. Not a whole lot of information on them at this point, but I'll update this post as we get more information. Here's what we currently know:

* They are either a short man or a very stocky and flat woman.

* They are very fast, Mover 2 at minimum.

* They have some sort of Master-bond with a vulture they named Cathartes (which is most likely from Cathartes aura, the scientific name for the turkey vulture)

* They are extremely skilled in an unknown style of martial arts.

Here's unconfirmed rumors about them:

* They're a Changer able to turn into small animals.

* They have a Striker power that lets them necrotize flesh.

And those are the more believable rumors, you should hear some of the ones around the PRT watercooler.

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[b]►Reave [/b] (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

Seriously Bagrat, we need to have a talk about how you get your information.

[b]►Aloha [/b]

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

Is there something in the water? Why do you guys have so many capes?

[b]►Brocktonite03 [/b] (Veteran Member)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

So no more dragons? Just the one? oh good, that's a relief.

[b]►B0syx [/b] (Verified Asshat)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

So the chinks got another recruit? That's three against the Empire's how many again?

[b]►0phioc [/b] (Unverified Cape)  (Mushroom Farmer)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

And said Empire had how much trouble with just the previous two? Sides, I'll bet money on Tinman not being near as much a Bro as Yao Ming is.

[b]►XxVoid_CowboyxX [/b] (Banned)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

Yao Ming? the basketball player? What's he got to do with anything?

[b]►All_Seeing_Eye [/b]

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

I can't believe I'm saying this but Void...

Nope

no, I refuse to believe it

no one is that stupid

[b]►0phioc [/b] (Unverified Cape)  (Mushroom Farmer)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

What? He's a giant, especially compared to me. And he's a complete Bro, I don't care what anyone else says. Ain't no way the alphabet soup brigade's talkin' me to work for them.

[b]►B0syx [/b] (Verified Asshat)

Replied On Jan 1st 2011:

Assuming that @0phioc is the new cape in question, would you be opposed to a private discussion where I concisely explain where exactly you goofed in joining the chinks?

I'm a self proclaimed Asshat, but that doesn't mean I can't keep my feelings out of the public eye...and in view of the ban-hammer.

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