Parian

“Thank you Mr.Odaga.” She gave a curtsy to the elderly man whose store she’d been advertising in front of, her masks painted Harlequin smile mirroring what was beneath it, her fluttering ornate dress flagging in the evening breeze. Beside her what seemed to be an eight foot white rabbit, decked out in a full top hat and waist coat combination, bowed as well in a much more awkward motion. “I really do appreciate the job exposure. And the cash... especially the cash.”

“It is always good to have you around Ms Parian, You’ve been nothing if not a boon for business. An old man like me has to appreciate it when a youngster is making something of herself.” A smile formed across dark lips contrasted by stark white facial hair, his always immaculate suit hanging about his thin frame as he wore it to day like he did no matter the day, the time or the temperature. “Having one of your type about who isn’t out for the rough and tumble has its benefits on the shop. More customers, and less gangsters. A double win would you not say?”

She couldn’t help but frown behind her doll faced mask, nodding her agreement as she did. In truth this had not been the job which she’d envisioned for herself even a year ago, not in this manner which put her out into the world center stage. She could have never done anything like it without the cover of the mask, or the more complete cover of identity which stretched its way in fabric all across her skin. Purpose work on her part to cover up the dark brown of her skin, one part to escape the potential problems of being a Brown skinned woman in a place which was infested with the worst kind of white supremacist scum, lurking about while she was here in a form which made her highly visible, and one part because she wanted to make a statement about the very state of affairs.

That was her alright, Sabah Ahmad... warrior for love and social justice…

She allowed a small curl to her lips beneath the porcelain mask to herself at the silliness of that particular thought. She’d never been anything quite so altruistic, just… tired. Tired of the looks, the way people spoke about her from side long on the bus, the way people within earshot spoke when they assumed she couldn’t hear it. The way people expected things of her, and pushed and pushed what they wanted. She wasn’t a fighter, her power clumsy, and generally useless for anything other than a bit of intimidation and modeling.

But the shop keepers all appreciated it.

She was apparently quite the godsend in this cape mad world.

“The boardwalk association has been treating me quite well sir.” She demurred, making the rabbit doll beside her take a bow. Mr Odaga’s store wasn’t the only one she worked at, advertising their wares and drumming up customers with cape based spectacle, though he was the one who most often represented their needs as a collective when it came time to bargaining being a mouthpiece. Just something about the old Nigerian man set most people to simply paying attention, and his wry smile always seemed to be hiding something else behind it; but it was always hard to tell if that something was either pleasant or unpleasant. Sabah didn’t suppose that a black man would get far in a town like this on without a few razor blades hidden in his demeanor. She wasn’t unaware of Boardwalk ‘security’ overall, especially not having become essentially a gun for hire to the overall apparatus.

But she made dammed sure never to mention it.

Plausible deniability was a hell of a drug.

At the very least though, she didn’t actually need to fight. Being a cape earning a wage as a Rogue was more than enough to add a bit more pressure on top of the security apparatus which ran in protection of the Bay’s most lucrative tourist front. And for all the bad things she’d heard of going on behind closed doors of the Boardwalk Security… she’d almost purposely never seen any of it herself.

The elder man nodded, smile still firmly fixed upon his lips as looked directly into her eyes. “It has been especially quiet since you began here. The Shopkeeper’s association remains quite grateful for your discrete services. Our security boys have had nothing but good words to send your way.”

She gave a graceful nod at that, even as she grimaced slightly from beneath the mask. “It’s good to know that my presence has been a stabilizing factor sir. Though my work has nothing to do with security.”

It was good to remind them ever so often that she was in fact Not a hired gun… even if her service served a similar function. People getting the wrong ideas about her would not simply be tragic, but crippling to the career which she planned to pursue. Being known for self-defense as a rogue was not even nearly in the same ballpark of reputation as was being known as the hired muscle for ‘Security’ out on the boardwalk. If that kind of thing got around it would be practically inviting others to consider her as any other ‘Hero’ or ‘Villain’ cape, part of a gang, classified and easily compartmentalized away. The Boardwalk security being enough of a gang unto itself for her to be wary of just such a possibility.

For the career she wished, for the message she wanted to eventually send, it would be a blow.

“Of course Ms Odaga, we’ve spoken on this many times before. Still it would be remiss of me, and the rest of my colleagues in the association not to show our gratitude.” The dandy old man smiled as he reached into the pocket on his silk lined jacket in order to produce a single brown stuffed envelope as he placed it in her hand. “Today’s pay, and a bit of the extra that the others wanted to include. Now do not be fretting yourself over such a trifle thing. An enterprising young woman like you needs to be thinking of her future all the time.”

She sighed, taking the overstuffed cash payment. It was more than enough money, more than enough reason to keep coming back, but she knew it was tainted. Not tainted completely like the blood stained cash of the gangs, but more it was a taint which manifested itself upon her future, her aspirations and ambitions. It was in its rawest terms a simple payment for simply being a visible cape in the area. A fixture to help make the tourists feel safer and the various gangs a less brave.

For all the non-violent, non-combat, rogue that she might be, Sabah knew for certain that she was definitely cheaper than paying protection money to ambitious toughs.

“Thank you, Mr. Odaga.” She tried to sound cheerful behind her mask as she took a quick peek within.

It felt like far too much, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“My girl, you have done nothing but hard work since you came. Hyo-chang and Smith both agreed, and everyone else too. We would rather have you here, on our side than elsewhere, even if you never do anything more than dance your puppets prettily outside our doors and make people feel welcome when you work your rounds.” The elder man smiled, his fingers hooked into his pants pockets as he stood almost as if posing. “And besides girl, we all like you very much. It is not as if we cannot see that you’re trying to make a bit of something out of yourself even beyond the power that you have managed to come across. And besides girlie, them dresses that you gave to me, at least one of them has already sold and I owed you a bit of extra money from that in the first place.”

The man grinned, stroking his grey beard as he shot her a sly wink.

“Ah… oh…” She stumbled a moment, cheeks hot with a flash at shame beneath her mask, her more adversarial thoughts overturned with his confessions.

“Now do not worry child. It is no great chore on us. And even the Security do not mind. So take it home, spend some on yourself and maybe someone special eh?” Odaga laughed, a joyful boisterous sound. “Go and enjoy yourself, and take good care of them. It is the prerogative of the young to make merry an eh?”

Sabah simply nodded, even as images of a certain Stray kitten who’d come into her life bubbled up to the surface. Her once homeless room-mate had been a little distant in the last few days, ducking out and spending long periods of time before coming home to the meals that Sabah had come to think of as routine to make. It made her just a bit nervous, what with all that had been going on for the last few days. In a way it had been almost cathartic taking her in, someone who needed her... someone who followed her rules.

She was a bit shamed to say that it had come down to Sasha’s size as she’d thought about bringing her into her home. A small girl, someone who as much physically as otherwise wouldn’t have been able to stand up to her, to push against her will. It was almost disturbing how much Sabah enjoyed the feeling of control inherent in having this girl from the streets dependent upon her. For shelter, for food... the very idea that her word was law.

It sent shivers down Sabah’s spine just to think about it.

It made her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the assumed altruism inherent. It made her worry about herself, about her own purposes. She remembered vividly the accusations behind her back of doing something similar with that boy even as he pushed his way into her life. The whole nightmare of it spiraling out of her control, all the pressure to accept and obey even as people spoke in hushed tones about her being the one who was the manipulative foreign cunt.

... Even now the thoughts still spiraled back onto those dark days, her life slipping away as the boy spoke his dreams over her own. She sighed at that thought.

It was nothing like that with Sasha, the needy little kitten. Nothing at all. The girl hadn’t even gone looking around the apartment even once. Not a single thread which Sabah had laid down had been disturbed. It spoke of someone who obeyed, someone who could in fact actually be trusted. Even if she tended to show up late a lot. And even if Sabah found herself wondering if there could be something… something more to the girl.

Either way though, that late roaming worried her. The streets right now weren’t safe in the dark.

And soon too, might not be safe in the light.

Lung’s defeat and subsequent capture at the hands of Armsmaster had sent shockwaves through the Bay. And the rumour about the Hood-rat… a new cape who’d challenged the ABB and the Empire, were growing. Some of the Asian community customers had even been whispering that Lungs fall had not simply been a function of his tangling with the Protectorate, but instead that the Hood-rat had been part of it all. That the Undersiders, and another new cape as well also had their hand in bringing the Giant down.

She’d never really paid strict attention to the cape scene, not even after her own advent into power, but Sabah didn’t like the idea of a new, dangerous unknown showing up in the bay. Situations were already too unstable, too much trouble brewing all over. It made her skin crawl, like ants all over. Lung was a powerful and dangerous man, and her parents told stories of the kinds of things that could happen when a powerful and dangerous man was toppled.

It would encourage the Nazi’s to get bolder, and the other gangs as well… not to mention that the ABB itself right now was quiet.

Far, far too quiet. It spoke of a bad deal...

“Thank you very much Mr Odaga.” She curtsied respectfully, even as her mind filled with thoughts of what could come. Her employer smiled, and nodded as he shooed her off on her way. She didn’t like the places where her thoughts were taking her, not as she took her time walking to find a safe place to change out of her costume.

No... she didn’t like that deal one little bit.





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3 Days have passed since your fateful brush with Lung.