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Oct 19, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Oct 19, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
In the end everything collides 366  @scrap The girl was rapidly proving that she wasn't stupid. Hopefully she also wouldn't be stupid enough to try and double cross Sonnet, not many people were. "Don't worry, I'll allow for some overlap."
It wasn't as if she was going to reveal who was on her payroll to the girl. She might be trusting her to spy for her, but she certainly didn't trust her enough to start sharing delicate and valuable information like that. For all she knew the girl might just march straight off to the highest bidder with whatever she found out.
The next question was different however. What she planned to do was valuable information, it would let the gangs know whether to prepare for an attack or to go on the offense. It might make a difference in how the girl went about her business though. She might be more or less enthusiastic about her task. She might get more useful information based on what she thought Sonnet might be planning to do. Sonnet didn't know this girl, she didn't trust her.
"What I'm doing is of no concern of yours right now. Bring me some legitimate, valuable information and I'll consider giving you more direction."
The pasta was delicious, al dente, with seafood and a tomato based sauce. She daintily, if a little swiftly, worked her way through the bowl, packing away half of it with almost contemptuous ease. The way she ate was strange, she was clearly enjoying the food, but it disappeared into her gullet with a speed that suggested she'd not eaten in several days, yet without any of the mess that one might typically associate with such an experience.
"Consider it an audition, the better you do, the more benefits you get."
The waiter returned to clear the empty steak plate and the now empty bowl of fries. He asked if there was anything else they wanted. Sonnet nodded, "The dessert menu."
She was still eating, but a little more time to choose wouldn't hurt. Once the waiter was gone she turned back to her dinner companion.
"Who knows, if you're good enough your life might become a lot more comfortable than it is right now."
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see |
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Oct 12, 2019 13:36:21 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Oct 12, 2019 13:36:21 GMT
In the end everything collides 235 So she was an idiot as well. Sonnet snorted, taking another bite of her burger as the woman described her as serious. It was true, but that was because Sonnet was a lieutenant in the Yamaguchi-Gumi. Her father had been an Oyabun, and she had every intention of returning her family's honour to that vaunted position.
Unfortunately the woman continued talking, Sonnet nodding along to show that she was listening, meanwhile she was wondering how she'd managed to get herself tied in with this woman now. Chaos… she liked chaos. It reminded her of another woman she had run into in New York, Evelyn. She'd liked chaos too, and had been dangerously unhinged on top of that. Was this woman as unstable as the strange, scarred amputee had been? Or could she be a useful resource.
It depended really, if flight was all she could do then she would nothing but a liability. If she came with the rest of the superman package then she could do some serious damage to someone, including the gangs that were currently attempting to encroach onto Sonnet's territory.
"You start things don't you?"
She already had a good idea of the answer, of course she did. Sonnet was not averse to a brawl. Her temper was held, at best, on a very flimsy leash, but she did good business.
"How hard are you looking? And do you want help?"
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see |
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Oct 12, 2019 13:07:19 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Oct 12, 2019 13:07:19 GMT
In the end everything collides 398 @scrap Sonnet began to eat, slicing apart the steak with deft and sure strokes. The meat was lean and rare, only steak that cost fifty dollars could be that undercooked. It was accompanied with thick cut fries and salad. There were another two bowls of fries in the middle of the table, and she pushed one of them towards the teen sat opposite her before taking a fry from the remaining bowl and dipping it in salsa before eating it.
She watched as the waif started eating. It was likely the girl had never eaten food this good. People like her certainly weren't welcome in places like this. People like Sonnet were rarely welcome in places like this, but her expensive taste in fashion meant that people didn't look too closely, didn't question the significance of the tattoos.
The Event had destabilised everything, from the top of society to the bottom, and the criminal underworld hadn't escaped it. People waking up with metahuman powers hadn't just led to villains trying to rob banks. Gangs that had been little more than inconveniences had suddenly found themselves with super powered muscle, turning into credible threats overnight. Two major players in New York's underworld had been deposed by wannabe crime bosses with metahuman abilities or cronies. When things like that happened people suffered. Cop's on the take started working for other people, new gangs started posturing, blood was spilled.
None of it was good for business. Kenshin had done his best to maintain peace, but the Yamaguchi-Gumi had been unfortunate in its portion of the metahuman pie. Sonnet was a potent Traveller, but she was only one woman, and her ability did not make her a solution to every problem. What they needed, was to know more about the new gangs, their members, their avenues of income, the cops they had on the payroll. The lieutenant was under no illusions as to how much information Scrap could really provide, but she had no ties, and that made her valuable, in a way.
"The new gangs, the Ravagers, the Eyes, everyone else. Whatever you can find out, especially about their muscle."
She'd already finished the steak, and pulled a bowl of still steaming pasta over to herself. "And don't bring me information I could find out from anyone else. You want to stay on my good side? Make sure you make yourself useful."
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see |
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Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Oct 7, 2019 19:27:51 GMT
In the end everything collides 134 Sonnet snorted. "When I say people like you, I mean idiots."
There must be enough places in the world where metas weren't welcome that simply floating down into the street would attract unwanted attention. Either this girl was just that stupid, just that arrogant, or just that tough. Judging by her behaviour, she at least thought she was just that tough.
As one of the most powerful metahumans active in New York she had a habit of keeping up with the metahumans active here, and she knew there were one or two she would think twice about crossing. Not least being Tank, the super-tough, highly controversial Hero that had beaten her in their only confrontation to date.
She shrugged, "I'm a meta."
That still left the obvious question open though. "Why are you here?"
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Sept 26, 2019 19:43:12 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 26, 2019 19:43:12 GMT
In the end everything collides 416 @scrap Sonnet understood exactly what Scrap meant. Street gangs were rarely, if ever, welcome places for women. Those that were 'members' tended to be exploited. The Yamaguchi-Gumi were far above the level of a common street gang, but they too had a male dominated power structure. That Sonnet was a member at all was unusual, that she was a Lieutenant was almost unheard of, especially considering her lack of attachment. If it hadn't been for the past influence of her father she would no doubt have been removed from the group in one way or another, likely none of them pleasant.
As it was someone had tried to replace her, and in that same attempt she had earned her abilities at the same time as the vicious scar across her throat. It had been the day that she'd suddenly become more valuable to Kenshin. She was a powerful metahuman now. Teleporters were rare, and Sonnet was a strong one. It didn't make her secure though, she still had to perform to be anything other than a tool, and things hadn't been going well for her.
That the girl had survived relatively intact was in itself impressive, Sonnet had lived under the shadowy hand of her father's power for most of her life, the honour code of the Yakuza protecting her for at least a while after his death. This girl hadn't had that protection, so she clearly was no fool, even if she had been stupid enough to attempt to rob a Yakuza Lieutenant.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to deal."
She shrugged, picking at the bread, glancing up as the waiter began to approach from the kitchen with the first of what would be a number of trays. "You're old enough, but I have dealers, and I don't need another one to find territory for. What I need right now is someone without territory. You don't have a gang, you don't have family. There's no way you have territory, which means you can move in and out of other people's."
The waiter, finally arriving under the weight of a loaded tray, began to lay food on the table. It was an impressive feast, including a pizza, a plate of pasta and a steak before he turned about and headed back to the kitchen for more food, including two bowls of fries.
"You get me information. In return I don't kill you, I feed you once a week, and my men won't bother you."
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see |
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Sept 22, 2019 11:17:07 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 22, 2019 11:17:07 GMT
In the end everything collides 118 "Ha."
Sonnet eyeballed Raven, entirely unimpressed with her attempt at humour. "Flying meta has been 'floating around' you're hilarious."
Her tone couldn't really have been much flatter if she'd tried. "You don't watch the news? Read the paper? Have any connection to the rest of the world at all?"
It was difficult to imagine someone, a meta in particular, could have come to New York without being aware of what was going on here. There had been the Shockwave attacks, and more since then, all carried out by metahumans. New York might not be the only city that had suffered since the Event, but the situation here was particularly delicate.
"Well it's not good for people like you."
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Sept 17, 2019 19:19:35 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 17, 2019 19:19:35 GMT
In the end everything collides 385 @milagetz Sonnet was not sulking.
She did not want to be here. That would have been evident to anyone that glanced in her direction. Trailing behind her boss, the aura she gave off almost repelled anyone that came to close to her. It wasn't her expression entirely, though that wasn't what you could call approachable. No, it was the way she walked, the cross of her arms and the downwards tilt of her head.
But she definitely was not sulking.
Really, Sonnet had better things to do than be here. With her territory expanding she was now in control of one of the larger areas of Yakuza influence in New York. She had more dealers, more gambling parlours, more shops to run protection rackets on. She was being pushed to accept responsibilities in the less distasteful sides of the Yamaguchi-Gumi's business in NYC. Yet Kenshin had dragged her along to act as a babysitter for some stupid model.
She hadn't even bothered checking who it was, all she knew was that the company she was with wanted to build connections in NYC, and the legitimate front of their business happened to be a company with a lot of influence here on the East coast. Sonnet was not built for legitimate business. She wasn't exactly built for a life of crime either, at five foot two she was far from imposing, with her petite frame putting people more in mind of a child than a dangerous metahuman. The scar on her neck was almost always visible, and it didn't exactly fit the stereotype of a professional business woman. To anyone that had experience it was clear that she wasn't, although at least her tattoos were mostly concealed.
Kenshin did look the part however. He was, in a word, grey. Grey hair, grey suit, grey skin, and somehow, a grey voice. You couldn't have created a man more suited for the business world than Kenshin. Which was part of what made him such a terrifying man to be an Oyabun. He looked at things so clinically, with a mind solely focused on the risk and the profit.
He paused, obviously having found the person he was looking for, then turned to introduce his glowering subordinate.
"Allow me to introduce Sonnet Matsuda, she will be accompanying you this week."
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Sept 16, 2019 18:36:02 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 16, 2019 18:36:02 GMT
In the end everything collides 152 Sonnet snorted, "Right."
Sonnet had been bothered by men before, it was extremely unusual that any of them would bother her again. Usually they only required a casual brush off, occasionally some men required more… determined responses. Sonnet was happy to oblige. Men that didn't take the hint might receive a broken finger, or worse. They didn't bother her again after that.
There was a shout from behind the counter, then three greasy burgers and four bags of equally greasy fries were tossed onto the metal surface beside them. Sonnet glanced over, then stood, crossing to grab the food, carrying it back and dropping it carelessly onto the plastic table between the two women. Sitting, she divvied up the food, pushing one of the burgers and fries towards the other woman.
Ripping open the paper of one of her burgers, she paused before taking a bite. "I'm Sonnet… Why are you here?"
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Sept 13, 2019 18:10:26 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 13, 2019 18:10:26 GMT
In the end everything collides 214 So she was an idiot as well as a metahuman. Sonnet almost rolled her eyes. "No, nothing to do with your accent strangely enough."
She walked the woman into the burger joint. The tables, mostly empty, were lined up in three columns, with stretches of dirty unwashed tiles separating each column. A man idly pushed around a mop and bucket, he was evidently supposed to be cleaning, but it was pretty clear that his efforts were having little effect. Two south Asian men were stood behind the counter, talking quietly in another language. They stopped when they noticed that their new potential customers included Sonnet. One of them said a word that was clearly an expletive, then disappeared further back into the kitchen. A clatter of pots ensued, followed by angry shouting.
The other man simply watched Sonnet warily, at least until she dropped a twenty on the counter, then pulled her new acquaintance over to a seat. "You were going to get into serious trouble acting like that."
She didn't bother looking around the small diner. The other customers were clearly making a point of ignoring the two women, looking steadfastly in the other direction, though no one was so explicit as to actually get up and leave. "They don’t like Metas here…"
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Sept 6, 2019 21:19:42 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 6, 2019 21:19:42 GMT
In the end everything collides 208 It could have gone very badly, the woman could have simply shot straight up, taking Sonnet with her. She could have started a fight with the guy who had thrown the abuse. Sonnet had no idea what this woman's power was, flight was clearly a part of it, but there was every chance she could have another ability on top of it. Who knew what kind have carnage might have occurred on the street.
Sonnet was not exactly sympathetic to the average meta-hating New Yorker, but she didn't particularly want to see a bloodbath occurring on her territory, it would be bad for business. She steered the woman away from the man, around the corner. He didn't follow, people might dislike metahumans, but they weren't stupid. Confrontations with normal humans might lead to nothing more than a fist fight, when those fists were laden with explosive energy people tended to be leery of physical confrontation.
"You're clearly not from around here. So let me just say that dropping out of the sky like that probably shortens your lifespan dramatically."
She kept walking with the woman until she saw a sign that she knew would mean they would be safe. The patrons of this particular place wouldn't bother them.
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Sept 6, 2019 20:39:33 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Sept 6, 2019 20:39:33 GMT
In the end everything collides 283 Metahumans were unpopular in New York. They had been ever since the Shockwave attack shortly after the event. Hundreds of people had died and one of NYC's most famous monuments was still currently in the process of being rebuilt. Despite the best efforts of the Hero Program the people of NYC seemed to be showing no signs of growing more fond of metas. Documented metahumans were leaving the state in alarming numbers as a result.
Due to this public attitude, dropping from the sky was a sure fire way to get abuse hurled at you. Which promptly happened.
"Get your freak ass out of here"
The man hurling said abuse was dressed fairly roughly, with cheap, worn jeans and a stained hoody. That didn't stop the people passing by him from throwing dirty looks in the metahuman's direction. Except for one, a woman dressed in a thousand dollar, designer pant suit.
Sonnet Matsuda had no problem with metahumans, likely as a result of her own similarities. Her specific ability was to teleport, and it made her one of the Yakuza's most valuable assets. She had been a lieutenant before she'd been a metahuman, but the Event had only benefitted her criminal career.
Knowing that it would only be a matter of time until the dirty looks and dirtier language escalated, she stepped forward, taking the woman by the elbow. Her voice was clipped and mechanical, the kind of tone you only get when you learn something as a second language. It wasn't helped by the ugly red scar that worked awkwardly as she spoke, making her voice hoarse.
"Unless you want to be pelted with bottles and trash, we should go somewhere else."
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Aug 19, 2019 14:30:06 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Aug 19, 2019 14:30:06 GMT
In the end everything collides 347 @scrap Sonnet helped herself to a portion of the bruschetta once it was delivered by the waiter, although she did so without the starving gusto displayed by Scrap. Sonnet could possibly have downed the bread with much the same alacrity and satisfaction, but she had a lot of food coming to satisfy the deep hunger that her power had awakened in the pit of her stomach. Bread would offer little salve to that, but she tore off a chunk of the salted, buttered staple nonetheless.
It was good, freshly baked clearly, not that she would have expected anything less at a restaurant so expensive. The girl was understandably curious about Sonnet's plans for her. After all, it had only been a few minutes ago that Sonnet had seriously been considering simply blowing her brains out. As the girl had no doubt worked out, people like Sonnet rarely spared someone like her without something they wanted.
Still, Sonnet didn't want the girl involved in her Yakuza business, not directly. Already her standing was in doubt, several failings and some bad luck had led to her current position, with her authority in question. Bringing in a rescue from the streets would only increase doubts in her capabilities, and she didn't intend to rock the foundations of her power by doing so. Still, she wanted to keep an eye on the tearaway, if only to make sure that the girl didn't report Sonnet's apparent mercy to anyone else.
"Yes, you do owe me."
It made sense that she keep the girl on the payroll, it might do to have someone outside of her usual territory. Sonnet rarely worried about where she was, after all, it was the work of a thought to be out of trouble. She rarely paid attention to other gangs outside of ensuring they kept to their own business and their own territories, but it couldn't hurt to have someone who moved among the groups of unattached street kids in her pocket.
"You don't have a gang do you?"
It was closer to a statement than a question.
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Aug 10, 2019 11:09:31 GMT
Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Aug 10, 2019 11:09:31 GMT
In the end everything collides 339 @scrap The girl, Scrap, was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, the earlier smugness fading once she turned from the waiter back to the high level member of organised crime. In truth, Sonnet was enjoying the reaction that Scrap was eliciting from the other patrons of the restaurant. Sonnet usually received at least a few sideways glances thanks to her proudly displayed tattoos, but they usually cleared up when people clocked the designer handbag and shoes. That clearing up wouldn't be happening with someone as scruffily dressed as Scrap.
Sonnet quirked an eyebrow in amusement at Scrap's question. It was fair, she had spun the whole situation on it's heel in the space of a few seconds. Only a minute ago she had been holding a gun to the girl's face, now she was feeding her. Sonnet was confused herself.
"Wishing you'd ordered something more expensive? I can call him back?"
She took a sip of her wine, it was light, crisp, and very good. It should be, it was an expensive bottle of wine. Placing the wine glass back on the table, she refocused on Scrap, ignoring the occasional glances that the restaurants other guests kept throwing in their direction. She studied the girl's face. She looked hungry, clearly a street kid, and probably not attached to a gang. It was unlikely someone had put her up to stealing Sonnet's purse.
"No, I'm not going to kill you."
She didn't need to make any reference to the fact that she would kill the girl if she crossed her. It was implicit enough.
She rolled her eyes as she continued, driving Father Mathias out of her mind. "I'm trying to be a better person. Sort of…"
After all, she was still a significant figure in the New York City drug trade, along with several other illegal lines of work that the Yamaguchi-Gumi controlled. Being a better person would entail a far more significant change in life style than sparing and feeding one street urchin.
"I will offer you a deal though."
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Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Aug 3, 2019 10:47:20 GMT
In the end everything collides 374 @scrap The waiter spotted their return as Sonnet sat down, bring the bottle of wine she had ordered earlier. He hesitated as he saw who Sonnet was with. After all, the petite Japanese woman was clearly dressed in expensive designer clothes. Her companion on the other hand, clearly did not move in the same circles. If it weren't for the worn and clearly second-hand clothing then her thin and undernourished appearance would have betrayed her less fortunate background.
Sonnet waited while the waiter poured a glass of the wine, then sent him back to get a coke for her new dinner companion. She hadn't bothered asking what the girl would want, although she realised then that she didn't know the girls name. It seemed strange to her that she cared. Maybe she should ask Father Mathias about that. Or maybe she should stop seeing him, he was the reason she was adopting these strange and altruistic habits.
"I'm Sonnet"
She perused the menu for a moment, before sliding it across the table in front of the young girl.
"Pick what you want."
It would probably be some of the most expensive food the girl had ever eaten. Even if she had gotten away with Sonnet's bag and managed to sell it there was no way the manager would let her eat in his restaurant, she definitely brought the tone down. Sonnet allowed a faint smile to play over her features as she spotted said manager's face at the back of the restaurant. Maybe she wasn't being entirely altruistic.
The waiter returned with a bottle of coke and a glass, water beading on the outside of the bottle. He placed the drink before the girl, then glanced uncertainly back at his manager. Who simply rolled his eyes. By the time the waiter had turned back to Sonnet his professionalism was firmly back in place.
"Are you ready to order food madam?"
Sonnet sat forward, "Yes, I'll have…"
She then proceeded to order about half the menu, the waiter's ironclad professionalism beginning to struggle when she ordered bruschetta to go with it. With a strained smile he turned to go, but was halted by a cough. Sonnet glanced meaningfully at the street kid.
"Now take her order."
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Post by Sonnet Matsuda on Aug 2, 2019 14:46:04 GMT
In the end everything collides 440 @scrap No, the child wasn't totally stupid. Although clearly they were one of the very lowest dregs of New York's seedy underbelly. One of the rats that scurried about trying to feed from the scraps left behind by bigger predators. Sonnet glanced around at the alleyway as if recognising it. "Well I suppose I am outside of my territory, it's nice to get away on a day off."
She hadn't quite anticipated chasing down a wannabe thief on her day off. In fact she'd planned a much more relaxing day, only part of which had been spoiled. After all, she still had the handbag, and a bottle of wine chilling back at the restaurant. Thinking of the restaurant reminded her of the gnawing hunger in the pit of her stomach. She could go without eating for a little while longer, but it was always an uncomfortable experience for her. Knowing how she might end up if she didn't eat always added a little urgency to the need to eat.
Normally she would have just shot a thief then and there, or at the very least broken a few fingers. To spare someone who had crossed her was distinctly unlike her. Maybe spending too much time with Tank was getting to her. Him and that ice Hero, Glacia. Sonnet frowned, she was spending way too much time with Heroes, albeit completely under the radar. Today she was in a strange mood. A very strange mood. It would have been the work of a moment to punish the thief. She could be gone from the alleyway so quickly that no one would ever work out who it was had shot the urchin in broad daylight. There would have been no consequences. No earthly ones anyway. She'd seen Father Mathias again last night…
And she was hungry.
That was it.
She looked the child up and down again, taking in their undernourished exterior. It didn't take her long to make up her mind, and she gestured sharply back the way they had come. Not that she was intending to risk her shoes in the murky puddles of the alleyway.
"I'm hungry."
Without further warning she reached out and grabbed the girl by the shoulder. There was a faint gasp, and the universe turned inside out. They reappeared in the mouth of the alleyway, Sonnet stepping back quickly in preparation of the inevitable retching that followed the first few trips with her. The nausea had never affected her, but apparently it receded after a couple of minutes. Sonnet began to walk back to the restaurant, pausing with a pointed look until the waif caught up.
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