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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2010 20:46:08 GMT -5
After taking care of business in DC, Jackie and the boys had returned home to New York City, for a little rest and relaxation, before heading to Madripoor, to really put the Franchetti's on the map.
Upon arrival, Jackie had been given news that some woman was wandering his streets, dressed like a female Clint Eastwood. Rumor had it she was just, and had a habit of taking out criminals. While Jackie knew he wasn't exactly on the up and up in everything he did, he was good for keeping the civilians safe, and he knew that was something most of the 'heroes' he'd dealt with were willing to over look. And he knew he'd need someone in NYC while he was in Madripoor taking care of arrangements. He knew there was always another Boss looking to take over this city, and he wasn't about to let it go.
So, he'd had Butcher contact this Blondie, and set up a meeting between them. He already had Darek running the family in DC, and he was planning on offering the same chance to Blondie, for NYC. Once he had the two cities covered, he'd be good to take care of his business in Asia.
Walking into the bar in which they'd set the meeting, Jackie was glad to see the owner had cleared the bar, and dimmed the lights a little. Jackie had added these stipulations, in case Blondie wasn't quite as social as he hoped. If he needed, he'd be able to use the Darkness, though he wasn't planning on using any of the Darklings, the foul mouthed little imps would just serve to worsen the situation, if things went south...
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Jan 29, 2010 21:06:20 GMT -5
Blondie walked down the streets of New York city. Her blonde air was ruffled by the slight breeze and with a deep sigh, she tilted her hat upwards as she looked at the old buildings. They were in pretty bad shape. And Blondie could only shake her head in disgust. She wanted to help these people. But sometimes there were some people that she just couldn't save. Her father had told her that years ago when she was younger. But she had saved him. And many people thought that was just as impossible.
Normally, she wouldn't had even dared to meet this man. Or any man like him. But she had no choice. Mr. Estacado came to her. And for whatever reason, he needed her. Or needed to talk to her at least. Maybe, she mused, he's heard of how I dress.
It wasn't that bad. Blondie knew why people made it a big deal though. She looked like Clint Eastwood's character for the "Man with No Name" trilogy. And in some ways, that was the point. Blondie even took the actor's name from perhaps his most popular movie. She loved them. In fact, she was actually trying to look like him. Her father, thought it was a little ridiculous, but he was glad that his daughter had at least one decent male role model in her life.
"Hmm." She hummed as she walked across the street. The bar was notorious for having some bad men. So, as a precaution, Blondie drew her revolver out and began to open the door. The room surprised her. It was nothing that she had imagined.
It was pretty dark, with a few lights. And in one of the booths was the man of the hour. She smiled slightly. "Heard you wanted to talk to me, hmm...it sounded pretty urgent too." She placed her gun in her gun belt as she gestured to herself. "Well, here I am."
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2010 22:29:53 GMT -5
As the woman walked into the bar, Jackie chuckled a little at her holding a gun. He knew she saw herself as some kind of hero, and on some level, she had the right to not trust him, after all, he was the head of one of the biggest families in New York. Sure, he protected the people on his turf, he donated to charity, he did things his Uncle Frankie would have considered foolish endeavors, wastes of time. Yet, not every hero off the streets knew that much about him. Not that we was worried, even if she managed to kill him, he wouldn't stay dead long. Plus, it'd take more than a gun to leave him dead, in this bar, he was in his element. In more ways then one.
"Yeah, here you are, Ms. Blondie. I assume you don't trust me, but allow me to introduce myself, anyways. I'm Jackie Estacado, and as I'm sure Butcher explained, I'm somethin' of an important man in this city. I called you here cause I have... Business... To take care of in Madripoor, little island nation in Asia, you may have heard of it. Anyways, my boys here are pretty good about following my rules, long as they have someone to lead them. That's where you come in, Ms. I'd like you to run the family here in New York, I understand we share some key beliefs. Maybe the life of crime ain't what you're lookin' for, but, look at it this way, workin' with the family, you control what they can an' can't do. I already have them watchin' out for civilians, makin' sure no one gets hurt who ain't got it comin', I just need you to keep things runnin' that way, and to keep business flowin'." Sure, he was skipping the small talk, but in his understanding, people like her weren't to keen on pleasantries, anyways.
He said his piece, offered her a choice. Everything now, was in her hands. If she'd take the reigns, he'd lay down the ground rules. They ran rackets, sure... They had gambling rings, loan sharks, and even a brothel or two, nothing people didn't choose to get involved with. Hell, he'd even heard of a few self-proclaimed heroes enjoying those services more than he used to, before the Darkness...
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Jan 30, 2010 0:05:49 GMT -5
Blondie nodded in her head as she listened to Jackie talk. It was odd hearing a man who ran an entire crime organization call her Miss, but she didn't let it bother her too much. She just simply listened to what he had to say, and she took it all in. Apparently, he wanted her to run his "family" while he was away on "business". Now what business he was away on, was not her problem. She knew when to ask questions, and when to keep her mouth shut. And this was one of those opportune times to just shut up.
Of course, when he finally did stop talking, she took in a breath before sitting down in the seat across from him. Her blue eyes were emotionless as she tapped the top of the table three times.
"You're absolutely right, Mr. Estacado. I'm not a particular fan of the whole crime enterprise deal...but from what I've about you and from what I've seen...you're a little bit different." Blondie then tilted her hat upwards so he could see her face better. "Different is good. And since I know you don't want me to waste any more time than we need to, I accept your offer." Even though my instincts are telling me that...this isn't the smartest thing to do.
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Post by Admin on Jan 30, 2010 17:13:17 GMT -5
"Welcome to the family, Ms. Blondie. I'm sure that you'll find everythin' is in order for ya. Like I said, I'm lookin' ta leave you in charge here... I don't want no drugs, no extortion... We protect the people 'cause we can, not 'cause they pay, I'm sure that's a sentiment you understand. As for the loan sharks, keep an eye on 'em, some of 'em still run things like Uncle Frankie did, and they get a bit violent. You run into any problems, you take care of 'em how you see fit. You and I, we're family now, and we take care of our own. For your services, you'll get more than just a cut of our earnings. Long as you keep things runnin', you get Uncle Frankie's old penthouse, the entire building, to do with as ya please. And, as head of the family here, you ain't never gotta pay for anything. Sure, we pay the cops to ignore our gambling rackets and brothels... That may bother ya, an' if thats the case, you can leave that aspect of the business to one of the lieutenants. All of them are fellas I trust... The soldattos, though... Keep an eye on 'em, they ain't all as... Charitable... As I try an' be." Well, she'd taken the position. That left Jackie with good people in charge of the two biggest cities in his empire so far, and that was good. Darel wouldn't turn on the family, not without someone as strong as Jackie turning him, and Jackie didn't see that happening. And now, he had the vigilante Blondie running New York, some of the boys might be upset over losing the promotion, but most of them understood why Jackie had chosen Blondie first. He needed someone in charge who didn't think like Uncle Frankie or the other families... Someone who had morals just as strong, in fact, probably stronger, than his own, to keep things under control.
"Now, you got any questions? Anythin' you wanna know about your new status in this city?" He didn't know how much she knew about leading a family, but it was a lot of responsibility, especially to give someone off the streets. Normally, he would have given the job to someone trustworthy, but Butcher was coming with him to Asia, and he didn't particularly feel like leaving any of the lieutenants in charge... Much as he trusted them in the positions they were in, he'd never give any of them control over the family, too tempting for the average made man, and Jackie wasn't about to deal with a power struggle in his own family.
As he waited for any questions Blondie may have, Jackie waved to the bartender, having a pint brought over for himself, and one for Blondie, if she was interested. Raising the glass to his lips, Jackie thought on all that had been happening in the world recently. The appearance of two new continents, Hyrule and The Lost Continent, he wasn't sure how navigating to Madripoor would go, but he wasn't about to worry too much. If he got lost and ended up on one of the new continents, he probably wouldn't be stuck there too long... And if he was, he'd get things under control quickly enough, and be back on his way...
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Jan 30, 2010 18:34:20 GMT -5
She waved the bartender away. "I don't drink," she muttered before looking back to Jackie. "No offense, but I never have and I never will." And she was telling the truth. Blondie didn't like drinking because she figured whatever pain and whatever sorrows you were trying to cover, would just come back. Even though this was entirely different. Jackie was drinking to her. Which was a nice enough gesture, but it still wasn't something that would make her change her mind.
And now that the man asked, she did have a few questions. Some were already answered but there was one she couldn't help but ask herself.
"Actually," she paused, "what exactly do you do? I mean, I ain't a fool. I know what a crime family does. But...yours is different. And I was thinking...why did you pick me? Surely, there are far better people out there. Heck, even I can think of some better people. But...I guess I'm honored. It is nice knowing I have the respect from someone like you, Mr. Estacado. Of course, I still want to know why I was chosen. If that isn't that too much to ask for."
Blondie flashed him a smirk as she then let out a long sigh. If father could see me now.
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Post by Admin on Jan 30, 2010 20:10:47 GMT -5
"You mean what rackets we involved in? Since I took over, we mostly focus on gamblin' an' we run a few brothels. Business is good, no one works for either racket, without asking to work there. We don't force no one to work for us, I don't play those games. Outside of that, we're involved in the loans business, help people out when they need it... Long as they pay us back. They miss a payment or two, it's fine, more than that, send an enforcer to remind 'em they don't get no free ride. Remind the enforcer to just rough 'em up a bit, no broken bones, no major assaults, just a little pain to remind them not to screw us over." Jackie wasn't too offended at her not drinking, wasn't the first time he'd met someone like that. If anything, it was something he could appreciate, something he could respect.
As for why he'd sought her out in particular, Jackie was a little surprised she hadn't already figured it out. "Why you, Ms. Blondie? Let's face facts here, most of my boys ain't exactly the type we wanna give lotsa power to. You, though... You got a good head on your shoulders, I ain't hear nothin' but good things about you, and for that... I wanted ta offer you the chance to control the way crime in this city is run... Gonna let you choose the course of this city, long as business goes well, and long as my family is kept up to my standards, I'm glad you're here."
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Jan 31, 2010 13:37:21 GMT -5
"Good. Sounds easy enough than Mr. Estacado. Not that I'm saying this job is easy, but I can tell you that it is doable." Blondie then took her hat off as she laid it on the table. Normally, she never took her hat off when she was out in public. But she was with a friend, or a friend so to speak, and it really didn't matter to her anymore.
She looked at Jackie with kind eyes. It was odd meeting a crime lord who actually cared for civilians. Most of the time, they didn't give a damn. If someone got hurt, that was their own problem. But Jackie...Jackie did care. Of course, that didn't stop him from running typical "business" operations. I wonder if he really has any concern for those, or if he just does it make his image look better. Of course, it wasn't her place to say. She would find out soon enough.
Blondie shrugged. "You can think my father for that. He's the man who taught me how to behave in this world. He's the one who taught me how to wield a gun and how to keep your friends closer, and your enemies closer. I suppose I owe everything to him. Which...is a good thing."
She then leaned back, snickering to herself. "Of course he wasn't the only one. I mean, I'm sure people have told you I have an uncanny habit as parading around as "The Man with No Name", right? Well...the way how I figured it is...why not choose Eastwood as my model? Even if it is all fiction, I've meant many people who wouldn't even dare challenge me to a shoot out just because I looked intimidating." Blondie threw her hands up in a small gesture, "ridiculous but smart. And I can tell you right now, if anyone does want to mess with your "family", you've left it in good hands."
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Post by Admin on Jan 31, 2010 16:43:18 GMT -5
"That's a good lesson you're father taught ya... I never met my old man, an' the bastard that raised me, Uncle Frankie Franchetti, only ever taught me to kill... I had to gain my morals on my own..." Jackie was glad to see he'd made the right choice in this matter. All else aside, she was definitely going to probe a worthwhile member of the family. And, if all went well, a valued ally, as well.
"As for the 'Man with No Name', yeah, there's been stories about that... Hell, even some of my boys were intimidated by ya at first... But that's a good thing, is what it is, especially in this business... You'll fit in well, here." As he finished his glass and set it down, Jackie let his mind wander into thoughts of how Blondie would handle things. Whether or not all the boys would accept the changes she'd likely bring...
"I'ma give you a warnin' now...Some of the boys... They may not like what you be doin', if they get outta hand... Try and turn on ya, it's turnin' on the family, an' you treat them same way you'd treat any other common thug, last thing I need is for some power hungry soldatto to attempt to take over the family, ya know?"
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Jan 31, 2010 21:22:39 GMT -5
Of course. "I figured as much." She actually had to hide a smile when she heard that his own men were frightened by her. But then again, Blondie didn't blame them. She was very ruthless when she had to be and sometimes her emotions, especially her intensity, got the best of her.
"I think your men might like me. If they're as hospitable as you, and don't mind the change, then we should be on good terms. I'm not that hard to get along with. In fact, I'm actually very easy going. Of course...it takes a lot to earn my trust." Blondie looked at the man's glass. "The only reason why I'm even working with you is because I happen to respect you. Plus...you've been nice enough that I can't really say no, right?"
"But don't worry about me. Just worry about yourself."
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Post by Admin on Jan 31, 2010 22:13:44 GMT -5
"Yeah, I know, Ms. Blondie, rules of the business. I may be leavin' you in charge, don't mean I ain't keepin' tabs. Long as we respect each other, trust'll come with time. That's the way I look at it." Good, she wasn't a fool. That only gave Jackie more reason to respect her, and made him a little more comfortable about leaving the family in the hands of a stranger. Anyone willing to keep themselves in their minds at all times, was someone Jackie wanted working with him.
"Though, I do have a few questions before we settle everythin', Ms. Blondie. I expect you ta change things to represent you're personal moral stands... The brothels I don't care about, do with them what ya want, I only kept 'em goin' cause they made good money... But the gamblin' rackets, loan sharks... Them boys I need to keep workin', gotta get money in somehow... And any other gang or family moves in on our turf, I expect ya to keep under control... Ya dig?"
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Feb 1, 2010 15:26:38 GMT -5
Hmm.... She hadn't had time to really think about it. But Blondie understood why Jackie was concerned. That was the problem leaving someone else in charge. You never know just what exactly they're going to do. If he had picked his own men, then maybe things would be alright. But, where Blondie was concerned, it was a little bit overwhelming.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Blondie needed to find an answer, and she needed to find it now. It wasn't that she was afraid of keeping Jackie waiting, that had nothing to do with it, but she did need a plan. And as of right now, none were coming to mind. "Just give me a couple more seconds," she whispered back. It was hard thinking about what she was going to do. Blondie knew she couldn't drastically change the "family". Jackie wouldn't like it one bit, but she didn't necessarily want to follow his rules. And it dawned on her. If she wasn't ready to follow his rules, she would make her own.
"You said that the cops don't bother messing with you, then we'll keep the loan sharks. That will make more than enough profit if we also keep the gambling and racketeering rings too. But...," Blondie flashed her eyes open, "as far as the brothels...I think we can lose them for now. Naturally, I ain't too happy to have them around to begin with. And it only makes sense. Brothels are more trouble than they are good...not that they're good to begin with."
"And as for other gangs stepping on our toes, I'll handle it. I know how important it is to flex your muscles every now and then. Of course, we'll be more civil. For now. Those men probably deserve worse but sometimes it's worth it to let them be. Who knows...they prove to be excellent family members in the future."
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Post by Admin on Feb 2, 2010 3:16:35 GMT -5
"I can understand the brothel thing... Few years ago, places like was all I cared about... These days, I ain't got much reason to go there myself... But I can see how it might be seen as... Unnecessary by other people. For now, this city is in your hands, an' I'll trust your judgment, long as I don't lose too much, which, given recent... Expansions... I don't exactly expect to happen." Honestly, as long as Jackie got his payments, he'd be happy. This Blondie girl seemed like she'd be able to bring something new to the family, something useful.
"As for our rivals, I ain't go no worries there, either... No need for us to be spillin' first blood, or takin' over turf we ain't got no right to claim. Long as they don't go 'round killin' our boys, we can let bygones be bygones. Ain't nothin' wrong with that." Feeling confident in the choice he'd made, Jackie held his hand out towards the blonde cowgirl. "Before we get too far inta this, allow me the pleasure of really welcomin' ya to the family. We take care of our own, as I may have said, an' now, we'll be takin' care of you, too."
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Post by Ashleigh "Blondie" Williams on Feb 4, 2010 16:39:58 GMT -5
She took his hand and shook it. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Estacado. And while I still think I'm exactly the right person for the job, I'm not backing out. I know that you went through some great lengths to get in contact with me, and for that I'm flattered." Blondie took her hand back and laid both of her arms on the table. "I respect your family. So, if you're going to protect me then I figure I have to repay the favor."
Blondie actually enjoyed talking to Jackie. He was a pretty smart man. Which she hadn't expected, and he had excellent manners. I wonder what side he really fights for. He...takes a lot of things to heart but he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. I guess...I guess this is what it's like when people think they're looking in a mirror. Jackie...is everything I am. Well...maybe not everything. But out of all the people that I've ever met, this man is the closest damn one.
She looked back to her hat and with a swift motion, she placed it back onto her head. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me before we wrap things up, or are we ready to head out?"
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Post by Admin on Feb 6, 2010 23:15:41 GMT -5
"I'm sure that was everythin' important... Anythin' else might come up, I have faith you'll know what to do... If ya have any questions, you'll be able to contact me. I'll be leaving a small cadre of my most trusted boys here to help ya out... They can give ya any info ya might need ta contact me. I have a feelin' it's gonna be a pleasure doin' business with ya, Ms. Blondie." With that, Jackie allowed himself to relax a little. Now that the business was over, he could allow himself to be a little more genial.
"So, before we end this little meetin' of ours, anythin' ya think ya might need ta know? If not, my boys can take ya to the penthouse, help ya get settled in... I'll be leavin' shortly after our meetin' so... Soon as ya walk out that door, you're in charge of my city... An' remember, not everybody is gonna accept a new boss... Any problems, you call down to DC, got a boy down there... Darel Franchetti, he took the family name as his own when he got his position, runnin' things... Ya need help and can't get me, ya get in touch with him... You think he's actin' against the family's interests, ya do what ya need to keep things flowin' smooth. After I get everythin' taken care of that I need done, I'll send for the two of ya, bring ya out ta this Madripoor I'm takin', an' we'll have a family reunion..."
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