A Bizarre New World, Chapter One: Cat’s In The Cradle

[Yun Lao]

Once she was done updating KnS, she got up once again and went to the cashier.

"It looks like I'll leaving a little early today so I guess I'll go ahead and settle my tab- well, whenever you're ready for me. Oh, and I guess I also need a to-go box if you have any."

"I'm pretty sure you broke what was left of Nancy's spirit and the pantry," Lenny said, "Total is 435.16."

[Tami]

Debra looked weary, no doubt they hadn't been the first to give their condolences on this long journey.

"There were five of us,"

The large, tattooed man stepped out of the bathroom, his face an impassive stone mask.

"That is Domo Arigatou, my bodyguard," Debra said, thankful to have him in her presence again.

"The other two have letters like you all, but have kept to themselves for most of the trip."

Jinny was starting to feel a little frustrated, "That's not good enough. Unless they have the power to turn invisible, we're all gonna meet eventually. Are they in the Bus? If not, I would suggest that you find them so that we can get going. It's been a long trip for most, if not all of us. As hospitable as this rest stop has been, I'd say it's time to move on, wouldn't you?"

[Yun Lao]

Jinny was starting to feel a little frustrated, "That's not good enough. Unless they have the power to turn invisible, we're all gonna meet eventually. Are they in the Bus? If not, I would suggest that you find them so that we can get going. It's been a long trip for most, if not all of us. As hospitable as this rest stop has been, I'd say it's time to move on, wouldn't you?"

"Ma'am, even if they are a bit anti-social, even loners gotta relieve their bladders occasionally. We'll get the show on the road once everyone is ready," Toby replied.

[Tami]

"Ma'am, even if they are a bit anti-social, even loners gotta relieve their bladders occasionally. We'll get the show on the road once everyone is ready," Toby replied.

"You must have been on the road a long time for all of you to need a bathroom break." Smirking as she spoke, "Fair enough." Jinny then sat back down, figuring it's gonna take longer than she expected.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Uuuuuuggghh," Sandra groaned. "Hey lady, you have any beer in this place?" she asked the old woman who worked in the rest stop. If she was about to go on the road with these people, she sure as **** wasn't going to be sober for it.

Debra looked weary, no doubt they hadn't been the first to give their condolences on this long journey.

"There were five of us,"

The large, tattooed man stepped out of the bathroom, his face an impassive stone mask.

"That is Domo Arigatou, my bodyguard," Debra said, thankful to have him in her presence again.

"The other two have letters like you all, but have kept to themselves for most of the trip."

She raised an eyebrow curiously. "So, two more siblings to join the gang. That's just wonderful," she remarked dryly. There was a lot she wanted to say and ask this woman, but she held back. She had been going through a rough enough time already, what with losing her good-for-nothing husband. The last thing she needed was for some German **** to start probing her for answers and ****.

"How much further until we get to this place?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Debra looked weary, no doubt they hadn't been the first to give their condolences on this long journey.

"There were five of us,"

The large, tattooed man stepped out of the bathroom, his face an impassive stone mask.

"That is Domo Arigatou, my bodyguard," Debra said, thankful to have him in her presence again.

"The other two have letters like you all, but have kept to themselves for most of the trip."


"The Joestar what now?" Toby replied, utterly confused, "I don't know anythin' about a birthmark... a bit TMI if ya ask me, little lady."



She seemed caught off guard, more accustomed to the cynicism of the others, "Sure... I can't promise you much, but if are you the child of Johannes, then we are family."



"Experience. I've driven every single road you can imagine. It's like a sixth sense."



Debra's expression turned cautious, not sure if she even wanted to know the answer, "S-should I?"

"Hmm, I thought since your my late father's widow, you might have heard of my mother from him? I guess my late father, your late, husband wasn't the type of man to talk about how many notches he had on his belt," Boris said.

" It's better that you don't know her because if you did. you would know that she has connections with really terrible people. People who make other people disappear," Boris said.

[Yun Lao]

"Hmm, I thought since your my late father's widow, you might have heard of my mother from him? I guess my late father, your late, husband wasn't the type of man to talk about how many notches he had on his belt," Boris said.

" It's better that you don't know her because if you did. you would know that she has connections with really terrible people. People who make other people disappear," Boris said.

"I see..." It was clear that she was relieved not to hear who this man's mother was.

"Your father was a man who respected each one of his lovers. He made no attempt to hide who he was and his past which... made things easier to accept."

Fleetwood Mac, having remained quiet during this, smirked, "Like accepting the fact that you were going to be just another one of those notches?"

Before Debra or the reporter could react, Domo had lunged forth, seizing Fleetwood by the neck and held him aloft.

"No, Domo! He's not worth it!" Debra shouted, prompting her bodyguard to reluctantly drop him on the floor.

[The Dog]

"The Joestar what now?" Toby replied, utterly confused, "I don't know anythin' about a birthmark... a bit TMI if ya ask me, little lady."

"Excuse me, but why is a birthmark on the back of the neck considered 'too much information?'" Jamie asked curiously.

She seemed caught off guard, more accustomed to the cynicism of the others, "Sure... I can't promise you much, but if are you the child of Johannes, then we are family."

Her smile widened as Jamie responded "That's OK Mrs. Joestar... Mom, because I'm not expecting much. Just having family again is more than enough for me."

"Experience. I've driven every single road you can imagine. It's like a sixth sense."

"If you say so Mr. Keith. I'll trust you say you have a sixth sense." Jamie responded.

[Noldere]

"I'm pretty sure you broke what was left of Nancy's spirit and the pantry," Lenny said, "Total is 435.16."

"I guess I got more than a little carried away, didn't I?" Gula remarked, as she paid with a Visa with an unusual design on the front. "It's no excuse, truly, but I tend go on something of a massive eating binge whenever I'm stressed for a while." Like say, when a simple matter of a 7 hour flight and drive turns into a nearly week-long trek with some of the craziest issues popping up. "Anyway, while it won't exactly help the pantry any, maybe this'll help her spirits a little- or at least, let her take a while off for a bit so that time can do it's thing."

On the back of the copy of the receipt Gula returned to Lenny, there was a note, saying:

"I wasn't quite expecting to go through quite as much as I did, so thanks for managing to hang on until the very end. It's not much, and definitely not close to an appropriate apology, but hopefully what I left is enough to put a smile on your face."

-G.S.

On the front of the receipt, Lenny would find her full name signed both ways (English and Japanese)... and a most unusual tip- to the tune of $85,964.84- bringing the total purchase up to an even $86,400.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"I see..." It was clear that she was relieved not to hear who this man's mother was.

"Your father was a man who respected each one of his lovers. He made no attempt to hide who he was and his past which... made things easier to accept."

Fleetwood Mac, having remained quiet during this, smirked, "Like accepting the fact that you were going to be just another one of those notches?"

Before Debra or the reporter could react, Domo had lunged forth, seizing Fleetwood by the neck and held him aloft.

"No, Domo! He's not worth it!" Debra shouted, prompting her bodyguard to reluctantly drop him on the floor.

"That's good to know. Hmm, my father must have been crazy to go to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine of all places, as that's the only way he could have met my mother. Why go to a place that's controlled by Ukrainian Mafia?" Boris said.

" Well, if my father didn't hide who he was, I guess I better just come out and tell everyone who I really am. I'm a former member of the Ukrainian Mafia. I came to America looking for a better life, to leave my past behind," Boris said.

"The people I mention that my mother has connections with are the Ukrainian Mafia. She has connections through my great uncle, who's a Capo for the Ukrainian Mafia," Boris said.

[Yun Lao]

"That's good to know. Hmm, my father must have been crazy to go to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine of all places, as that's the only way he could have met my mother. Why go to a place that's controlled by Ukrainian Mafia?" Boris said.

" Well, if my father didn't hide who he was, I guess I better just come out and tell everyone who I really am. I'm a former member of the Ukrainian Mafia. I came to America looking for a better life, to leave my past behind," Boris said.

"The people I mention that my mother has connections with are the Ukrainian Mafia. She has connections through my great uncle, who's a Capo for the Ukrainian Mafia," Boris said.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the truck stop after that bomb. Lenny took Gula's payment without looking at it while Domo and Fleetwood glanced over.

Debra looked around, pleading with her eyes for something, someone to get her out of this situation, all the while pushing out a wooden response, "That's... good... I"m glad you felt comfortable sharing... that with all of us."

[Tami]

"That's good to know. Hmm, my father must have been crazy to go to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine of all places, as that's the only way he could have met my mother. Why go to a place that's controlled by Ukrainian Mafia?" Boris said.

" Well, if my father didn't hide who he was, I guess I better just come out and tell everyone who I really am. I'm a former member of the Ukrainian Mafia. I came to America looking for a better life, to leave my past behind," Boris said.

"The people I mention that my mother has connections with are the Ukrainian Mafia. She has connections through my great uncle, who's a Capo for the Ukrainian Mafia," Boris said.

Jinny stared at Boris, then slowly shook her head in disbelief, "That's not something I would have bragged about. But, then again," she looked at him again, "I don't think you were bragging, we're you?. For someone with those kinds of relatives, you're pretty straight forward, and maybe a bit too talkative. An open book kind of guy."

[KingofPie]

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the truck stop after that bomb. Lenny took Gula's payment without looking at it while Domo and Fleetwood glanced over.

Debra looked around, pleading with her eyes for something, someone to get her out of this situation, all the while pushing out a wooden response, "That's... good... I"m glad you felt comfortable sharing... that with all of us."

"So, Debra..." Miguel stepped up, sensing that the situation was probably about to get as awkward as it could get with their step mother meeting the rest of her husbands many children for the first time. Her attitude was commendable, he supposed. He didn't detect any of the bitterness as one would expect for a widow of a guy who's left behind as many exes as their dad did.

Even more curious was how open he was about it. Maybe there was more to it, but..."I was wondering, since we're going off to read the guy's will and all, what kinda man was our dad. To you, I mean. We're here, pulled from all corners of the Earth to attend his funeral, but I think it's safe to say most of us don't know a thing about him."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Jinny stared at Boris, then slowly shook her head in disbelief, "That's not something I would have bragged about. But, then again," she looked at him again, "I don't think you were bragging, we're you?. For someone with those kinds of relatives, you're pretty straight forward, and maybe a bit too talkative. An open book kind of guy."

"I wasn't it. I just thought since I heard that my father didn't hide who he was, I shouldn't either," Boris said.

[MrSandman]

[Lucy (PER): 01]

There were two men left in the bathroom. Despite Debra's previous statement of them keeping to themselves, Lucy can hear them chatting to each other.

It was hard to make out, but she could be certain she heard the word, 'plan'.

Lucy Tensed. The words couldn't be heard clear enough to hear everything, but the word plan was clear.....

It certainly could be something fairly innocent, perhaps a simple discussion of what they planned to do later....
No....assumptions are the poison of a cautious mind, she could leave nothing to chance....not in her position.

She moved in closer and attempted to carefully open the bathroom door, just enough to not be noticed but enough to hear more clearly what was being said.