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

[Tami]

"Thank you..." She replied quietly, overwhelmed with the flood of emotions.



"It took..." She began, voice still raspy, but paused as she tried to recall, "Three or four months. He would have finished it sooner had we not messed with some transplants from the SIZ," A small little laugh came with the thought, "Took Johannes forever to fight those weeds off."



"I can't say I knew everything about him. My time with him was only a two-year window before things got... complicated. To me though Johannes was like a... big, stupid puppy, so full of life and energy and love, yet clumsy and stubborn."

'
Jinny had several questions she was eager to ask but reigned herself in before doing so. The word 'Complicated' especially made her wonder more about what had happened between Debra and Johannes, and what her relationship with the Foundation currently is.

Though she had heard of this place in passing until now she had never really thought much about it or bothered to read anything about it in the news or other media. Something she now regrets.

[grampagen]

"Thank you..." She replied quietly, overwhelmed with the flood of emotions.


"It took..." She began, voice still raspy, but paused as she tried to recall, "Three or four months. He would have finished it sooner had we not messed with some transplants from the SIZ," A small little laugh came with the thought, "Took Johannes forever to fight those weeds off."

After snapping a few more photographs of the root and vine that had turned a yard bench into something of a blooming chesterfield, Suzie's view tilt toward Debra.

"...there's specimens from the Salem Impact Zone? Mind, I'd only briefly read about the overgrowth, but you two managed to bring part of the evergreen back here?"

"I can't say I knew everything about him. My time with him was only a two-year window before things got... complicated. To me though Johannes was like a... big, stupid puppy, so full of life and energy and love, yet clumsy and stubborn."

"I don't mean to pry," Suzie murmured, "and if you'd prefer to save this for tomorrow, like? It being a funeral and all...but uhm...how did you first chance to meet him?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

After snapping a few more photographs of the root and vine that had turned a yard bench into something of a blooming chesterfield, Suzie's view tilt toward Debra.

"...there's specimens from the Salem Impact Zone? Mind, I'd only briefly read about the overgrowth, but you two managed to bring part of the evergreen back here?"

The witch seemed to get a little fidgety at this realization, another cigarette slipping between her lips to be lit by the tip of her thumb, eyes rapidly scanning the garden for... something. Through the cigarette and obvious disquiet, she then asked simply. "Why?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

" If my mother and granduncle were here, they would love this garden," Boris said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Thank you..." She replied quietly, overwhelmed with the flood of emotions.

"It took..." She began, voice still raspy, but paused as she tried to recall, "Three or four months. He would have finished it sooner had we not messed with some transplants from the SIZ," A small little laugh came with the thought, "Took Johannes forever to fight those weeds off."

Hearing that they somehow got a sample from the Salem Impact Zone made Sandra raise an eyebrow. She was pretty sure that was impossible. If it was, then it was super difficult.

Then again, it sounded like "dad" could do anything he put his mind to. Plus having connections with the right people made the impossible possible.

"Interesting. I guess maybe I can help clean it up or whatever before I go. At least get rid of all the **** that doesn't belong."

"I can't say I knew everything about him. My time with him was only a two-year window before things got... complicated. To me though Johannes was like a... big, stupid puppy, so full of life and energy and love, yet clumsy and stubborn."

"Complicated. Right." You mean when he kept fucking other women to make his own football club from scratch?

[Yun Lao]

After snapping a few more photographs of the root and vine that had turned a yard bench into something of a blooming chesterfield, Suzie's view tilt toward Debra.

"...there's specimens from the Salem Impact Zone? Mind, I'd only briefly read about the overgrowth, but you two managed to bring part of the evergreen back here?"



"I don't mean to pry," Suzie murmured, "and if you'd prefer to save this for tomorrow, like? It being a funeral and all...but uhm...how did you first chance to meet him?"

"It's fine. I rather cry now and get it over with. We met about four years ago at a charity ball hosted by the Speedwagon Foundation. I was invited by a friend and while I originally went there to network, I just saw him and thought, "He's the one"." A small, sad laugh came, "Regardless, I heavily pursued him, taking any opportunities I could to get close to him and... well... we became a thing."

The witch seemed to get a little fidgety at this realization, another cigarette slipping between her lips to be lit by the tip of her thumb, eyes rapidly scanning the garden for... something. Through the cigarette and obvious disquiet, she then asked simply. "Why?"

"It was your father's idea and although I recall some reasonably sounding reasons, I suspect he was just impatient in wanting to impress me. It took some time, but we managed to get rid of all of the plants from the SIZ before they overwhelmed us."

" If my mother and granduncle were here, they would love this garden," Boris said.

"Thank you. I think Johannes would like that, having people enjoy his work even when he's gone."

Hearing that they somehow got a sample from the Salem Impact Zone made Sandra raise an eyebrow. She was pretty sure that was impossible. If it was, then it was super difficult.

Then again, it sounded like "dad" could do anything he put his mind to. Plus having connections with the right people made the impossible possible.

"Interesting. I guess maybe I can help clean it up or whatever before I go. At least get rid of all the **** that doesn't belong."



"Complicated. Right." You mean when he kept fucking other women to make his own football club from scratch?

"You don't have to go out of your way for this. I appreciate the thought, though."

Debra had managed to regain some of her composure, for the time being, seeming to be happy just soaking up the environment.

"That's right, it's firefly season," She said, out of the blue, her eyes focusing on a small flicker of bioluminescence within the dense flora.

[Tami]

"It's fine. I rather cry now and get it over with. We met about four years ago at a charity ball hosted by the Speedwagon Foundation. I was invited by a friend and while I originally went there to network, I just saw him and thought, "He's the one"." A small, sad laugh came, "Regardless, I heavily pursued him, taking any opportunities I could to get close to him and... well... we became a thing."



"It was your father's idea and although I recall some reasonably sounding reasons, I suspect he was just impatient in wanting to impress me. It took some time, but we managed to get rid of all of the plants from the SIZ before they overwhelmed us."



"Thank you. I think Johannes would like that, having people enjoy his work even when he's gone."



"You don't have to go out of your way for this. I appreciate the thought, though."

Debra had managed to regain some of her composure, for the time being, seeming to be happy just soaking up the environment.

"That's right, it's firefly season," She said, out of the blue, her eyes focusing on a small flicker of bioluminescence within the dense flora.

"There is something I'm wondering about." Jinny considered how to phrase the question, "With Johannes no longer among the living, who is currently in charge of this place, of the Speedwagon Foundation?"

[Yun Lao]

"There is something I'm wondering about." Jinny considered how to phrase the question, "With Johannes no longer among the living, who is currently in charge of this place, of the Speedwagon Foundation?"

"While he still had run full of the estate and use of the foundation's power when it came to travel and other perks, Johannes had handed off control of the foundation a few years ago," Debra admitted, "He didn't think it was that a big deal so I don't recall news media reporting much on it. Currently, or at least last I had heard, it was run by the board he had set up, Hironobu being a member of it."

[Tami]

"While he still had run full of the estate and use of the foundation's power when it came to travel and other perks, Johannes had handed off control of the foundation a few years ago," Debra admitted, "He didn't think it was that a big deal so I don't recall news media reporting much on it. Currently, or at least last I had heard, it was run by the board he had set up, Hironobu being a member of it."

"Are you on this Board as well?"

[Yun Lao]

"Are you on this Board as well?"

"No. Although I was once part of the foundation, I wasn't in any major roles."

[Tami]

"No. Although I was once part of the foundation, I wasn't in any major roles."

"Yet you were the first one to find us." Jinny looked away towards the garden, "If you wish to continue the tour, I would love to see more of this place."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"It's fine. I rather cry now and get it over with. We met about four years ago at a charity ball hosted by the Speedwagon Foundation. I was invited by a friend and while I originally went there to network, I just saw him and thought, "He's the one"." A small, sad laugh came, "Regardless, I heavily pursued him, taking any opportunities I could to get close to him and... well... we became a thing."

They only met four years ago? That mean, Sandra assumed, Joestar had put aside his baby-making ways before he settled down with Debra. "Tch." The more Sandra learned about him, the less...

No, she still had plenty of reason to want to spit on his grave.

"You don't have to go out of your way for this. I appreciate the thought, though."

Debra had managed to regain some of her composure, for the time being, seeming to be happy just soaking up the environment.

"That's right, it's firefly season," She said, out of the blue, her eyes focusing on a small flicker of bioluminescence within the dense flora.

She shrugged lazily. "Eh, it's no big deal." Her voice trailed away as her eyes caught flickers of light dancing around the flowers and plants. The sight of fireflies in the waning daylight brought back memories of her as a girl staring out of her bedroom window. It was only her and those flittering bugs, no one else. She was most at peace when she was alone. Then again, when she was alone, that meant there was yelling and screaming down the hall.

She let out a terse sigh and shook the memories away. "We have them in Germany. They're nice," she said, somewhat monotone and distant.

[grampagen]

"It's fine. I rather cry now and get it over with. We met about four years ago at a charity ball hosted by the Speedwagon Foundation. I was invited by a friend and while I originally went there to network, I just saw him and thought, "He's the one"." A small, sad laugh came, "Regardless, I heavily pursued him, taking any opportunities I could to get close to him and... well... we became a thing."

Continuing down the cultivated path Joestar left behind, Suzie offered a small, quiet smile in response to Debra's little story, nodding curtly along to indicate her attention as she mulled over the happenstance.

Speedwagon Foundation, walk right in, find the one... It was something so improbable, like something out of the cinema. Her dark eyes paused and shifted. Though under the duress she could not help but sympathize with the widow, Suzie took great pains to keep her voice in check, mulling over the words in her mind, lest something else come clumsily rolling out.

"That's a lovely story," she managed after a long pause, "all that from a brief bit of business, well...rather far afield, innit? Still, I'm glad you'd found what you were looking for, even if it was brief."

Did he anticipate that you would be there too? And did Johannes know you would chase after him?

And had it been the same story for the lot of them?

Hadn't gotten on with Farrokh much, but he always stuck by Mum and me. Good words, good deeds, good thoughts; Asha and Druj and blah-blah-blah. She'd thought her stepfather had been patronizing a single mother at the time, but now she grew silent, humbled with gratitude.

"It was your father's idea and although I recall some reasonably sounding reasons, I suspect he was just impatient in wanting to impress me. It took some time, but we managed to get rid of all of the plants from the SIZ before they overwhelmed us."


"Thank you. I think Johannes would like that, having people enjoy his work even when he's gone."


"You don't have to go out of your way for this. I appreciate the thought, though."

Debra had managed to regain some of her composure, for the time being, seeming to be happy just soaking up the environment.

"That's right, it's firefly season," She said, out of the blue, her eyes focusing on a small flicker of bioluminescence within the dense flora.

From the sounds of it, their actual father seemed to have his own way of doing things. Suppose when you're at the top of the world, you don't have to pretend. You can go about and chase after whatever you wish. Even if it was the SIZ.

"Ah...," she uttered, a twinge of deflation in her voice, "Sorry, I'd been a touch curious to see such a thing, but I suppose it'd be for the best that the weeds didn't tangle your design, yeah?"

Standing at a distance, it was so odd to see Debra in this enclosure, as if she had been cast adrift. From the looks of it, she was the only thing that had been uprooted within these gated garden walls.

For the moment, she watched the glow-worms and lightning-bugs flit in and out in the shadow of a setting sun. Dialing the flash down on her camera, she resumed taking snapshots.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

" Debra, I'm just guessing this but I believe my granduncle and father may have had history together. It's just a hunch, but my granduncle often talk about my father like a trusted comrade who stabbed him in the back, like some he was close to. My granduncle is a man with secrets, that even I don't know about," Boris said.

" I don't have proof of this, but that's why I need to look in to it. To look for a connection between my father and granduncle, a man who carries the moniker Tzar Koschei," Boris said.

[Yun Lao]

She let out a terse sigh and shook the memories away. "We have them in Germany. They're nice," she said, somewhat monotone and distant.

"I've always had this fear that one year, they would just stop showing up," Debra replied, "I don't why... maybe because they are the last vestiges of my childhood? The last little bit of magic that stayed with you no matter how much you've grown and you desperately want to keep from being snuffed out."

From the sounds of it, their actual father seemed to have his own way of doing things. Suppose when you're at the top of the world, you don't have to pretend. You can go about and chase after whatever you wish. Even if it was the SIZ.

"Ah...," she uttered, a twinge of deflation in her voice, "Sorry, I'd been a touch curious to see such a thing, but I suppose it'd be for the best that the weeds didn't tangle your design, yeah?"

Standing at a distance, it was so odd to see Debra in this enclosure, as if she had been cast adrift. From the looks of it, she was the only thing that had been uprooted within these gated garden walls.

For the moment, she watched the glow-worms and lightning-bugs flit in and out in the shadow of a setting sun. Dialing the flash down on her camera, she resumed taking snapshots.

"The transplants were removed, but the garden always a bit weird after that. Most likely, the staff had trimmed and tidied the garden a few days ago, only for it be this unruly despite the weather or conditions." One could say the same about people. Even when they were gone, there was always something about them, a phrase, a habit, even an annoying song stuck in your head because of them, that remained.

"Yet you were the first one to find us." Jinny looked away towards the garden, "If you wish to continue the tour, I would love to see more of this place."

"Yea, I suppose we've been outside long enough today," The heat and humidity was only now starting to subside and it take several hours before the temperatures dropped to anything remotely cool.

"We'll go up those stairs," She said, gesturing to them, "They will take us to the parlor."

" Debra, I'm just guessing this but I believe my granduncle and father may have had history together. It's just a hunch, but my granduncle often talk about my father like a trusted comrade who stabbed him in the back, like some he was close to. My granduncle is a man with secrets, that even I don't know about," Boris said.

" I don't have proof of this, but that's why I need to look in to it. To look for a connection between my father and granduncle, a man who carries the moniker Tzar Koschei," Boris said.

"I've never heard Johannes mention such a name, but it wouldn't be an impossibility. There's not much I can do to help, but the boy... I mean, Hironobu, might be able to. I hope you'll be able to find what you're looking for."