Akuma of Mikaboshi
Background
When he was a boy growing up in Chinatown of the ‘50s, Johnny Ma hated being Chinese. He hated going to American school during the day and Chinese school at night. He hated being different from the other kids. More than anything, he wanted to be a “real American,” like the guys in the movies he loved to watch... real tough guys like John Wayne and James Dean.
Unfortunately, Johnny’s idea of acting tough involved joining a gang that went against the Chinatown Tongs. Instead of being the tough guy, Johnny ended up coughing out blood in an alley before expiring from a couple gunshots to the belly.
If he thought he hated his Chinese heritage before, it was nothing compared to what he felt on the twisting streets of the Wicked City, where Yomi demons tortured and tormented him for his cowardice and fear. Finally, Johnny’s mind snapped. He fought back and his savage P’ o clawed its way up from the depths of Hell and back into his body.
He would show them, he would show them all he wasn’t afraid. Johnny fed well that night and on those that followed. Eventually he struggled against his Demon, regaining some sense of self. He wasn’t a coward and he wasn’t a failure. He was powerful, and anyone who wanted to screw with him now had better watch out.
Johnny quickly realized someone was following him; he tried laying an ambush for whoever stalked him, but he never stood a chance. Chan Te was ready for him, though he admired the youngster’s audacity. The fire burning in Johnny’s belly reminded Chan Te of his own first nights after taking the Second Breath. After Chan Te slapped him down, Johnny became his student and disciple.
The elder akuma knew exactly which strings to pull, and he didn’t have to tug hard. “ So there are SAN FRANCISCO BY NIGHT 100 courts of old Chinese vampires playing at being mandarins and courtiers,” Chan told Johnny, “why the fuck would you want to hook up with them?” “There are secret clubs of gweilo Yankee vampires who would never let a Chinaman among them. Screw ‘em.
” Johnny had enough of people trying to teach him “proper” behavior to last him his entire existence. He wanted to be powerful like Chan Te. If that cost him his soul, so what? He eagerly embraced the Downward Path and pledged himself to Mikaboshi.
Character Description
Johnny looks and dresses like a refugee from a ‘50s or ‘60s street-gang. He usually wears his black hair slicked back and dons dark sunglasses, along with faded blue jeans, a t-shirt, a leather jacket and motorcycle boots. He carries a pistol in a shoulder holster underneath his jacket and he’s good at finding weapons of opportunity. He’ s particularly fond of pool cues, broken pieces of crates and other makeshift stakes to impale and immobilize vampires. Roleplaying Notes: Chan Te is the Man, and anybody who says otherwise will answer to you. Truth is, Mikaboshi and his fellow Yama Kings scare the crap out of you, but they also reward loyalty. You admire Chan and you obey him to the word. Everyone else, from the Kin-jin to the Kuei-jin to the mortal herds, is a joke to you. The vampires hide and spent their time playing games, while mortals are just toys and food. You look forward to when the whole damn world goes down in flames and you watch it all from the owner’s box. If Mikaboshi decides Chan is too old and he wants new blood, well, you don’t have a problem with promotion, either, so long as you don’t have to risk your own neck to earn it.