To Forge a Road
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(WIP)♫
Name: Delano Harkahn
Alias(s): Del, Madame Manhattan, ‘The ‘Khan’
Age:72 if you must know
Height:5’12”
Weight: Yes
Blood Type: Excellent
Ethnicity: Ex-Ginger
Occupation: Crime Lord, Businessman
Residence: The Big City
Place of Birth: That Other City
Orientation: Take a guess, sweetie-
Marital Status: Never Married
Handedness: Good
Alignment: Chaotic Gay
Class: High
A tall, lean figure clad in only the most exquisitely tailored pastels, complimenting sharp, sage-green eyes and silky shock of bright, silver hair that could win awards. Fastidious and precise. Seventy two years old but still spry, steady of hand and true of aim in every sense of the word. Moderately flamboyant, whimsical, ruthless, deadly. Tastefully extravagant, a man of impeccable wealth and taste. Sharp-witted, silver-tongued, clever and implacable. Criminal. Hero. Outlaw. Philanthropist. Murderer. Humanitarian. Assassin. Activist. Madame.
He sits upon the seat of an empire, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, hands folded atop his knee. He looks out upon the world from a wide, penthouse window, seated in a plush, tall-backed chair behind a broad, deep mahogany desk in a simplistic, but tastefully decorated office. He peers past the rain that patters softly against the glass with pale eyes over simple, modern spectacles. He looks out upon a changing world, satisfied that he has played his part in making it a better place. Upon a neon-lit city of depravity and corruption within which he is most at home.
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets? Or maybe a collection of stories? Of deeds, good or ill? Of lives changed for better or worse? Lives saved? Lives ended? Perhaps a man is the sum of his impact upon the world. Perhaps a man is many things.
There was once a time when everyone knew what it meant to see that powder blue Cadillac Fleetwood cruising the Manhattan streets. A majestic beast of a car, heavy and heavier still for all the hidden armor plating beneath that exquisite paint and chrome. A distinctive vehicle for a distinctive man, who had made something of a theme of the color.
These days it is a vehicle rarely seen, and almost never without one or even two similarly armored, powder blue cars very close by. A matter of caution rather than paranoia - though any career criminal who has managed to live to Delano’s age knows that at least to some extent the to are not always far apart, the lines blurred and indistinct.
He is a man of good humor, sharp wit and ruthless cunning. The kind of man that openly refers to himself as ‘an old queen’, calls people pet names like ‘sweetie’ and ‘darling’ whether the want him to or not. He sits like a lady - a proper lady - elegant and graceful in every gesture he makes. Fond of hot tea and casual chit-chat. Affectionate, passionate, a flair for the dramatic. Assertive with his fashion advice. Utterly unable and unwilling to hide who or what he is - a challenge which he has upheld defiantly his whole life, dating back to living as an openly gay man since the 60’s. Battling prejudice and homophobia with relentless will and the same ruthless efficiency with which he approaches all of life.
Delano Harkahn is among the most powerful individuals in the city, though holding no official office or position. A crimelord, his illicit empire consists almost exclusively in the trade of sex and assorted debaucherous pleasures. His colloquial nickname - Madame Manhattan - has been well earned over the course of a lifetime of violently shredding his way through Manhattan Island’s illegal sex industry, taking it over and building an extremely loyal follower base along the way for his rigid adherence to maintaining policies that countries where prostitution is legal enforce. Though he dabbles in the gambling and money laundering industries, it is prostitution for which he is the best known. Though fewer know his name these days than in the 70’s and 80’s when he was brutally whittling down the city’s other major crime organizations’ hold on his primary desired racket, it is yet well known in the circles of organized crime that to screw with Delano Harkahn is suicide. He rules the island’s sex trade with an iron fist, brutally removing any who would attempt to pimp out or traffic women - or, god forbid, children - and his establishments - ranging from escort services, to massage parlors, to clubs and bordellos of all shapes and sizes - are heavily guarded by an extremely loyal band of women and men. Violence is not tolerated in his territories - which act as enclaves within other gangs’ turf - and he has no interest in drug trafficking so long as pushers keep out of his establishments.
Though there is no doubt that the man is a criminal, his reputation has been so well ingrained in the city that even the law knows not to screw with him. Though highly illegal, politicians, lawmakers and - above all - law enforcement are as a rule unable to deny that what he has done over the course of his eventful and ambitious life has been far more positive than negative. By self-regulating and maintaining high standards of the health and safety of workers who would otherwise be in far more dangerous circumstances he has effectively lowered the rates of violent crime against women and tempered the usage of narcotics in certain key areas. Indeed, many of the establishments under his employ are frequented by officers of the law themselves - open secrets in a world where no man is truly innocent.
Though often referred to as the ‘Madame’ of the city - likening him to the woman in charge of a brothel - Delano’s erotic empire has grown large enough that, while he still maintains a very personal presence among his people, most of the day-to-day management has been delegated to a chain of a command. He has essentially ‘franchised’ the illegal businesses; sex workers report to their madames or bosses, who report in turn to Delano’s lieutenants - four of the most well-known women among those who have any reason to be in the loop. While Harkahn’s modus operandi consists primarily of owning legitimate businesses running illegitimate operations, he also commands a fairly extensive ‘gang’ which he keeps well armed through the trade of illicit weapons. While in the past these fighters - who are unofficially known as ’The ‘Khans’, and identify themselves by wearing some degree of powder blue - were used to overtake rival operations and solidify Harkahn’s position within the ranks of the city’s organized crime underworld, since establishing near complete control over his desired industry they have been used almost exclusively for defending and maining control of the businesses in Harkahn’s name. While Delano demands of those who directly run the businesses in his name that the workers are instructed in self defense, it is ‘the ‘Khans’ who serve as the real ‘muscle’ to back up Delano’s power. Consisting of about 80% women, the ‘Khans are universally, unwaveringly loyal, many of them having been sex workers themselves before requesting a ‘transfer’.
Due to his ubiquitous reign over the island’s prostitution industry, the term ‘prostitute’ has become synonymous with ‘Del’s Girl’. Often those using the term aren’t even sure where it came from, though usually there is at least some cursory understanding of the nature of the phrase. It is widely known that to do any harm to ‘one of Del’s Girls’ is to invoke the wrath of ‘The ‘Khans’ in charge of defending whichever ‘base of operations’ said ‘Del’s Girl’ works out of - and, by extension, ‘Kahns throughout the city. The assault, rape or murder of a prostitute within the Manhattan borders invariably results in a city-wide manhunt, often with local NYPD working in tandem with the ‘Khans to bring the perpetrator to justice - one way or another. Though tensions can often arise between the ‘Kahns and the law, the two are generally working toward a similar goal.
Del’s Ladies
Harkahn’s lieutenants are his most trusted and loyal companions, doubling as formidable bodyguards and, above all else, family. Known unofficially as ‘Del’s Ladies’, they are among the most well-trained and dangerous individuals in the city. While their primary - self imposed - concern is the safety and wellbeing of Harkahn himself, the kingpin has been known to dispatch them as ‘special agents’ regarding particularly vital tasks. They are well known among the city’s law enforcement and are rarely interfered with. Those who could be considered one of ‘Del’s Ladies’ have come and gone over the years - at present there are four, with several having left the organized crime game to Del’s best wishes and continued support.
In a tradition started by the first among them, Del’s Ladies invariably go only by a single, chosen name. Due to considering themselves Harkahn’s unofficial adopted daughters, they will use his last name when necessary.
(WIP)
