| abstract | - Bonita came to Step City at the age of 9 with her single mother. Her birth name was Alexa Wilkins. They were struggling to get by, living in suboptimal housing in a bad neighborhood on a waitress's paycheck. The STEP project was a dream come true. Poor but healthy, they were accepted into the test program and moved to Step City. Although they lived in a generally poorer part of the Orange District, it was infinitely better than the place they came from. She even got to take dancing lessons like she had always wanted to. Dancing was pretty popular in the city, so she got the opportunity to try a few different styles. She dabbled in ballet and tap, but ultimately she preffered jazz and soul styles. She and her mother had taken a trip to the Research District on errands the day of the Vibe incident. She blacked immediately and next thing she knew she was leading a dance crew on a looting spree while riots ensued, her previous life almost a dream. Her memory was a bit fuzzed, but she didn't much care - She had power now. Her old name didn't feel right any more, so she adopted the name Bonita, a pet name given to her by her tango-teacher-turned-boyfriend. She roamed the streets of the Step City, using her new found Vibe skills to defeat anyone who so much as glanced at her. Her skills developed quicker than most and she gained almost immediate respect. By X089 she is the leader of the steppers in her neighborhood. She abandoned her Jamdeaf mother to travel the city with her dance crew. During the revolts against the remaining scientists, Bonita and her crew wanted to prove themselves by taking part. She was recruited into the Mafia after taking down a scientist holdout singlehandedly. Though she was rough around the edges at the time, the Mafia saw her potential. The Don himself kept an eye on her training. After the scientist threat was settled she made her home at the Grooveline to improve her skills and fight off any UG punks who came near the territory. For a brief time she acted as a spy for the UG since she was known and trusted in some Orange District neighborhoods from her youth. Her high level of Vibe and success in several missions allowed her to climb the ranks quickly despite many others having seniority over her. Some of the older Mafiosos held her in contempt for it - and still do today. For a few years before the Dance War, she was the Boss of a little club called Looka. When the Dance War errupted, she remained stalwart at the Don's side. By the time both leaders had gone down, she herself had grievous wounds to her body and vibe, but managed retreat. After a week of recovering and mourning, the Mafia began to sort itself out again. Bonita stepped forward and claimed leadership. Those who opposed her were danced into submission. She consolidated Mafia leadership, giving positions of greater power only to people who owned the largest venues. There are still some subfactions within the Mafia that disapprove of her leadership, particularly filled with Bosses who lost some authority when she reorganized things. Bonita focused the Mafia on strengthening the remaining members as well as recruiting fresh ones. Another controversial decision was to recruit in former UG steppers and Orange District natives.
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