(no subject)

[dehipster]

[Generic Info]

[No more Wankerville, this time! Nope, this time our resident nexus place is known as Japanifornia. Some odd mishmash of Los Angeles and Tokyo, Japanifornia is in fact a huge city with skycrapers and lots of roads with hills. A tram moves through the city but people can also take a car or their bike. There's parks, a lake, sushi places, burger places, noodle places, gashapon machines and a Starbills on every corner. Most homes are equipped with a traditional Japanifornian kotatsu. It's a paradise for weebs and hipsters alike. Also, a themepark because why the heck not.



Truly, the greatest city in these United States of Nexusica.]


[De Killer bit]

[Still, a nexus is a nexus, which means it draws in people from all sorts of places. There's only so much order to be found. Turns out, some rich asshole is trying to run for 'president'. One would think it'd be mayor, but considering a nexus is basically a world of its own, he might as well be attempting to crown himself King of the World. Outrageous remarks of building a wall to keep out more 'foreigners' aren't gaining him much popularity either. He's lucky that there's a couple of rednecks on his side who feel that the city might be getting a bit too crowded.

Even so, many residents of Japanifornia are in agreement; this powerhungry douche by the name of Ronald Chump needs to go.

As luck would have it, Shelly de Killer has already set up office in Japanifornia and has now been approached to eliminate the problem. He's not going to do it alone, either. Benny (who's been around for an equally long time) will be joining him on this venture.]


[Other]

[Who else is in Japanifornia? Do a thing!]

Comments

here they are, the killer boys

[dekillerqueen]

[Yup, Benny is definitely joining him for this one. High risk, high reward. Excellent practice.

The thing is he hasn't told him yet. Surely it won't be that much of a problem, but... It's certainly odd, talking to a son he only recently found out he had. At least the context (that is, Work) makes things somewhat more familiar, easier to navigate.

He knocks on the door to Benny's room. Knock, knock, knock. As regular as always.]

[dehipster]

[Even with how much time has passed, it's still a little difficult for Benny to grow accustomed to the situation. He'd finally made peace with his father's passing, only to be reunited with him all over again. Even worse, it's a younger version of his father who never became his father. All those memories of Benny's childhood are inconsequential now.

In a technical sense, this man is his father. In the emotional sense, this man is closer to a stranger. It's the oddest thing.

Still, that's no reason not to get along. Benny's been doing the best he can to avoid bias and treat this version of Shelly de Killer with every bit of civility. That's why, when he receives a knock on his door, he's as cordial as ever.]

Come in!

[dekillerqueen]

[Ah, good. It sounds like he is in a good mood. Shelly steps in, taking a discreet look around to assess the state of the room.]

Are you available for the duration of this week?

[dehipster]

[Benny has a very tidy room, despite having three cats lying around in various areas! It has neatly-organized books, a perfectly-made bed and a trash can with very little trash in it, because he takes it out on a regular basis. As for Benny himself, he's currently sitting at the desk, looking mildly surprised.]

The duration of the week? [That is a long time.] ... I am. Why?

[dekillerqueen]

There is work to do.

[The way he says it, staring directly at Ben, leaves no doubt that there is an implied "And you're coming with me" to that statement.]

[dehipster]

[He knows that tone of voice. He knows that expression, which is hardened in a very subtle sort of way. He can tell exactly what sort of 'work' is to be done and for an instant, he feels like a teenager again.]

That's... [He trails off for a moment, then tries a different approach.] In a place like this?

[dekillerqueen]

Such is human nature. [Not that he minds it at all, of course. He wouldn't want to be out of a job... anywhere, let alone in a place like this.]

[dehipster]

[Human nature... He can't argue that, not as a failed assassin nor as a therapist.]

Ah. Then... You require my assistance?

[dekillerqueen]

[He actually has to think about this one.

No, he doesn't need anybody's assistance. He is vastly experienced in assassinations, thank you very much, and if this buffoon's security is even half as intelligent as the man himself is, then this should be as easy as any other job, if not easier.

On the other hand, if he is trying to train a successor - which, assuming he will continue aging normally in this strange nexus, he most certainly is - encouragement is always good for morale.]

Perhaps. Our target is of a rather high profile, you see.

[dehipster]

["Our target"... It's the sort of wording that sinks in immediately. It's not Shelly de Killer's target, it's their target. Benny hasn't had a real target in years. He's never successfully eliminated one, either. The closest he got was his attempt on the Phantom's life.]

Ah. Then, there will be bodyguards and perhaps an armored vehicle?

[dekillerqueen]

Most likely, yes. I can only presume he has the money to afford that sort of thing, since he seems so intent on building a wall around this world's borders.

[dehipster]

[EXCUSE???]

... That's... Ah... An interesting goal to have. [By 'interesting' he means 'insane', but he's a therapist. He can't exactly use wording like that.]

[dekillerqueen]

Indeed.

[What Shelly wanted to know wasn't quite made clear by Ben's response, so he decides to be more direct - he raises an eyebrow.]

I trust you have deduced who I am referring to.

[dehipster]

[There's very few people in this place with an abundance of wealth, let alone enough to build a wall around the entire city. High profile, huh? Sounds like that Chump who's attempting to run for president.]

I believe so. He's been causing quite an uproar these past few weeks. It's hardly surprising that someone would wish to see him... taken care of.

[And he's still conveniently avoiding Shelly's initial request.]

[dekillerqueen]

[Shelly nods.] You understand.

Now, I don't believe we've had the chance to discuss this sort of thing at length, so I am curious-- [... Did his monocle just glint?] If you were to do this alone, how would you approach the assignment? What have you learned?

[If Ben is avoiding the request, then Shelly, in turn, is glossing over that. It wasn't a request.

Funny, he would note to himself later, how similarly they navigated the conversation.]

[dehipster]

[Oh... Uhoh. He's told this version of Shelly that he didn't follow in his father's footsteps, he's sure he did. Even so, the question is right there. What has he learned? Plenty, but that's not how he'd approach the matter if he were alone. In fact, he wouldn't approach it at all.

He falls silent for a good five seconds, doing his best not to let any hesitation show on his face.]

It... It depends. If it were me, perhaps... poison. Even if he has someone to taste his food for him, then perhaps there's some kind of medication that he uses that could be tampered with. [Subtle, indirect and with Benny far away from the aftermath. That was the style he'd used to try and take out the Phantom.]

[dekillerqueen]

Poison?

[The passive type, then. Or... the squeamish type, perhaps, since he refused the name. He's still young, though. It isn't too late for Shelly to see what can be done.]

I see. I presume you would infiltrate his ranks, then? How would you ensure the right person consumed the poison, and leave your card behind?

[dehipster]

[He's passive and squeamish. Ironically, he's too much of a gentleman to be a 'gentleman assassin'. The continued line of questioning is putting him a little on edge, partly because it feels so familiar.]

I... suppose it depends on how many close bodyguards he has. [Leaving the card inside the medicine's container was a mistaken, he learned that much. It has to be left once he's sure the target is actually dead.] It can't be left too late, or the police won't take it seriously, so... Hm.

[dekillerqueen]

[Shelly listens, and when Ben is done speaking, the expression on his face is downright inscrutable.

Or, to someone who is used to reading de Killer's face, it might just be "thoughtful".]

And what if you arrived at the conclusion that poison was simply not the ideal tool for the job?

[dehipster]

[Good question. Explosives? ...No no, too much collateral damage. See, this is exactly why he was having so much trouble taking out the Phantom.]

... Sniping, I suppose. [He looks uncertain even as he says it.]

[dekillerqueen]

[He makes a quiet little sound of acknowledgement.]

Either way, it would be necessary to study the target carefully... which is why I am looking forward to your cooperation.

[dehipster]

[Ahah, studying. Now that, Benny can do. He's seen a few news snippets here and there, involving Chump's outrageous statements and motives for becoming 'president'. Already, he can see the beginnings of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Lack of empathy, a delicate self-esteem that can trigger an aggressive self-defense mechanism... It's quite interesting. Imagine what a closer look might reveal.

Naturally, there's a question of morality involved here. Can he really use his experience and knowledge as a therapist to help an assassin take a man's life? Normally, he wouldn't, but this is his father.]

... I would be happy to help you with that much, at least. Studying a man like that is bound to be a good learning experience.

[dekillerqueen]

[There it is - a smile, only slightly different from Shelly usual expression of polite amiability, but different enough for anybody who is familiar with his mannerisms.

A small victory.]

Excellent. I was hoping to hear as much.

[dehipster]

[Benny is familiar, yes. He can see the smile. It's a little curious to think about; this Shelly is not his father- this Shelly never considered him a son. Why would something like this make him proud? ...Unless he's only thankful for the assistance. That's a possibility Benny can't deny.]

... I'm glad I can be of service, then.

[dekillerqueen]

[Trust is a funny thing.

A thing that needs to be handled carefully, no doubt - Shelly hasn't made many mistakes, all in all, but in his line of work, any single mistake can be disastrously costly. His safety, his reputation, the lives of unrelated third parties - all of those may be at stake.

But, well, if he can't trust himself across realities, who can he trust? Another him chose this young man as his successor. All Shelly can do is treat him just as this other self would.]

Now then, shall we get to work?