(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

o gross, a hipster

[fashionrevival]

[That's too bad, because Tori's spotted him so quickly! It wouldn't have been by himself at all!]

Benny! [Because it doesn't matter which one it is, right? ...right?]

[dehipster]

[It's the fanfic-verse one, thank goodness for that. He turns around to face her, a pleasant smile on his lips.]

Tori. Good evening.

[fashionrevival]

[Yes, thank goodness... but also oh boy because Tori just realized that depending on the Benny she's speaking to, her sudden pregnant state may be surprising.]

Good evening to you, too! [But she's going to act like it doesn't matter, because of course.]

[dehipster]

[IT SURE IS SURPRISING. First he thought it was just a trick of the light and Tori wearing some odd clothing, but... She sure seems to have a bit of a belly there. Um...]

I take it you're here for some noodles as well?

[fashionrevival]

Heh, yeah. Got a craving I need to satisfy, you know?

[She idly scratches her cheek.]

[dehipster]

[He can't help but wonder if the craving is a result of Tori's belly, or whether the belly is a result of cravings. .... Don't say it out loud don't say it out loud don't say it out loud.]

I do know. A good portion of noodles can really hit the spot.

[fashionrevival]

Yeah...

[Tori nods and mutters something like "if it's what she wants, then I have to go along with it anyway" before going to order.]

[dehipster]

[Like father, like daughter, Simon would say. But Benny's not Simon, so.

He'll wait patiently while Tori orders. He has to wait for his own order to be prepared anyway.]

[fashionrevival]

[That's all right -- it's what Tori's thinking anyway.

It doesn't take too long for her to make up her mind on what she wants, and soon enough she's put in an order. Now she's in the same boat as Benny, playing the waiting game.]

[dehipster]

[Sup fellow waitee. ...Okay, he can't just pretend he doesn't see it.]

Would you mind terribly if I asked about...? [He makes a vague hand gesture at Tori's belly.]

[fashionrevival]

[Well, that sure proves which Benny this is.]

I wouldn't mind at all. [Her voice is softer all of a sudden, but not because she's upset.] It's not every day that you see someone you haven't for a while and suddenly she's seven months pregnant, after all.

[There's your answer!]

[dehipster]

[Seven months... Considering her size, it's not surprising that she would be that far into the pregnancy, but even so, it's been seven months for her.]

Well... Congratulations. I'm sure it'll be a beautiful child.

[fashionrevival]

Thank you. [She lets out a surprisingly content sigh.] I'm sure she will be, if she's anything like--

[She stops herself there, because even if she knows Benny's no stranger to nexus shenanigans (obviously), the story gets pretty weird.]

[dehipster]

[Was that a purposeful cut-off point, there? ...Huh. He could pretend he didn't hear, but he sure is curious.]

...Hm? Is that not something you wish to discuss?

[fashionrevival]

It's not that, you know? [She's honestly willing to tell him!] It's just really confusing. But if you really want to know...~

[dehipster]

Now now, I wouldn't force a topic that you aren't comfortable with. [Tell him tell him tell him..............]

[fashionrevival]

...I sort of... met an alternate version of my daughter. Let's start there.

[And what a place to start!]

[dehipster]

[And in a noodle place, no less.]

Oh? ...From the future?

[fashionrevival]

[What better place to explain it?]

An alternate future. Fortunately, at least one of the events that happen in her timeline was avoided where I've been living.

[Simon isn't dead. That means other tragedies can be avoided, right?]

[dehipster]

[He'd be the last person to deny that 'alternate futures' can be a thing. Just look at him and this other version of Shelly.]

Ahh, I see. That's interesting.

[fashionrevival]

[IF ONLY SHE KNEW ABOUT THAT...]

Yeah. She's really a smart girl with a good head on her shoulders. ...if either of us had been around, I'm sure her sense of loyalty would have come from both of her parents.

[But neither of them were around, and now that sense of loyalty has become a desire to bring down the one person Tori can't allow to be brought down.]

[dehipster]

You weren't around...? [That sounds awfully foreboding.]

[fashionrevival]

In that universe, her father died before she was even born... without even knowing I was pregnant. And after she was born, I decided to take revenge on someone who betrayed both of us. So stupid... I didn't even survive the encounter.

[As far as anyone knows. Tori still isn't sure she's sold on the idea. Either way...]

I must have been under a lot of grief to just put myself in a situation where I'd possibly abandon my daughter, you know? The more I think about it, the more I despise the other me's actions.

[dehipster]

[...... Well then.]

Mmmh, you're correct. Grief can be a powerful motivator, as can the notion of revenge. It clouds a person's judgment. That sort of thing can happen to the best of us -[He would know.]- so don't think too harshly of your other self.

[fashionrevival]

...I'll try not to. It's just hard. [She's always wanted to prove she could be a better parent than her father. Could grief really trump that feeling?] I guess all I can do is be grateful that her godfather was able to raise her.