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WHO: Ladd and Angelica.
WHERE: A small, fancy restaurant somewhere in the City.
WHEN: Saturday evening.
WARNINGS: Discussion of gore and extreme physical violence is highly likely.
SUMMARY: Ladd and Angelica meet at a restaurant and decide to discuss their respective villainous portfolios.
FORMAT: Quick to start, whatever afterwards!

[Ladd has eaten at a lot of restaurants since he came here. He always appreciated the atmosphere, the coming and going of waiters that would do nearly anything to get a generous tip from the man in the expensive suit. It helped, obviously, that these restaurants served meals not prepared in a microwave, which was the extent of Ladd's own cooking skills.

The restaurant he's currently at was one he had never been to before. The menu was pretty generic, serving all matters of food from across Europe, but he had through the grapevine that the chef was a culinary mastermind. He's sitting on his own, of course, glancing over the menu and waiting for a waiter to bustle over. He hasn't even ordered the drinks yet, and he's starting to consider threatening a waiter if someone doesn't come over to his table soon.]

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[ The truth was, Angelica rarely spent time in the Aboveground these days. There was so much work to be done. War was a complicated business. But the long hours and sleepless nights were more than worth the trouble. Soon, everything would fall into place. The day of destruction drew nearer. It was something worth celebrating.

That's why she's out tonight. The imposingly tall woman, nothing but long limbs, longer hair, and a snake's smile. She rarely blinks, and the smile doesn't touch her eyes. She doesn't even really seem to eat. Just picks lightly at her food and watches everyone around her. How peaceful. How blissfully ignorant. All of them.

Except one. Her attention lingers a moment on one man sitting alone. Recognizes him from Network feeds a few months back. How interesting. Angelica smiles her slow, snake smile. All sharp white teeth. She sets down her knife and fork, slowly rises, and moves to help herself to the seat across from him. ]

Good evening.

[Ladd himself is also very large, and his sitting stance does little to hide it as he essentially lies over the entire chair. When the woman sits opposite him, his eyebrows lower a little to give a suspicious glance. His lips, however, twitch into a smirk.]

And good evening to you. If you're here to take my order, you should probably be standing up.

[ Her smile widens just a fraction. There's something off about it. A bit too much teeth maybe, or a shade of something like cruelty. ]

Since I'm not here to take your order, I'll stay seated, if it's all the same to you. [ Her tone is pleasant. Her eyes don't blink. ] As a matter of fact, I only wanted to come and tell you how much I admire your work.

[He moves himself forward now, already quite interested in the conversation.]

Really? And just what sort of work are we talking about here? Because I do a lot of work.

[ A light laugh. It's a surprisingly soft, feminine sound. ]

I believe the phrase used by local news networks was "a gory massacre."

I guess you really are a fan.

[He picks one of his forks and twirls it around on the table.]

Unfortunately, I don't plan on a massacre today. Well. Not until I get my food, anyway.

[ She gestures in an inviting way with her hand (six fingered, gloved) as if to say, Go right ahead. ]

Please. I would hate to stand between a man and his appetite.

[He laughs a little.]

Well, I haven't even ordered yet! And, besides, I have company now, and it just wouldn't be kind of me to ignore a lady like you. I don't even know your name.

[ That seems to amuse her a little. Lady. ]

My name, if you like, is Angelica. Dr. Angelica Einstürzen. [ She offers a six-fingered hand to him, perhaps to shake. It unnerves people sometimes, her unusual disfigurement. She might enjoy that. ] What would you prefer that I call you?

[He takes the hand, either not noticing or not caring about the extra finger. He gives it a firm shake, before withdrawing.]

Well, Doc, you can call me Ladd if you want. Of course, I won't object to Mr Russo, but that sometimes just sounds too formal, y'know?

[ She smiles again, pleasantly. It's hard to tell if she's disappointed by the lack of reaction or intrigued by it. She still hasn't blinked yet. ]

On a first name basis already? My, my. I nearly feel as though we're friends, Ladd.

What can I say? I make friends easily. I've always been a people person.

[He's already relaxing into the conversation. It really doesn't take much to get him talking.]

And I'm starting to wonder just what sort of doctor you are! Are you one of those medical quacks, or a labcoat type?

[ The truth is she's a medical quack and a labcoat type wrapped up in psychosis and sociopathy, but hey, who needs to tell new friends that, right? ]

I dabble in a little of everything, really. [ She makes a vague, dismissive gesture with her hand. ] My interests are quite varied. A bit of surgery here, a bit of genetic manipulation there. A side of torture, if it's necessary.

I'm afraid I lack your style, though.

[His smile reaffirms itself on his face at the compliment. He's quite clearly impressed by the resume, and he really doesn't bother hiding it.]

Ah, I wouldn't call it style! It's nothing all that flashy, really. A proper killing is a sport, you see, and it's all about the skill rather than the display.

I just hope you ain't here to torture me. I'm never a big fan of that sort of thing, especially if I'm the one being tortured.

[ She smiles again. It's sticky sweet. ]

Me? Torture a man I've only just met? I do have manners.

[ Her smile widens until she's almost baring her teeth at him. ]

I would wait until you've had dinner, at least.

[He laughs quite loudly at that, a loud barking laugh that fills the room.]

Now I really hope this dinner never ends! You're one cruel lady, I'll say that. But I'd snap that skinny neck of yours in half before you even get up from your chair.

[ Her smile goes from feral to something softer, darker. She gestures towards her own long throat, as if to say, Well, here it is. ]

You have my invitation to try, Mr. Russo. I have a very intimate acquaintance with violent deaths. One more won't hurt me too much.

[He definitely glances at the neck for a brief few seconds, but he moves his eyes off it to face her. His face relaxes again, as if the threat never happened.]

But, who knows? A lot can happen in a few minutes. It might turn out I don't need to kill you after all! We'll just see how I feel after I get something to eat.

As you like.

[ She waves over the waiter, continuing mildly as the man approaches: ]

My treat, Mr. Russo. Since I interrupted your meal.

Very generous of you! But what sort of a man would I be if I didn't at least pay for my own dinner?

[He glances over at the waiter.]

Get me and my companion over here a bottle of the most expensive wine you've got.

[He glances back to her.]

You a big wine drinker? Because I'm sure I can finish off the bottle by myself, if I really need to.

I'm sure I have no idea what sort of man you are, Mr. Russo.

[ She smiles that reptile smile again. ]

Of course I drink wine. I do have some culture. Being a sociopath and a murderer hardly takes away from my other various interests.

Edited 2012-07-02 03:38 (UTC)

I'm a man of mystery, it's true! But I can tell you that I'm at least a gentleman, when it suits me.

[He turns back to the waiter.]

Two glasses then. And a plate of shrimp for me, just so I don't starve to death.

[He packs the waiter off quite quickly, eager to continue the conversation with minimal interruptions.]

Now, now. Being a murderer can be very cultured! You've just gotta arrange the blood in a fancy way. I'm sure you could sell a blood splatter for thousands nowadays. Violence is just another form of self expression, after all!

[ That poor waiter. He probably isn't sure what sort of patrons he's serving tonight. But Angelica isn't self-conscious. She's learned to appreciate her infamy. ]

I'm sure you're a perfect gentleman. [ It's hard to tell if she says that mockingly or not. Her sincerity in general is rather shallow. ] But I'm afraid I find violence to be more of a science than an art.

I suppose you expect that of a scientist. All cold and mechanical, cut the bone neatly in half so you can see the rings.

[It's pretty difficult to tell if he's being facetious or he really thinks this is a scientific practice. The never ending smirk certainly doesn't help.]

Half the fun is looking at what you leave behind, not how you got there. I can pummel a thousand men to death, and they'll all look a little different.

[ Angelica makes a light, noncommittal noise. If she thinks he's being facetious, she doesn't show it-- not in her face. ]

The procedure is what I love best. Up to the very moment the last light leaves their eyes. If you're very good, you can drag it out for days. You simply have to know what to cut. [ She leans forward slightly, as if sharing an secret. ] And I am so very intimately acquainted with the human body.

[Ladd gives a soft rumble of laughter, clearly amused by her intonation.]

I'm glad I'm able to talk to such an expert like yourself, Doc. I'm afraid the only other doctor I know doesn't like talking much about his procedures. Such a shame!

[Quickly, he picks up one of the knives on his table. It's blunt and harmless, but Ladd still twirls it a little in his fingers.]

Now, let's prove that claim of yours. Where about would you have to cut me with this thing if you really wanted me to suffer?

[He points the blade towards his chest, as if awaiting instruction.]

[ She smiles her reptilian smile again. It still doesn't touch her eyes. But there's something a little different about her. Maybe a hint of cruelty that she lets slip into the shape of her mouth, or the way her dark pupils dilate just so.

Absently, on the table, her six-fingered hand taps a steady, rolling rhythm. ]

There are really so many ways to go about it. The human body is quite remarkable. You can never be sure how much it can endure until you've pushed it to its very limits.

One of my favorite things is to start with the eyes. Witnessing your own torture is certainly terrible enough, but I find that vision causes terror before it's truly warranted. Victims can be so very stricken by the sight of their own blood. All that screaming and thrashing is so very distracting.

[ Her fingers abruptly stop. ]

No, I want them to feel it. Vividly. Viscerally. Every. Cut.

[Ladd lets the knife drop back down onto the table. He has very little regard to the proper layout. As he begins to speak, the waiter walks over with the bottle of wine and begins to uncork it. The extra guest just provokes a renewed sense of glee in the conversation.]

Ah, you're a real cruel woman, you know that? All cuts and sharp edges. I'm surprised I didn't get a papercut when I shook that hand of yours!

[The waiter begins to mumble something about testing the wine as he pours, but Ladd just flicks his hand up to make clear that he really doesn't care. The waiter continues his pouring.]

See, I'm much more of an hard impact sort of guy. I'm a big fan of boxing, really. It's a shame that some of these modern day guys just don't get the whole gentlemanly part, but they still throw a punch just as well as they used to. A lot less eye gouging though!

[ In her mind, she's thinking how typical of a man that is. But out loud, she responds: ]

I'm afraid I lack the physical prowess to kill someone that way. [ She's a tall woman, that's true, but thin in the arms and legs. ] If someone must be killed by brute force and not finesse, my preference is to have another do it for me.

[ Another slow smile. ] Not that I can't appreciate it, of course. I don't mind watching.

I'll let you watch, if you ever feel like it. I'm sure I can crush a person's skull in, just for you!

[The wine is poured, and Ladd takes a swig of it without a hint of manners.]

I should really start charging for that sort of thing though. Maybe I can set up one of these website things! That'll draw in a crowd.

How sweet of you. And here we've only just met.

[ Angelica, on the other hand, never seems to eat or drink much of anything-- despite whatever she might have said. She just idly runs her finger around the rim of the glass, occasionally tapping it lightly to see the water tremble and ripple. ]

I'm sure you could make a fine profit. Human beings are inevitably drawn by violence and horror. A part of them enjoys being scared.

Don't let anyone tell you that I'm not a gentleman!

[Ladd's gaze floats over to her hands now, watching as they moved so delicately.]

And speaking of that violence and horror thing, ain't that the reason you came over here? Unless you want to make your next test subject, there really ain't much else I can do that doesn't involve a lot of destruction.

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