The interview

Who: Benny and Maya
Where: The Walker manor
When: 2 PM

He was nervous, but not for the usual reasons most people might have over an impending job interview. No, Benny was nervous because he knew that sooner or later his lies and his lives would intersect with each other. Killer, peasant, soon to be waiter, and potential bodyguard? It was getting tricky. But he wasn't going to balk from the workload, that was for sure. The enigma behind Cheyenne's situation had intrigued him, and tracking down another predator was something Benny hadn't done in far too long. If he could get the job, he'd take it.

Which was why he was here now, walking up opulent front steps to the wide door of the Walker household and closing his umbrella, checking his pocketwatch once before he knocked. Three minutes early, that suited him perfectly, and he'd gotten the impression that Maya would be pleased too. She was intriguing all on her own, though. He wanted to know more about Cheyenne's 'mother', and with a few carefully placed questions? Benny hoped to fulfill that wish. "Benny Huo to see Mrs. Walker," he told the servant who answered the door, stepping in when invited and waiting patiently.

The maid greeted Benny and asked him to wait a moment whilst she checked with 'Mrs Walker', disappearing into the inner sanctum and then reappearing to show Benny through to the sunroom where Maya was sat. The world outside the windows was grey and damp, the weather not showing itself to it's best advantage though Maya was poised and perfect, careful preparation, clothing and makeup hiding the ravages of a late night the night before. She was sat in an armchair, placed to take the best of the room, the view, and yet still be able to see whoever entered and she stood as benny came in. "Mr Huo - thank you for attending," she said, holding her hand out to him.

Handing off his umbrella to the maid before she stepped away, Benny moved in neat strides towards Maya, taking her hand lightly in his and bowing slightly. "Mrs. Walker, the thanks are mine to give for your choice to receive me," he offered politely, slipping easily back into the mindset of a man of etiquette. It was everything in the world Benny had left behind, and even unintended rudeness could be deadly around his former employers. Maya didn't look the type to play by such rules, but Benny hadn't gotten this far by being careless either. "This weather could be taken as an ill omen, yes?" he mused with a smile.

"Or it could simply be taken as being weather," Maya countered, pleasantly. "Do you believe in omens, Mr Huo?" she asked, sitting and indicating that he should take a seat also. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of the man, but then again, that was why he was here - so she could get a better assessment of him.

"I do not," Benny replied as he moved for the offered chair, slipping off his suitcoat neatly and settling in, "But my culture is a very superstitious one, you could even say it is built upon the belief in omens. On a more practical level? I feel that anything that makes a person cautious or wary is worth considering, whether it's a myth or an instinct. A fine line to walk without delving into paranoia, yes, but the other side is complacency." He was actually presenting more of his actual self than usual here; dressed to the nines in a new suit and pressed tie, a confident smile teasing his lips as Benny actually let the sharper side of his watchful mind show. "Is my set of beliefs a factor for this service?"

"Who you are is a factor for this service, My Huo - if your beliefs are a part of that, then yes, they are a factor. Is that a problem for you?" Maya asked him, raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow and looking him in the eye.

He chuckled warmly, shaking his head for a moment before he met Maya's stare. "Absolutely not," he assured her, "And I suppose they are a factor, then. All of us are shaped by what we believe, after all, religious or otherwise." He sat in silence for a moment, just meeting Maya's gaze and studying her. She was a lovely woman, and in Benny's experience? The composed ones were the most wild of lovers. Of course, he wasn't giving any hint of such thoughts as he looked at her. "Please, ask whatever you need of me," Benny eventually offered, "I'll try to keep from rambling overmuch."

Maya considered him, taking her time before speaking. "Tell me about your family," she said, making it sound like a reasonable request, but considering his ethnic origin, she couldn't help but have thoughts of the Syndicate come to mind.

He nodded curtly, smoothing his tie down across his chest before speaking. "I was born in Eidolon," Benny began, "My father owned a handful of apartment buildings in Chinatown, and my brothers worked with his friends in the markets." All of which was true, it just skipped over the real influence his family had held. They had been landlords, and the work his brothers did in the markets wasn't just sorting fish or produce. "When I was about twelve, the people I believe would become the Jade Lotus arrived in the city," he went on with a darker spark showing in his eyes, "And killed my father and brothers for standing up to them. My mother and I took what money we had and booked passage back to China, where we still had family. I was raised there by my uncle and mother, but chose to return here myself about a year ago after I'd raised a small fortune to establish myself in the city."

Maya's expression didn't betray the sudden and increased interest she had in the man before him. Someone who had no reason to love the Lotus - very interesting. "What brought you back to the city, Mr Huo?" she asked him, wanting to know more about this.

"My hopes for better fortune," Benny answered, waving a hand at the elegant room around them, "And a different sort of justice against these Jade Lotus than most might seek. However skilled I am, I am only one man. But if I work within the rules of this city? I know that money and respect can shift things in my favor, and if I can, I will pull the entire world out from under these men's feet." In truth, his plans were some combination of his words and his talents. Benny was going to kill as many as he could, yes, but if he could also rob them of their resources? It could be so much fun to watch them squirm.

Maya allowed a small smile to creep onto her face. Oh yea, this man would be fine, she was sure. At least, he had a reason to hate the Lotus, and as they said, 'my enemy's enemy is my friend'. But still, there was Cheyenne to think about. "And this drive for vengeance, are you certain that will not get in the way of you protecting my daughter?" she asked him.

Benny smiled in kind, tsking softly. "Justice," he corrected, "Not vengeance. And no, it will not. I am not looking to drag your family into my own affairs, I assure you. I can offer more than just protection, of course, but if all you need is a watchful presence when she goes out? I will gladly provide both you and her that peace of mind." Whatever it took to earn some favor with these people, Benny could find a way to do.

"And what else do you think you can offer my family, Mr Huo?" Maya asked him, keeping a polite tone, but wondering just how much she would be able to use this one, manipulate his desires. He could be a very interesting little toy.

"It would depend," Benny mused, shrugging as he reached up to brush the part in his hair lightly. "If you do not wish to retain me for very long? I could take a more active role and try to find whoever it was that's following your daughter, then turn him over to the police. If you'd like Cheyenne to gain a sense of security that doesn't depend entirely on me, I could attempt to teach her a bit of unarmed martial skill. Even a bit would be far more than most people in this city," he noted, chuckling dryly with just a hint of ego showing. No one could take him in hand-to-hand combat and Benny knew it.

"You would teach my daughter to fight?" she asked him. "Do you think that that is suitable for someone of her standing?" she added, asking an honest question to which she would like to receive his opinion, rather than dismissing it out of hand. After all, she had take the track of learning about firearms, and just a little bit of torture.

Benny sighed softly, eyes flashing with amusement even if he feigned some sense of being resigned to having to explain himself. "Not to fight, necessarily. To control the situation," he clarified, "Knowing how to react when someone becomes aggressive brings a sense of confidence with it that tends to dissuade people from being aggressive in the first place. And I do not know how people here would react to her learning, but where I was raised? The higher your social standing, the finer your training, which I spoke of the night before with my own lessons."

"Clearly our cultures differ. But difference is not always a bad thing. And neither is the unexpected," she mused. "Agreed, Mr Huo. You will watch Cheyenne, and you may teach her. Though, please - don't think I won't be watching you. I take my responsibilities to my family very seriously. I expect you to do the same."

"Before I accept," Benny interjected, "I have some questions of my own, Mrs. Walker. And I assure you I will take no course of unwanted action with Cheyenne, training or otherwise." He might see if she was able to be seduced, but Benny never forced such matters. There were plenty of women in this city, and he was a charming enough man that he'd never had to pay for sex before. "My questions are simple, though. First, when will I be needed? When she ventures into the city, of course, but here as well? Or am I strictly on-call for any social outing she makes? And second, what sort of compensation can you offer? I'm not a greedy man, but the question begs asking."

"You will be needed as and when Cheyenne requires you. She controls this - if she wants you to accompany her on a social outing, you accompany her. I believe that she will be able to judge well enough when your services will be beneficial. As for remuneration - you can rest assured that you will be well paid for your time, and you will receive expenses over and above that. Anything which you need in order to do your job to the utmost will be covered. Most places in this city will take my name alone as good credit and I trust that you would not squander that," she said, pleasantly enough, but with an undertone that suggested the possibility that only a fool would do such a thing as to try and fiddle her.

Benny nodded, knowing how to catch the unspoken cues that said Maya had little other need for his time and rising from his seat. "I will leave my phone number with your housemaid, then," he said as he slid his jacket back on, "And await word from Cheyenne. Please let her know that the more she can gather about the man following her, the better my chances of sussing him out before there is trouble." This was going to be interesting, no doubt. Benny normally didn't take long-term jobs like this, but he'd been inspired to in this case. So now was when he proved, once again, just how deserving he was of the reputation he claimed. "Unless there is anything else, Mrs. Walker, I shall leave you to your affairs."

"Of course, I will inform her of that," Maya told him, also rising politely and offering her hand once more. "Have a pleasant day, My Huo. I'm sure we will be meeting again in the future," she said, certain of that much. She wasn't just going to let this man loose on Cheyenne, not without occasionally bringing him in.

He stepped in as he fastened a button on his coat, taking Maya's hand gently and leaning in to kiss it. "And you as well, I look forward to there being no calamity between now and then. May providence smile for you," Benny said formally, nodding to Maya once before he stepped back. He lingered for a moment before turning and starting out of the room, stopping only to catch the maid and pass on his number as promised. From there, with his umbrella in tow, Benny stepped back into the rain with a thoughtful grin in place. Was this an omen of dark times ahead? He wasn't superstitious enough to decide one way or another, but Benny was sure that it was going to be the start of something interesting.