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murder by numbers - justin pendleton

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If you see someone who looks like me today, be cautious. It may not be me.

[And that short, cryptic message is all that Justin has time for. Now that he's (almost) certain that he is, in fact, awake, he has a nightmare to find. Specifically, he has to find himself.

Anyone out roaming the City and its various dreamscapes may unwittingly encounter something that isn't quite Justin. This Justin, usually a part of a reoccurring dream, is stronger, faster, and deadlier than the real Justin could ever hope to be. He doesn't talk. He doesn't think. This nightmare version of Justin just stares... and, occasionally, kills. Perhaps you'll be lucky and the nightmare will pass you by. Perhaps you won't be lucky...]

[ooc: Naturally, Justin has nightmares about a more monstrous form of himself... and those nightmares end with the monster killing someone (that someone has already volunteered, so no need to raise your hand). Justin will be out trying to stop his nightmare from ending as it usually does, so feel free to have your character run into either Justin or nightmare!Justin. Try not to provoke nightmare!Justin.

Action tags from nightmare!Justin will be coming from

ohcurses.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I haven't seen anything like that, yet. If I do...should I let you know about it?

That's not necessary. I'm trying to keep an eye on it. Him. Me.

Alright. I'll simply take your advice, then.

Thank you, Ken.

Be careful.

I will, of course.

[For the most part.]

Hopefully we can run into each other when you don't have a doppelganger running around.

Hopefully.

[Euphie looks down one street and then another. She thought she saw a knightmare frame. It couldn't be could it? Her heart is pounding loud enough in her ears she doesn't hear anyone else nearby. She'll just hurry down the street. Maybe it went that way.]

[Euphie chose the wrong direction. Justin--or something that looks remarkably like Justin--steps out in front of her.

He doesn't talk.]

[She gasps, coming to an abrupt stop.] Oh... [She sounds a little breathless. She's been chasing her own dreams after all.] Oh, Justin, you surprised me.

[Instead of answering, Justin seizes Euphie's wrist and pulls her close. Without waiting for a reaction, he kisses her. Aggressively.

One hand goes to her neck.]

[To say she was surprised would be an understatement. She was utterly caught off guard. Her thoughts would need time to catch up. Her immediate reaction was an attempted question which was very much lost in the way their lips were pressed together—the only sound coming from deep in her throat. And then for a moment she's kissing him back, but only a moment. Something is wrong. She tries to pull back.]

[A hand goes to the back of Euphie's head, holding her in place, as the other slips around her neck, thumb placing pressure on her windpipe.

He backs her against a wall before releasing her lips. He pulls back just far enough for Euphie to see his smirk.]

[Her eyes are wide, watching him with more confusion than fear. His name comes questioningly to her lips but there is little sound behind it with the way his fingers are pressing at her throat. The kiss alone left her short on breath, and now her head was starting to swim.

It was hard to concentrate. Why was her friend doing this?

Why?]

[He doesn't offer an explanation as both of his hands wrap themselves around her neck, fingers digging into flesh with bruising force.

Strangulation takes time.]

[That gets more of a reaction as her heart speeds up further and she reaches up to pull his hands way. Words are still lost to her, but she makes sounds as she tries to stop him.]

[Justin--the real one--has been chasing this thing that looks like him through the City. He knows how the dream ends, but not how to prevent it from happening. What happens if you kill something that looks like you? Do you die along with it?

The doppelganger doesn't let up. It seems unmoved by Euphie's sounds and struggles, intent on choking the life out of the girl.

By luck or by fate, Justin finds them (the City would cast Euphie in the supporting role in this particular nightmare). For all of the metaphysical contemplation he's been engaging in today, it doesn't take him long to settle on a course of action. He draws his gun, steadies the weapon with both hands, and shoots.

Blood splatters Euphie as the thing that looks like Justin drops to the ground, unambiguously dead.]