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murder by numbers - justin pendleton

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[text]

I don't suppose anyone has evaluated the lifeboat situation on this ship.

[action (boat)]

[Justin has received his message and his target. He has significant doubts about the veracity of the message's claims--if escaping is as simple as murder, he can think of a few citizens who should be home by now--but what if it is legitimate? The City has offered false hope before, but what if, just this once, escape is possible? The message's wording was so reasonable...

After an initial inspection of his cabin, Justin chooses to take stock of the ship and its occupants. He wanders the deck and makes his way through as much of the vessel's interior as unlocked doors allow. His jacket conceals a gun. Whether or not he'll be able to use it is anyone's guess. A life seems a small price to pay to escape the City when death is impermanent, but he can't help but mistrust the City. Would he kill for a chance to get out and move on to whatever awaits the dead? Maybe. Justin has been in the City for years; it's a wearying existence. Can he murder without any certainty that the act will have the desired outcome? He isn't sure. The thought of killing someone (again) is sickening, to say the least.

Then again, the someone in question is, according to the anonymous message, Jimmy. It's almost regrettable. The man who shares his face has admitted to multiple murders and armed robbery, but Justin had sympathized with him when they spoke during a body swap. Maybe it'll be easier if he imagines that Jimmy is him.

Justin doesn't look like someone contemplating murder as he makes his way through the ship.]

[ooc: Text is for everyone! Anyone on the boat of death can run into Justin.]

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[The idea of murder doesn't bother Jimmy. Not in general. The anonymous message, though, kinda throws him for a loop. Sure, he'd kill someone to get out of here -- although he's not sure he wants to go back home, either -- but the guy he's been told to kill has his face. This guy had once been stuck in his body, as though sharing their faces wasn't enough. That bred some kind of understanding, even if they weren't really the same person.

So as he makes his way through the ship, gun holstered but easily within reach, he's not sure what the hell he's going to do when he finds Justin. He knows he'll kill him without a second thought if Justin pulls a weapon on him, but then, he doesn't know the guy that well. He doesn't know what he'll do.

Jimmy sure looks like someone contemplating murder. He's never been good at keeping that look off of his face, even when he's not thinking about it.]

[Justin doesn't expect Jimmy to cross his path, but that's exactly what happens and it happens too soon. He hasn't determined what to do yet.

As such, he doesn't reach for his gun. He can't just walk on by, either; he has already paused. If he doesn't say something, Jimmy might get suspicious.]

Hello.

[Smooth.]

[He figured he'd see Justin soon enough, but he hadn't expected him this soon, and his brain stalls for a moment, before immediately determining that Justin doesn't seem like a threat right now, and that it would be stupid to make a move before he knows what Justin's going to do. So he simply responds to Justin's greeting.]

Uh.

[Don't worry, Justin, Jimmy's not exactly smooth either.]

Hi.

[Fuck. Even if he was sure about killing, Justin doubts he'd be able to shoot Jimmy like this. Not only is it too personal, but the other man is armed; he could--and probably would--shoot back.]

How-- [small talk, how does this work] ...how's your leg?

Oh, well, y'know, it's...

[He can tell from the way Justin's jacket hangs that he's armed, too. Jimmy's developed a keen eye for that, out of necessity more than anything else.]

It's doin' just fine. How's... work?

[He's not great at this small talk thing, either, and he's still doubting Justin's intentions. If the other man were armed, wouldn't he have shot him by now? Then again, he could be trying to lull him into a false sense of security by talking to him pleasantly, if somewhat awkwardly.]

Good. Work's... busy.

[Look, if shooting people was that easy, he'd do it just to put an end to this conversation.]

You shouldn't confess to crimes over the network, by the way.

Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly plannin' on it. I was kinda cursed, y'know.

[Thank you for that helpful advice, Justin. He also didn't enjoy confessing to crimes over the network.]

You could stay away from the network when you're cursed.

[He's not trying to be helpful; he's stalling. Maybe he should just do it. Stop thinking. His hand moves towards his gun, but he hesitates.

Now to see if it was enough of a movement to encourage Jimmy to shoot him.]

Yeah, well, I think I learned my lesson on that one, so next time I'm cursed to spill my guts about some ridiculous shit, I'll be sure to do it in private.

[He sees Justin going for his gun, and his hand moves to his, too, quick enough to let Justin know he's willing to do it if he has to, slow enough to let him know that he won't do it unless Justin really poses a threat.]

[Now that he's given himself away, it seems unnecessary to keep up the small talk. For a lack of anything more tactful to say, Justin tells the truth.]

I'm supposed to kill you.

[But he doesn't reach for his gun again.]

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