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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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That Jimmy is doing the same thing is encouraging. Justin sets his gun down and gives it a nudge with his foot, sending it skittering out of reach.]

Do you want to go home?

[It's only after Justin's nudged his gun completely out of the way that Jimmy does the same, hoping he's not making a horrible mistake.]

I dunno. Sometimes. Sometimes it's better here. You?

[If nothing else, Justin is typically honest. Had he been intent on killing Jimmy, Jimmy would have known by now.]

Sometimes? [He shrugs and shoves his hands in his pockets.] I'm not going home. I just want everything to be over with.

Sure, sometimes. I mean, I miss my son, but I don't miss a lotta other things from home.

[He frowns at Justin's statement, though.]

You mean you want everythin' over to be with as in you wanna be dead?

[He's pretty blunt most of the time. Sorry, Justin.]

You seem too young to have a son.

[That could have something to do with the fact that they look so similar and Justin can't imagine having a child himself.

Bluntness is fine.]

Yes. Living in the City for four years, dying four times... I keep waiting for death to take someday.

I think that myself a lot, too.

[He really was young to have a kid. Carrying on the family tradition, he guessed.]

You ever killed yourself?

But you don't regret it?

[He has to consider that question.]

Not really. I brought the first on myself, and I could have fought harder two of the other three times.

Regret it? He's my kid, I'm not gonna regret that. I guess sometimes I wish it'd happened at a better time, y'know? I wasn't there for the first three years of his life. That doesn't sit right with me.

[A nod.]

So you kinda did. Just by not actin', y'know? Just by not fightin' back. Knew a lotta guys like that in the war.

Your son is lucky to have a father like you.

[A slow nod in response.]

It's cowardly, isn't it? Letting something else kill you because you can't bring yourself to do it.

Well, I dunno...

[He looks like he's really thinking about the question deeply.]

Is it? Some people believe that killin' yourself is a sin. Maybe some people who let others kill them're just tryin' to avoid sinnin'. I dunno if that applies to you, though.

You can't be worse than mine was.

[There's no bitterness; it's just a statement.]

I don't believe in sin... or religion. Maybe it's apathy instead of cowardice.

Well, I'm sure as hell better than mine was.

[A shrug.]

Nah, I don't believe in that kinda shit either. I guess apathy'd explain it a lot better, then.

All you can do is try to be better.

Do you believe in anything? Destiny, an afterlife, love...?

Not too easy to be any better when I'm stuck here, though.

Uh, I guess I believe in love. Kinda. I mean, I've been in love, so I'm pretty sure it exists. You?

Time doesn't pass at home while you're here. You'll have a chance.

Love? I still don't know. I won't rule out hormones and pheromones, but when I'm with a certain girl, I almost believe in all of it--love, destiny, soul mates. Very likely hormonal.

[He looks over at his gun.]

Should we be concerned about other people trying to kill us?

Sure, maybe it is hormones, or pheromones, or whatever the fuck, but if it feels real, it might as well be, right? Why over-think it when you can just feel good about it? I mean, assumin' it feels good.

[He looks at his gun, too, then shakes his head.]

If they are trynna kill us, I think we can handle it. But I kinda get the sense we were sent to kill each other specifically.

[Justin shakes his head in response to Jimmy's analysis. There's a distinct difference between what is real and what isn't that shouldn't be ignored, but--well.]

I over-think everything.

[sincerely:] I'm not going to kill you. I wouldn't mind having my gun back just in case someone else shows up, though. Can you trust me enough to not shoot me?

[He has to think about that, but finally he slowly nods.]

Yeah. You can have it back if I can have mine back, but you make one stupid move, 'n I'm gonna shoot you.

[He doesn't sound too convinced about that, but he has to say it.]

Okay. No stupid moves.

[He reaches for his discarded gun slowly, giving Jimmy time to do the same.]

[He reaches for his, too, eyes steadily on Justin, not quite sure he can trust him, but wanting to. Once they both have their guns back, he nods slightly.]

Okay. We're good.

Good.

[Now what to do.]

...Should we stick together?

Not a bad idea -- we both got guns, we both know how to use 'em, 'n we're both avoidin' killin' each other.

Alright. If everyone is trying to kill each other, we might be able to live through this.

We will. No way we're gonna die on a stupid boat.

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