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[power_of_yes]

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[power_of_yes]

I've done much worse than that, Misty. Please. What you did was sloppy.

[He looks out to the stars again.]

[citizendetective]

It really wasn't, but... okay! I was just curious; I don't actually need you to be afraid of me.

[power_of_yes]

I mean, you were looking to be caught out for it, right? So maybe you're right.

If you don't want me to be afraid of you, then what do you want?

[citizendetective]

Well, someone had to do the announcement, and since there weren't any witnesses...

[She sighs, pulling her legs up onto the bench and crossing them, and pauses for several long moments before answering.]

You offered to come tell me things.

[She says, allowing just a bit of full sincerity to leak into this conversation.]

I like knowing things about this place! You know, information about the people here, how they think, how they interact with each other... the Barge has some really interesting personality types.

I'm not a voyeur, I'm just curious.

[power_of_yes]

Are you the type of person who watches the ID channel for all of the niche murder stories?

[He finally turns around to fully face her.]

[citizendetective]

Oh, please--

[She chuckles, shaking her head.]

If you want niche, you have to go online, John. If they're making TV specials about it, it's pretty mainstream! Which isn't a bad thing, unsolved crimes should get attention, but-- you know what I mean.

[This means yes.]

[power_of_yes]

[That elicits a real laugh from him.]

I stopped watching mainstream television a few years ago and the internet is a cesspool of vanity and narcissism. My information is a little out of date.

[citizendetective]

No kidding.

[She mutters under her breath. Then, louder:]

At least you know what the internet is; that's not at all a given here.

But what about you, John? Why did you hang up on me before and agree to come talk to me now?

[power_of_yes]

Because I was done talking to you then. And I wanted to set the record straight about Roman.

[He fishes in his pocket for a cigarette.]

[citizendetective]

[Why is everybody on this ship a smoker.]

Okay. Well, what did he say to you? It must have been something pretty bad.

[power_of_yes]

[He has a single match that he lights but doesn't actually take a drag of it yet.]

To me? Nothing of note. You notice that he talks, he insults, without anything behind it. He insulted my brother, I insulted his. And apparently his skin isn't as thick as he'd like it to be. So he hit me for it.

[citizendetective]

I think there's probably plenty behind it. Like, uh, neuroses.

[power_of_yes]

Obviously. But you can't throw a rock around here without hitting some of that. Everyone here is fucked up, Misty. Everyone.

What's your damage, hm? You said you killed someone. And you've killed here, too.

Do you have a favorite serial killer?

[citizendetective]

By what criteria? A lot of them are really interesting. H. H. Holmes, Burke and Hare-- I'm not one of the creepy groupies, though. Just saying. I also killed at home for a good reason, and, one could argue that killing here doesn't totally count. It definitely doesn't carry the same weight!

[power_of_yes]

Burke and Hare. You really are a little freak.

[He laughs as he says it.]

But you're right. Dying here doesn't mean anything. We're already dead.

[citizendetective]

I didn't say it doesn't mean anything.

[She says, feeling a little twinge in her abdomen.]

It just means less.

[power_of_yes]

I say it doesn't mean anything. You could do again and again and again and it wouldn't matter. Because we don't matter.

We are all sinners here, Misty. Forsaken by God.

[citizendetective]

Well, that's a downer. And I'm guessing telling you that I'm not exactly a believer won't matter to you, either.

[A pause.]

You really think H. H. Holmes is less freakish than Burke and Hare?

[power_of_yes]

I think they all are, but I'm more familiar with them.

[He tilts his head, finally enjoying his cigarette.]

What I find more interesting is that you feel passionately enough to argue the point.

[citizendetective]

I just know a lot about this stuff. If you want to solve crimes, it's kind of a requirement. Also, Burke and Hare's partnership was really interesting, at least in the beginning.

[power_of_yes]

Why do you care about solving crimes?

[He watches her closely, attuned to any movement.]

[citizendetective]

I just do.

[She says, her brow furrowing a little.]

It's interesting. It's a fun thing to work together on with people.

[power_of_yes]

Mm. And I thought I had strange hobbies.

[He shrugs.]

Is it Envy or Greed, I wonder? That drives you?

[citizendetective]

[She looks a little surprised at that, her eyes bright and curious.]

Why would it be either of those things?

[power_of_yes]

[He taps his chin once before turning his back on her again.]

Envy. To want something you can't have. To covet that feeling, that thing that other people might get from a rush of solving the crime. To do everything in your power, like killing, like asking questions, interviews, seeing it - to get that feeling.

Or is it Greed? Wanting all of the information for yourself? Wanting to store it and hoard it for no other reason that to say that you have it?