come on and slam

[frostythehitman]

WHO: James "Bucky" Barnes + YOU!
WHERE: the police station and later prison
WHEN: Sept 21 onwards
WHAT: James turns himself in for attempting to murder Zee, gets arrested for his actual murder.
WARNINGS: probably some melodrama, lbr


A. 9/21 at like 1am, police station, OTA

[ It's 1am when James Barnes walks into the police station holding a trash can lid. And it had been a quiet night, but it won't be any more, because James walks up to the front desk, starts banging his metal fist against the trash can lid to make a truly unholy racket, and immediately starts bellowing at the top of his lungs: ]

My name is James Buchanan Barnes and I'm guilty of attempting the murder of and assaulting Zee Carlisle!

[ A pause to wait for reaction, then he starts up again: ]

Hello? I said, I'm a murderer who needs to be arrested!

[ He sticks his arms out, wrists together, ready for handcuffs.

And he will continue on, repeating himself as he walks in circles causing a ruckus until someone with a pair of handcuffs takes him in. ]

B. any time on 9/22, police station, police and police-adjacent characters only

[ James sits in a holding cell, sighing and idly picking at the grooves of his metal arm to give him something to fidget with while he waits to be processed. He's not sure exactly what follows here--an interrogation to verify his confession? Or will they toss him straight into jail as soon as they get the paperwork in order?

He doesn't know what's coming next, but he's ready for whatever it may be. ]

C. 9/26 onwards, prison, OTA

[ By now it's been several days since he turned himself in. He's had his trial, he's been sentenced to 15 years in prison, and the news has already reported on it. He's even already been transferred out of a holding cell and into the federal prison that he expects to make his new home for the next many, many years.

But hey, he's got visitation rights now.

Anyone who comes to visit him will see him sitting at the table in the visiting room, wearing the prison uniform, uncharacteristically lacking his eyeliner, and looking more calm than one might expect, given his situation. ]




published in the Recolle Times on 9/26

TRIBUNAL TERRACE -- A military dependent from Fort McCoy was found guilty of the murder of Zee Carlisle after turning himself in earlier this week. The culprit was not a suspect in the case, but had a history of public violence as well as a personal history of previous altercations with Mr. Carlisle that came to light during his confession. He has been convicted of murder, first degree attempted murder, and aggravated assault and has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Fort McCoy officials have declined to respond to calls asking about the convicted dependent or the murder of Mr. Carlisle.

Comments

c

[maidofmistakes]

[Lina walks in quietly. She doesn't look nervous or uncomfortable, oddly enough, more like she's been here a lot. Still, she sits at the other side and doesn't look at James.]

It can't really be you, right?

[frostythehitman]

What can't be me?

c

[thebeastwithout]

The hell are you doing, you dumbass?!

[Gar barges in unceremoniously and shoves an octopus tentacle into James's face.]

For serious?! We literally just spent a day getting proof about who did it, and it obviously wasn't you! What the hell!

[frostythehitman]

Calm down, or they'll throw you out and cut the visit short!

[ James hazards a look over at the guard overseeing the visitation room. Stern though he is, he doesn't seem to be reacting at all to the commotion, or Gar's tentacle. So, maybe he won't do anything after all? ]

[thebeastwithout]

I don't need visitations to visit and yell at you.

[Gar scowls.]

How were there even still enough PCs for a trial to actually happen?! What are you doing, man?

[frostythehitman]

What does it look like I'm doing, Gar? I'm serving my prison sentence.

[thebeastwithout]

That's not what I meant!

[Gar flails his tentacles some more before his expression changes slightly.]

...Wait, what's wrong with you? You're never this quiet.

[frostythehitman]

[ That takes James by surprise. ]

What? What do you mean, I'm never this quiet?

[thebeastwithout]

...You're literally in jail and you just smiled and told me you were serving out your prison sentence.

That's like, some Stepford shit.

You're supposed to be yelling.

[frostythehitman]

I turned myself in, Gar. I wanted this.

[thebeastwithout]

Oh my god why. We literally did an investigation. ...And I literally just asked you this ten seconds ago and you avoided the question.

I've used the word literally in every sentence so far look what you're making me do.

[frostythehitman]

[ He shakes his head. ]

You don't get it, this had nothing to do with that. I didn't turn myself in because of anything to do with Zee's murder--I turned myself in because I nearly murdered him months ago myself!

And I got sick of pretending that I didn't.

[thebeastwithout]

[ok well that wasn't an answer he was expecting]







Wait what

[frostythehitman]

[ James takes a deep breath. ]

Do you remember after February, when I went to return Zee's phone to him? I was just using it as an excuse to get close enough to kill him. I nearly got him too--sliced him open right under the jaw and everything--but then Ami and Kon showed up and stopped me.

They never ratted me out, and neither did Zee. And I thought, maybe it'll be okay, maybe I can just turn over a new leaf and be better and forget about it! But I couldn't. I can't. I'm just...not a good person like that.

So I finally confessed and now I'm here, where I should've been for the past six months all along.

[ As messed up as it all is, and as much as it sucks admitting to these things to one of his closest friends, he has to admit--it feels good to come clean about it. ]

Getting pinned with Zee's actual murder--that wasn't part of the plan.

c

[liberal_arts]

[ Kasen sat himself down with little fanfare, letting out a long, held breath as he stared at James across the table. One could say he simply looked... unimpressed, but deeper than that it was just exhaustion. James was testing the limits of his empathy here, to say the least. ]

I don't believe for a single second that you actually killed that man. So why are you doing this?

B

[standalonehuman]

So long as everything stayed within some kind of normal bounds, it looked like all the people not on the app in the city were just going to keep on staying in the same places, doing the same things. It would take a lot to get their attention.

James' little stunt here has completely thrown off that balance.

There is an argument happening out in the hallways, too far for James to hear, but close enough that everyone else in the bullpen is pretending not to listen in. Togusa is absolutely not budging until they let him in to talk to James. He got woken up for this, called by someone who thought he was on the Carlisle case. Whoops, he's not. But that isn't going to stop Togusa.

Even this conversation is painted with the strange effect of this month, though. Togusa keeps seeing suggestions of what to say, responses every time his superiors stop talking. It's more irritating than anything else, he can get through this on his own, thank you very much. But the 'choices' labeled in blue keep lining up closely with what he wants to say anyway. He knows James, the kid isn't capable of this, he's got his entire file here, they should send in someone that James has already shown that he trusts. (Every time Togusa gets angry and tries to highlight one of those responses labeled in red, he keeps getting some kind of error message that he 'doesn't have enough skill.' That's probably the only thing that keeps him from mouthing off at any point.

He is prepared for all the counter-arguments. He's the newest detective on the payroll. He knows. He's not assigned to homicide. Oh, he fucking knows. But he manages to get them to listen when he keeps harping on the question of how. How did he get someone of Zee's size onto a rooftop and string him up like that? The real reason they relent is because they think Togusa is going to get a more detailed confession, and his own question will get answered. That is not Togusa's intention at all.

James and Togusa. They've been here too many times before. Skipped the interrogation room this time, went to the holding cell. Togusa's approach is usually cautious, or trying to set James at ease as much as he can. Even that goes out the window this time.

Togusa opens the door, pauses only long enough to make sure it shuts behind him, and walks over to the bars. The look on his face is fearful, for James, not of him, because his body language isn't shrinking away at all. A drop of the folder onto the chair on his side, and Togusa doesn't even sit down.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

[thebeastwithout]

[Gar... just stares for a while. His anger has clearly deflated.]

............Seriously?

[His voice cracks a little, though he valiantly attempts to disguise this as a cough.]

I... I mean yeah, I joke that you're always angry and angsty, but like...

You didn't really mean to, right?

[frostythehitman]

James didn't think this conversation would be taking place with him still in the holding cell. He's washed over by a sudden sense of deja vu. He knows Bucky was held in a cell and had a conversation with the Major just like this, in some other lifetime. Except this time, it's because he's being responsible, not reckless, and he's here on purpose instead of accidentally.

He doesn't expect Togusa to sound quite so brusque though, and it immediately puts him on a more combative edge.

"What does it look like? Turning myself in. Aren't you the one who's always talking about how everything needs to be done according to procedure?"

[frostythehitman]

Because I almost did, six months ago. That's what I turned myself in for.

[standalonehuman]

"Not if that procedure puts the wrong person in this cell." Togusa is pacing around, too much pent up energy, but he is keeping watch on James for any clue he can get on his state of mind. What possible motivation could he have for doing this?

"You didn't kill Zee. You've got more of a reason to have a grudge against Retrospec than anyone else I know, but you still wouldn't resort to murder." Togusa's head shakes, a hand goes to the back of his neck, rubs furiously before his hand drops again.

"Why go to all this trouble to try to convince us you did it?"

[frostythehitman]

[ He gives Gar a skeptical look. This is a truly strange sensation, to have someone actually believe in him so much to refuse to see him as guilty. He's used to always being seen as the troublemaker and fighting against it. But now he has to fight to make Gar see that he really is one. ]

I hid a combat knife in my arm, Gar. I meant it. I planned it.

[frostythehitman]

Well, that takes James by surprise. What exactly did Togusa hear?

"I didn't. I never said that I did. I turned myself in for attempted murder, and assault."

[standalonehuman]

Wind. Sails. Gone. Togusa drops his hands to his sides, and stares through the bars at James with his own look of surprise and shock. That's genuine surprise on James' face. He didn't mean for this to happen. Togusa stares for so long that it almost looks like he's staring past James, piecing things together.

"Oh fuck."

Togusa's eyebrows raise and he drags that chair over, tosses the folder on the ground, forgotten, and sits down in it. He cannot stress his next words enough. "James, they are going to try to pin his actual murder on you."

[frostythehitman]

By sheer instinct, James looks horrified for a moment. But then he thinks--is that really all that terrible? Is that really any different than what he came here for in the first place? Either way, he's going to be behind bars for years and years. What difference does it make, whether it's for actual murder or attempted?

The shock drops off his face and the tension leaves his body.

"That's fine. I deserve it anyway. So long as you still look for the real killer."

[thebeastwithout]

[Gar continues to stare. James might stare, too, if he notices that Gar's ears are physically beginning to droop. It's kind of annoying having physical features that respond subconsciously to your emotions.]

...Why would you wanna do something like that?