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Veanne
Since: Jul, 2012
28th Apr, 2024 10:08:42 PM
I feel this is related to Stepping Out for a Quick Cup of Coffee, so perhaps you could look in that direction?
Ner0014reN
Since: Aug, 2023
29th Apr, 2024 06:26:36 AM
Attempt at Pet the Dog?
A character is part of a plan to kill some people, using a method that must be set in motion in advance. (e.g. poisoning a vat of wine, or hiding a time bomb under a table.) Unfortunately, after they set the plan in motion but before people start dying, either a person they don't want to kill shows up and unknowingly puts themselves in the line of fire, or they have a change of heart about one of the people they want to kill.
The aspiring murderer now has to try and convince the person they don't want dead to leave without explaining the real reason why. Often, they fail to do so, and are forced to choose between letting the person die to save their plan, or revealing their plan to everyone to save the person.
one famous example would be Hamlet, where Claudius tries to poison Hamlet via his drink, but Gertrude ends up with his glass accidentally; Claudius tries to tell her not to drink from it, but does not tell her why, so she ignores him and is fatally poisoned.