FIRST TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ After a while, once all the appropriate clues have been found, Mayor Fontaine calls out again over the speakers. ]

Alright, citizens, pack it in quick and head to the back of the Hall of the Founders. You have business to take care of.

[ When they do reach the Bathysphere station, Eleanor is manning the controls, gaze quiet and even over the crowd. The hatch at the front of the strange elevator is open, and everyone is gestured inside. A series of small submerisbles are lined up, waiting to be ridden. ]

Just hop into the bathyspheres one or two at a time, and the system will get you where you need to go.

[ It's a long, cramped ride from here, but Fontaine's word is true. At least you can tune into the radio in the pod?

The bathyspheres take you down until even the few lights of Rapture are out of sight, down until lights of a different kind are visible - the reds and blues of bioluminescent sea creatures, a little too out of your way to make out what they are, blending to a strange sort of not-quite-purple as the bathysphere reaches its final destination: a glass dome built into the sea floor, about the size of an average house.

As one by one the bathyspheres arrive carrying the new citizenry of New Rapture, less natural lights than those of the creatures around you begin to click on in the dome. In the center, most of the space is taken up by a circle of podiums, each with an image of one of you engraved into it.

A projector of some kind kicks on, which combined with the lighting allows for the familiar silhouette of Mayor Fontaine at his chair to appear on the side of the dome, watching over you. ]

Time to do your best to figure out who killed the Diamond in the Rough. And do yourselves a favor: keep it interesting. I'm here if you have any burning inquiries.

[ And here it is.

Welcome to your first trial. ]

Comments

[allatonce]

Except wouldn't it make more sense to check the meeting room and see if Fontaine kept his word?

[daimakaicho]

[ Hm hm. ]

It would, but the only blood that was found was the print on the glass, correct? I'm not sure why there would be an uptick in blood if that was the case, unless the culprit made multiple trips up without bothering to clean up.

[ Or the button cut their finger????? Who knows. ]

[allatonce]

You touch the button for floor 5, intending to wash the blood off, but then you realize you should check the meeting room and then come back and actually press the button for floor 5 again, making it messier.

[sixthnonsense]

Okay, probably a dumb question but like...if they killed Ada-my man in the garden, couldn't they have just washed the blood off in the pond?

[allatonce]

I guess, if they didn't have an injury? Or even if they did, but the chance of infection...

[ew???]

[pairtner]

Given Adaman had bruises on his knuckles, there's no doubt he hit something solid shortly before his murder. There's a chance he hit his attacker.

[That sure won't get washed off in the pond!]

[sixthnonsense]

[Hagakure gasps as it clicks with him.]

So maybe they're bruised too!

[allatonce]

Okay. We could check for bruises, I guess? Like the world's worst game of clue.

[sixthnonsense]

[Joy is so valid but Hagakure on the other hand...]

I dunno if I'd be all that worried about infection if I was tryin' to cover my tracks. They could've avoided puttin' a hand signature on the glass!

[kninja]

Maybe they weren't trying. Not everyone's suited to this kind of business. Might've been in a daze.

[sixthnonsense]

D'you think they weren't actually prepared to do it, then? And it just kinda...happened?

[kninja]

Well... I guess I'm still thinking about the pond. Let's say someone fell asleep and ended up splashed in there. It's disorienting! Adaman hears them struggle and rushes over to pull them out of the water. Since they're still confused, they bite him and punch him and he hits his head...

What do you think? Does that sound plausible?

[dullshooter]

[Makes sense to him.]

If you got that far...why not just take the shot?

[visiblepattern]

There weren't signs of a struggle in the garden. Besides, I would think that would just end in water tracked everywhere.

[kninja]

That's true. If there wasn't anything like that, I guess it doesn't work.

[visiblepattern]

I suppose not...

[Mm.]

I have faith that we'll figure it out. It's just... It's difficult.

[sixthnonsense]

[WHY ARE YOU ASKING HIM

But since he has been asked, he scratches his head as he thinks about it...]

I guess so... I didn't get splashed so I couldn't say for sure, obviously. But I guess they could've gotten the blood on 'em if they tried to check on him? He'd've had to move to get face down, right?

[kninja]

Hard to say, since I didn't see the body in person. [Thanks for the visual, though, Aiba.] I mean, if he was struck in the face and hit the rock with that much force, he could've just fallen forward straight from that, I think.

[He rubs his head.]

I dunno. I've never tried to solve a murder before.

[buriedstar]

I don't think biting is most people's first response.

[kninja]

It isn't? Huh.

[So maybe Obi is the only feral lad in the room, good to know.]

[hotpaprika]

Depending on how someone grabs you, I can see biting being the only option.

[His voice is quiet as he speaks.]

[sastruga]

Maybe not the first, but... Who knows what anyone is capable of when cornered?

If I was afraid enough and I couldn't get away, even I might resort to biting.

[sastruga]

A crime of opportunity...

It does feel messy, doesn't it?

[sixthnonsense]

Super messy. The Hope's Peak killing game had both kinds of murders, and the more planned out ones definitely didn't have stuff like this.

[buriedstar]

It does. They could have just wiped the blood off with their clothing, or even hit the elevator button with their elbow or an object of some kind.