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

WOUND CHECK FOR SHORTSTACKS

[inaclearing]

Alright. We can start with the smaller folks. Maybe just the arms for now?

[He's not the most familiar with fighting, but that makes sense to him? Everyone around 5'4'' or smaller I guess.]

[allatonce]

[On account of she's been wearing the blobfish kigurumi this entire time, Joy unzips it and just ties the arms around her waist. She's wearing the tie-dye shirt underneath, which has been converted to a sleeveless crop top.

Anyway her arms are clear.]

[withagun]

[ Okay so Hodaka is definitely around the requested height but he's not really...moving or doing anything? Like, acknowledging or holding out his arms or whatnot. He is wearing his usual white t-shirt, though, so. Pretty easy to tell he's not...recently bruised there. Some around his left wrist but those seem to be healing and he's had them the whole time he's been here. ]

[inaclearing]

[Quieter, because he's not really trying to draw attention here:]

...hey. Are you okay?

[withagun]

H-huh- ?

[ He starts, like he's been barely paying attention— actually, yeah, from the dazed look in his eyes, he's barely paying attention. ]

Mr. Riebach... I'm sorry, you...were asking me, something...?

[inaclearing]

I said, are you okay? You don't look so good.

[Brett frowns, leaning down a little to peer into Hodaka's face more closely.]

[withagun]

[ He won't find anything too weird. Incredibly puffy eyes, presumably from crying, and eyebags, but like. That's no surprise. Everyone knows he's been in the meeting room as often as possible, and you can't really sleep there.

But like. Since he's looking close. There's nothing really physically off about Hodaka except for how completely disconnected he looks. And the fact that his breathing is...sort of uneven? Like he keeps getting breathless for no reason. ]

I don't... Yeah, I'm...fine, I...

[ To that end! Brett, you're familiar with signs of shock, aren't you? Specifically emotional shock? ]

[inaclearing]

[Boy howdy is he! He keeps his voice gentle and calm, and drops to one knee rather than leaning over him.]

Hey - can you look at me? [He moves his hand as if to put it on Hodaka's shoulder, but then remembers, thinks better, and lets it drop back to his side.] What color shirt am I wearing?

[it's the tie-dye one, making this more of a trick question than intended, rip]

[withagun]

[ Hodaka's eyes aren't focused. Or...they're coming back into focus. ]

Uh...? What kind of question is that, Mr...

[ He's not answering though. Partly because of shock and partly, well. Other things are happening. ]

[inaclearing]

You need to focus on what's around you right now. Not whatever's going on in your head.

[It's something he remembers having done to him before. Brett tilts his head, taking in Hodaka's expression. Looks like he's coming around a little more.]

Deep breaths, okay? Just like before. Fill up your whole chest, count to five, and let it all out again.

cw breathing trouble

[withagun]

[ That's maybe not a good thing. He doesn't listen, instead looking around. ]

What... Where are we? Everyone's been yelling, and I...

[inaclearing]

We're in that dome on the seafloor. We took the submarines here, remember?

[It's not that Brett can't hear, or hasn't noticed, what Hodaka's been saying to the others. What he's been implying. He just...]

Maybe you should sit down.

[withagun]

[ But it's all going so quickly now. He's- ]

No. No, I- no, this isn't-

[sastruga]

[This is simple enough, at least. She just takes off her uniform's jumper, revealing her arms. And... no bruises, from the look of it.

Ya girl seems clear there.]

[honeyedtea]

I–I really don't know if this is something I can do in front of so many people...! N–no, I refuse to have such a production made of me where all of you can see!

[ she's really going to be Difficult about this, huh ]

[sastruga]

...Mielle-san, I know it's a lot to ask, but... do you want me to check? I can hide you a little, too.

[honeyedtea]

... Do you promise that none of them will see?

[sastruga]

I promise. I won't let anyone else see anything.

[In fact, she's going to take her cardigan and use it to shield Mielle from view.]

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle still looks deeply uncomfortable with all this, but she allows Mafuyu to check her over with no further protests.

After all that fuss, she's totally uninjured. ]

[sastruga]

...Mm. There we go.

[She'll give a nod and wait for Mielle to cover herself back up again.]

You're all clear.

[specialyellthing]

You heard the lady, avert your eyes——

[As she shuffles Mielle off to the side.]

Just your arms.

[honeyedtea]

N–no...!

[ She steps out from Zinda's herding, over to Mafuyu's side. ]

I won't allow anyone but Mafuyu to check me!

[specialyellthing]

Ah! Goldie, that’s the first time I saw your spark——

[She shakes her head, but turns her head away—- then starts to undo her own buttons, so she can shrug out of her Blackhawks jacket. Then she holds it up to help shield her, her own head still turned away and eyes pressed shut.]

Go on, Sparkles.