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

MT...B??? cw: dissociation, potential breathing troubles, emotional shock

[withagun]

[ For the first time all day, Hodaka is aware and awake. He's looking around at everyone staring at him, and it's oh so familiar.

But this time he doesn't have a gun to point.

This time, he doesn't want to— ]

It was me-!!!

[ ...Huh? ]

Me... Me, I... I killed Adaman-senpai!!

[ Hodaka, gasping a little as he starts to cry, doesn't exactly get how these things go. He's supposed to fight and scream and argue, but instead.

Hodaka confesses. ]

[hotpaprika]

[Jonathan didn't want to believe

He can't believe

But... he doesn't want anyone to hurt him. This was just a child.

Without thinking, he runs to him and protects him. From Fontaine, from everyone else, he's not sure who at this point.]

Fontaine, listen to me! If you have an ounce of mercy inside you, take me instead! I know it truly does not matter what sort of blood you get, so take me and let the child live!

[bootyhunter]

[that feel when ur friend is mad extra and u can't contain him!!!!

Guess what Jon, you're getting a quick backhand thwap to the head.]

[giddyundertaker]

Jonathan Harker!

[ Oh, great. The Undertaker sighs and chases after him. ]

What do you think you're doing?! He just told us he'd kill us all if we spare the murderer!

[vholran]

You're wasting your breath.

[ His one and only warning; he's a man of few words, and though some parts of this has been a spectacle...he has no interest in anything being prolonged, more than anything. ]

There is no mercy to be found here.

[daimakaicho]

[ Yeah, ok. Absolutely none of this is good, but the instant Jonathan tries pleading, Jonathan's just getting a Very Aggressive Glare in his direction, her pupils narrowing into slits. ]

Enough.

[bathymetric]

Save the big moral speech for someone who cares, Friend. I'm not bending the rules on the first one of these things just because you feel sorry for the kid.

[pairtner]

Hokada...no...

[Welp, there it is. A confession. Although Aiba doesn't like it at all.

Still, she...has to ask]

Deep breaths, Hodaka. Can you...give more details about what happened? Do you feel strong enough to do that?

[Given what's at stake, Aiba feels asking is necessary. She doesn't think it's likely Hodaka is covering for someone, given the emotional shock he's in, but someone has to do it and may as well be her]

[dullshooter]

C’mon Aiba, do we really have to do this? Kid confessed.

[‘Dont put him through it’ is what he’s not saying.]

[withagun]

[ He starts to shake his head, but- it all starts spilling out. ]

I couldn't- I didn't sleep, I was just- Hina-san was...and they were all going to be... S-so I started wandering and, and I kept thinking and I...

[ It's spilling out but it's going to take some piecing together, sorry. ]

[honeyedtea]

. . . What?

[ Mielle sounds... utterly struck dumb. Like she can't even comprehend what she's hearing. ]

That... can't be right. This is a joke or– or a misunderstanding, isn't it? ... Hodaka?

[withagun]

Mielle-san... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!

[ That's not promising. ]

[onemillion]

[This is the last thing Rossiu wanted and he certainly didn't want to be the one to accidentally get this from poor damn Hodaka. But it's here and they know the stakes and there's no ignoring what they're going to have to do. Hodaka knows now, and he chose to confess.]

I... Hodaka, if you can... Will you tell us what happened?

[Though his voice remains steady, his hands do not.]

cw: suicidal implications

[withagun]

...I fought. [ He's looking right at Rossiu. Eyes wide, and finally focused and seeing. ]

I was- I don't know, he kept- asking what I thought...and I don't know...! He tried to stop me at...first and, I got...angry, but he... I didn't think he'd- he just stopped and let me—

[ Eventually. It didn't work. ]

[inaclearing]

[Brett's still kneeling in front of Hodaka. His expression shutters, hands going very still, and that's - that's it, really. Tears stolen in swift, private moments - ]

Breathe, Hodaka. It's... [...] Can you tell us what happened? You were out, last night. Did you go to get food?

[visiblepattern]

[Forrest is quiet as he approaches after that's out there; he doesn't yell, he doesn't demand answers. He hears it, surely, but...

He pauses a short distance away; he doesn't say anything right away, but eventually he settles on- ]

...Hodaka. Come, sit with me. I told you before that I'm not going anywhere. I want to be with you at the moment.

[dullshooter]

[Oh Hodaka.]

…I stand by what I said, loser.

[bootyhunter]

[DUMBFOUNDED:]

Seriously?!

[dandy always says that he hates kids and he feels bad, but...

hello from med school bootcamp, more prose 2 cum post trial]

cw: dissociation right back at you

[sastruga]

Mori...shima...?

[This feels... not real. It's like she's watching someone else, suddenly, not the boy she's known here. So it's... like that, then.

And suddenly it's like static buzzing in her head.]

No... Hodoka. You really...

[sixthnonsense]

[Hagakure just places his head in his hands as he sags onto his podium for the time being. It's never been easy, and it's not easy now. Not when he feels like he could have been more clear before so it didn't have to come down to a horrible realization later on.

Still. It says a lot about Hodaka for confessing at the end.]

[kninja]

Li'l Daka...

[Obi doesn't have any comfort to offer or questions to contribute. Each piece that slots into place as Hodaka's confession comes out paints the heartbreak clearer. All he can do is stand and listen, looking gutted.]

[fuckingguy]

[ yeah he's got nothing for this, he's just going to kind of stand around and do the Intertwined Hand Thing ]

[howveryglib]

[



haha, this fucking sucks, man.]

…I see. Thank you for coming forward.

[he can’t really let emotions slip through here. he’s got an image to keep up.]

[capreelcious]

[ Floyd doesn't really have anything to say. He knew the murders would start. It was just a matter of who. He didn't really talk to Hodaka too much, but, he does feel bad for him. ]

i tried to post this for like 15 minutes

[specialyellthing]

[Eventually, Zinda approaches him, and slowly lowers her cap onto his head.]

Hawka, lil man. You and Adaman… you saved everyone in there.