SECOND TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ After sufficient time has passed, and you're all as ready to avenge dear Obi as you've ever been, Mayor Fontaine speaks. ]

Alright, that oughta do it. Pack up the evidence and head to the bathyspheres, same as last week.

[ There's yet again a line of spherical submersibles back there, ready to take off as the citizens of New Rapture climb aboard one or two at a time. And one at a time the bathyspheres descend into the abyss below New Rapture, deeper and deeper, once again to the dome on the seafloor, lit all around by bio-luminescent... slugs, of some kind? They're a little closer today.

The ring of podiums still sits in the center, just like last week. Two more podiums are going to stand empty. Two more dead. By the end of the day, best case scenario? It'll be three.

The projector clicks on. Mayor Fontaine is as here as he's gonna be. ]

You all know why you're here. Night Knight is dead. And I know plenty of you liked him alright, so don't let him down, hm? Or do. I'm here if you have questions.

[ Welcome to your second trial. ]

Comments

[specialyellthing]

... Cuz that's life, Cuz.

[She squeezes his shoulder.]

Fish was a warrior. He understood that.

[hotpaprika]

[He leans against her.]

But I promised... he would not have died if I was properly looking out for him!

[sastruga]

...Do you seriously think that?

[Ah--

That slipped out a little.]

Cw suicidal discussion?

[hotpaprika]

...

I could have at least been a shield.

[sastruga]

...You probably would have just both died.

You understand that, don't you, Harker-san?

[bootyhunter]

Listen to the girl, she's speakin' the truth, baby!

cw this is less suicide ideation and more victorians being weird

[hotpaprika]

... I know

You are absolutely correct.

[He shoves aside the extremely Victorian thought that it's kind of romantic to die alongside your lover.]

[bootyhunter]

ARE YOU KIDDIN' ME, RIGHT NOW?!

[specialyellthing]

[COVERIN JONATHANS EARS]

EY! BE NICE TO THE BOY.

[hotpaprika]

[WELL THAT

SOMEONE SNAPS HIM OUT OF HIS SPIRALING.]

H-huh?!

[allatonce]

[She smacks him a little. Don't yell at the obviously traumatized boyfriend.]

[bootyhunter]

[HE LETS HIMSELF BE SMACKED!!!! but he is still so angy]

[vholran]

How weak.

Is this all you can do? Whine and cry?

[hotpaprika]

Don't talk to me.

[vholran]

Pathetic.

[hellaethics]

Hey, man, leave him alone. We're all goin' through a lot of stuff right now and Johnny's just feelin' it super hard.

[vholran]

I'll think about it.

[ In a tone to indicate he is not serious about that. ]

[inaclearing]

Why would you talk to him like that?

[vholran]

Am I wrong?

[giddyundertaker]

[ Well. That gets a glare from the Undertaker. ]

You have never been to a funeral, have you? Grief and misery are perfectly normal reactions to losing a treasured person...

[vholran]

Attachments are weak. They hold you back.

As you can see now.

[bootyhunter]

Fuck off, jackass!

[watch dandy fight him and lose]

[buriedstar]

[ He's smiling into his hand just a little. ]

Now this is a spectacle.

[giddyundertaker]

[ Sigh. ] That wouldn't have done much good. Like she said [ Pointing at Mafuyu here. ] if you did that, we'd be solving two murders if you just used yourself as a shield.

[specialyellthing]

Or you'd both be toast right now.

He knew what he was doin'. I woulda let him go on his own too. He probably didn' wanna wake you.