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

[bootyhunter]

You got somethin' to say, Blondie?

[Dandy's face, which often contorts in a variety of exaggerated ways, is bereft of any readable emotion.]

Take your time.

[Although slowly, there's some gentleness that finds its way in.]

No need to spit it out right away.

How you doin', anyway? Maybe it's not the time to ask, but...

I'm sorry. The past few weeks have sucked harder than a newborn babe on his momma's-

[insert vague hand gestures here]

Well. You know.

[honeyedtea]

[ Mielle doesn't do anything quite as unladylike as spluttering but the way she stumbles over her words before she manages to answer is almost the same. ]

Y-you-- you bring this up and then you have the audacity to ask me how I am?!

[ she makes a strained noise, close to coming out like a hysterical bark of laughter. ]

What does it have to do with what we're discussing here?

[bootyhunter]

[He follows up, then, with a statment of utmost sincerity-]

I just wanted to check in on ya.

[Dandy's shoulders slump up and down.]

Seriously.

Anyone with eyes can tell you're havin' a rough one. I get it, though.

This sucks.

[honeyedtea]

If you know that, then why insist on making it worse?!

[bootyhunter]

[Dandy is silent for a long time.]

You want me to say it?

Right here, all out in the open?

I dunno if I have the heart.

[The last part is uttered after a beat.]

Be straight with us, Blondie.

If you know somethin', just tell us. We don't wanna get any more people in trouble, yeah? Some of the dolts in this dump might not care, but I do, and so do your bosom buddies.

fucky breathing cw just to be safe

[honeyedtea]

I don't know anything!

[ Her voice is shrill – panicked and shaking itself apart. She has the look of a prey animal backed into a corner by a whole pack of predators, eyes darting around to try and find an escape route. ]

H–how can you pretend you care when you– you bring that up out of nowhere, even though it's not related– you accuse me while pretending you're not accusing me, you play nice while you're looking to put a knife in my back–!

[ Even her breathing sounds shrill. ]

[bootyhunter]

[He looks legitimately hurt by that. Sure, the girl has a shitty attitude, but as mentioned before...

So does he.]

I'm sorry.

[But he did lose a friend this week. Is he being a chicken? A coward? Not doing what it takes to be useful, to help sort the situation out-]

Forget I said anything.

I'm not pretendin', though.

I just wanna figure out what's goin' on.

[hotpaprika]

M-Mielle!

[He feels like his help is not wanted right now, but he doesn't want to stand by. He feels guilty for even considering her as a possible option, and he doesn't want this child to feel like they're going to die for no reason.]

Just breathe, if you did not do it, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. I will not let an innocent person die on my watch.