Fourth Trial

[bathymetric]

[ After the evidence (and what a large batch of evidence it is, this time) has been gathered up, after actually patiently waiting a longer time than usual to make sure everything's been grabbed, the speakers over New Rapture crackle to life. ]

Time's up, everyone. You know where to go.

[ The lower number of bathyspheres, as you descend, is starting to become really notable, isn't it? The descent is the same as ever, lower and lower into the sea. The bioluminescence of those slugs on the ocean floor is almost brighter today, somehow, and some of them have even crawled up the cliff face around you as you pass them.

The dome approaches, slowly as ever, gleaming red in the darkness. The bathyspheres land in a row, doors opening one by one to reveal the familiar sight of the trial room, three more podiums now darkened. ]

Take your places, ladies and gentlemen. You've got a doozy of a situation to discuss. Ass Man and Silver Fox are dead. You know what happens if you can't figure out whodunnit.

[ Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

Dandy's Body Report -- Content Warnings: Torture, Gore, Achilles Tendon Content, Fingers Content

[pairtner]

I bring the results of a general examination of Dandy's body. Given we all aren't investigators used to this amount of gore, I will attempt to convey it in the least upsetting manner possible -- to some extent. It is ludicrously upsetting.

[Aiba displays the usual blue figure she uses for corpse markings, but instead of showing the injuries like usual she highlights each area]

The cause of death was a removal of the heart. Dandy's ribcage was breached forcefully, without any sawing to the bones. [Given she named this the cause of death...yeah, this definitely was done while he was still alive]

There are also a number of wounds and injuries that were done not with the purpose of killing him, but to either restrain him or... [Torture him] The tendons on the lower parts of the legs, known as the Achilles tendon, were both cut with the same weapon. However this did not happen where the body was found, as there was not enough blood under these injuries.

In addition, his right hand has suffered extensive damage. The fingers of this hand are broken, result of someone repeatedly stomping on them. There's also a gash on the palm, going deep enough it breaches the other side of the hand.

Finally, his chest and limbs show signs of having been slashed with a bladed weapon. It's safe to say all these injuries were made with the purpose of inflicting pain no him.

[...uf, this was rough to say. Aiba's projection closes her eyes and shakes her head]

It's unspeakably awful.

[hotpaprika]

[The image of Dandy's body is burned into Jonthan's brain, perhaps forever. And yet hearing Aiba talk about the damage done makes him sob into his hands again. They were living with a monster like this for over a month. They did this to someone who only wanted to help.]

[dullshooter]

…Have we considered that maybe they did all of this because they’re inexplicably bad at killing anyone?

[onemillion]

Or... maybe Dandy was just that hard to kill. Nandor said he wasn't human, so perhaps he could survive far more than the killer was expecting?

[buriedstar]

[ Crossing his arms. ]

I think Rossiu has a point. Killing a monster is way different than killing a person. [ A beat and a sigh since he feels like he should clarify: ] Not that I'm calling Dandy a monster, but the anatomical difference might be just as distinct.

cw: torture mention

[onemillion]

[Thank you for the clarification, that would just derail us...]

I'm not sure if that would explain... all of the injuries. But it is something to keep in mind going forward.

[Though maybe he just wants to believe that it wasn't torture for torture's sake here.]

[buriedstar]

[ Nod on both counts. ]

It's more likely than them not knowing what they were doing at any rate.

[allatonce]

[raises the sword she brought to the trial, then lowers it

nice save, seo.]

[specialyellthing]

[It was a nice save.

Zinda’s watching Joy from across the room. She doesn’t have it in her to do much else, and she doesn’t want to get near her— not when she’s covered in Dandy’s blood— but she’s got an eye on her. It’s the most she can do.]

[buriedstar]

[ He's learned some things from the past trials, okay! ]

[fuckingguy]

I am hoping that is it, to be honest, because the alternative is pretty fucked up.

[hotpaprika]

But his hand...

[onemillion]

Yes, that's my hope as well. We don't know enough just yet to say one way or another, but I do think we should keep it in mind going forward.

[So we don't keep getting distracted by monster talk!!]

Content Warning: Gore

[pairtner]

What.

[Aiba seems to hold back a groan]

I will grant you there's a chance taking the heart might have been to kill him, given it seems he wasn't exactly human -- however the rest of the injuries are likely a result of malice instead of an attempt to kill him.

I find likelier the culprit knew exactly what they were doing.

cw: torture

[dullshooter]

[Look Aiba someone’s got to cover the stupid option here.]

Consider it like this: you’re going to kill a guy, right? But you don’t get what you expected, and so what do you do? Start panicking. Doing whatever you can to incapacitate and do something to the guy ‘til you’ve got him in a place where you can do something that pretty much guarantees he’s done for. Not saying it’s not messed up, but everyone else has got the ‘sadist’ angle covered.

[howveryglib]

That is, I think, worthy of consideration. Not all of us are trained killers to begin with, after all, so I can imagine a certain amount of panic involved in attempting to kill someone and learning they simply will not die.

torture ment

[daimakaicho]

Unless they were trying to psyche themselves up to kill him by torturing him first, I don't think that's quite the case here. The damage here is far too deliberate for it to merely be beginner's luck.

torture cont

[buriedstar]

Is that something people do?

[daimakaicho]

Maybe? It was just an idea.

cw torture

[specialyellthing]

Yeah. It’s a thing people do.

[specialyellthing]

… You did good, sis. Thanks.

[Zinda is… not herself right now. She might try and crack a joke to two, but for the most part, she is calculated and to the point.]

He was bound by rope around his wrists. I took a look at the knots, and they weren’t sloppy. Seemed pretty professionally done. Dandy’s wrists were… what you’d expect. Had rope burns. And then…

Found this on the ground not too far away. [Zinda places the… weird box shaped thing on her podium.] Anyone know what the hell it is? Looks like someone kept stickin sharp things into it.

[pairtner]

Perhaps there's something inside that box?

[Sticking sharp objects to try to force it open, maybe?]

[onemillion]

That likely explains the knife I found. It was damaged, so it was most likely used to try to... open that box, I suppose?

[pairtner]

I could attempt to look inside with X-ray -- however there's a chance the material covering this box will block my attempt.

[But it might be worth a try, right?]

[onemillion]

It's worth the attempt, at least. Thank you for offering, Aiba.

[good luck!!]