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

[pairtner]

[Aiba decides to rewind, thinking back]

...?

[Aiba tilts her head. It feels off...checking it again from what she remembers, Aiba tries to delve deeper, now that the shock of the overload was gone. It's still something that hurts to feel, but...]

Examining what I sensed, I'm finding something else.

I'm not certain, but it seems to be...empathy. Perhaps towards the killer -- nothing about his situation can evoke empathy of any way.

[You know, since...all those wounds and pain can't have been great. The empathy must have been towards the killer for some reason]

[hotpaprika]

... Why.

[Theres venom in his voice, like Jonathan could fathom how Dandy would have an ounce of empathy towards his killer.]

[pairtner]

I don't get why, either. Why would he...?

[It's pretty illogical. Aiba is well aware emotions don't follow a logical trail of logic and sense, but still, this is pretty unexpected]

I might be wrong about what it was, I suppose.

[She's not wrong, it was by mod decree it's empathy, haha]

[hotpaprika]

What is wrong with Dandy... how could he... why could he...

[asymptotes]

Some people are like that. Not willing to seek retribution.

[ Couldn't be him!!! Except for the every other him. ]

Not afraid to face death.

[hotpaprika]

[He's silent for a long moment.]

Didn't he care about us...?

[pairtner]

...maybe he...overall cared more about us all than one would think.

[Uf, she's feeling guilty. Not that long ago she told Brett Dandy was a fundamentally selfish person and that he taking a moment to ask her to go tell Brett to drink orange juice was a sign of a bond.

Dandy being so empathic and maybe forgiving was unexpected for her]

[asymptotes]

[ An scoff. ]

If you think that not being angry in your last moments is somehow selfish, Jonathan, I don't really know what to tell you. Or does it upset you if you're not everyone's last thought?

[specialyellthing]

Don't take it out on her.

[hotpaprika]

I'm not angry at her.

[Anger isn't quite the right word. Betrayal? Frustration? Confusion? It's hard to say what it is.]

[allatonce]

I mean. If anyone here killed me, I'd be like "damn, peace be with you" or whatever you Christians say. No hard feelings. Dandy was kind of the same way.

[hotpaprika]

... He's wrong.

[inaclearing]

It's not objective. He had the right to his feelings.

[dullshooter]

Is it really that hard to imagine?

cw tendon trauma, gore mention

[hotpaprika]

The murderer sliced his tendons so he couldn't run! They tried to cut out his heart! How could anyone forgive someone like that?!

[dullshooter]

‘Cause you’re only thinking from your perspective. Dandy was decent to Penelope, and she was literally sent to hell for being evil.

[daimakaicho]

[ coughs ]

[hotpaprika]

He was tortured!

[He seems less like he's talking to Misfire and more at Dandy.]

[specialyellthing]

[zinda opens her mouth to correct the tried---


closes her mouth]

[pairtner]

........

[Aiba goes quiet, thinks about it for a moment, and then says:]

...I suppose...you're not wrong that some people would forgive somebody murdering them so brutally.

[Hard to believe, but not implausible]

[onemillion]

Because of the motive, perhaps...? I'm not sure what else it could be.

[pairtner]

It's possible. That would need Dandy to be aware to some extent of what the killer's motivation was.

[In other words, the killer would have needed to share it with Dandy at some point. Maybe during the week, maybe during the attack as some sort of desperate apology]

[onemillion]

We'll have to keep that in mind. I'm not sure it helps give us a direction right now, but it could be useful later. Thank you, Aiba.

[pairtner]

I will continue trying to figure out anything I can get from his last moments, but it's a difficult task.

[Aiba is very used to seeing into people's heads and hearts, but that's through dreams she can explore and influence. To have it as an overload of information right into her local memory bank is overwhelming. It's very likely she won't be able to extract anything else from what she perceived by x-raying that box and she knows it, but she has to try anyway, for Dandy's sake.

Using other pieces of evidence probably will be more useful, she figures. Nandor's lead seems reasonably solid]

[onemillion]

Of course, but please don't push yourself. I can only imagine what it was like, but I'm sure it was a difficult experience.

[It's okay Aiba, we've got a direction to follow for now so hopefully it'll lead us straight to the killer!!]