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

[daimakaicho]

[ A little while later: ]

Perhaps it'd be easier if we put together profiles of our culprits then? Outside of making everyone strip, I don't see how we're going to progress any further without just accusing everyone.

[hotpaprika]

I suppose we could create a list of those who could have possibly done this and interrogate them on their alibis?

[pairtner]

At this point it feels like a more proactive take will be necessary. For both crimes a fairly firm base and conclusions can be reached. Leaving aside whether they're correct or not, proceeding to call potential names could be a good idea.

[hotpaprika]

Calling names...

[His brain searches for someone to accuse.]

Mr. Dawon, how do we know that you weren't behind this?

[buriedstar]

[ If he could visibly have a ? appear about his head he would. ]

Hmm? And I was doing my best not to be rude to you before too. [ Sigh. ]

Why are you accusing me? Other than the fact that you don't like me.

[hotpaprika]

Y-you were the first person who came to mind! And if we are going to attempt calling names...

[buriedstar]

[ Thinks for a second. ]

Jonathan Harker! See, I can do it too~.

[hotpaprika]

[Uuuugh.]

I... I suppose I cannot complain about that.

[buriedstar]

[ He laughs. ]

If that's all you have to say~.

[allatonce]

I mean, he's got a point, even if it was by accident. You're one of like, two people here that would do that to Dandy and it's kind of sus that you showered and changed before we got here.

[hotpaprika]

[He beams a little.]

[buriedstar]

I'm not going to apologize for not wanting to be in dirty clothes.

[ To the first point. ]

Who's the other one?

[allatonce]

Oh, him obviously.

[She points at Drakkon.]

Possibly Gaius, but eh. Seems a little too extra for him.

[inaclearing]

Wh - why him?

[bless brett's heart tbh]

[asymptotes]

[ A shrug. Not an unreasonable conclusion. ]

My best defense is that I think it was tacky.

cw the dumbest possible gore reference

[fuckingguy]

[ THE LONGEST, MOST EXHAUSTED EXHALE... ]

Fuck it. Gaius, Thomas Oliver. Did you lure Dandy into the dark ride last night and rip his box heart out of his flesh body?

[asymptotes]

I didn't have nearly enough against him to go that far.

[ LIKE WE'RE BEING HONEST IN THIS CHILIS, SO. ]

I'm not nearly so... showy.

[fuckingguy]

Well, we only have your word to go on for that, but okay. And if he was not dying easily, as has been theorized?

[asymptotes]

My word's all I can give you.

[ He thinks for a moment. ]

Also, my word that I would have been more likely to snap his neck. Hacking away at the body like that is... a little sad, don't you think?

[allatonce]

Thaaaaaat assumes you would be able to. I think we've pretty much discovered that physically? Dandy was way weirder than we all previously assumed.

[fuckingguy]

Perhaps. But also, his heart was a box and he should have died after bleeding as much blood as he bled, so who even knows what was going on with his spine?

[howveryglib]

[He kind of shrugs. He did kind of guess that he’d get this question for being tall enough to do it…]

No, though I will admit I do not have any evidence to prove my innocence. I will accept any further checks you require to rule me out.

[fuckingguy]

Very well, then. [ ... ] I am aware that I also fit the criteria, of course.

[howveryglib]

Of course. I do not necessarily suspect you, though, given your reaction to the body seemed fairly genuine.

[like. he’d buy Nandor would be capable of the torture murder maybe. But he doesn’t think the guy’s a very good actor.]

[fuckingguy]

[ nandor would have 100% been like OH NO IT'S DANDY! I DID NOT KILL HIM before they even saw the body ]

And again: no reflection, hard to clean up, my hair is too long for showering to go unnoticed, blah blah blah. But fair is fair.