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

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.

[asymptotes]

That's true.

[ He sighs. ]

Tell you what. If it'll ease your mind? How about another check or two? We can hit everyone we haven't eliminated while we're at it. I can't prove it wasn't me, but we can at least check me and some others over to see.

[allatonce]

What kind of checks are you suggesting? Are we all going to finally strip?

[hotpaprika]

... I suppose it cannot hurt...

[asymptotes]

Might not be a bad idea. Up to you. But right now I only have my word, and you only have yours, and that's not going to get us anywhere.

[specialyellthing]

[shes already unbuttoning her jacket but contrary to the icon has something on under it]

[allatonce]

[she's looking disrespectfully!!]

[inaclearing]

[wHy DoNt YoU gO pIcK hEr Up]

[sastruga]

[immediately covers mielle's eyes]

[fuckingguy]

... We could check the bottoms of our shoes for flour or blood or some shit?

[howveryglib]

Would the smell of flour potentially remain on people as well, perhaps?

[allatonce]

Most of our shoes have been through so much shit at this point I suspect that might not be useful but it's worth checking I guess.

[visiblepattern]

May I be exempt...? I believe we already know that I couldn't have carried out either murder.

[asymptotes]

Sounds fair to me.

[ Said with some measure of genuine affection, despite his recent Everything. ]

[specialyellthing]

The girls too. Mafuyu was still recovering from yesterday, and I feel safe sayin Mielle hasn’t strayed from her side.

[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.

[howveryglib]

Yes, it is. It is worth considering even to narrow things down.